Patent ID: 9022917
Filing Date: 2015-05-05
Classification: H04R

Abstract:
1. A magnetic hearing device, comprising: at least one housing; an electromagnetic (“EM”) transducer disposed within or attached to the housing; and an adjustable magnetic spacer comprising at least a first magnetic member, the magnetic spacer being configured to be: (i) mechanically and acoustically coupled to the EM transducer, and (ii) magnetically and transcutaneously coupled to an implantable member through a patient's skin, the implantable member being configured to be disposed beneath the patients skin and configured to be attached to the patient's skull; wherein the adjustable magnetic spacer is further configured such that at least one of: (a) a user may remove and replace the first magnetic member from the adjustable magnetic spacer; (b) the user may add or remove at least a second magnetic member to or from the adjustable magnetic spacer; (c) the user may remove the adjustable magnetic spacer from the device and replace it with a different magnetic spacer or with changes to the adjustable magnetic spacer; (d) the user may adjust a position of the first magnetic member in the adjustable magnetic spacer so as to change or adjust a degree of magnetic coupling of the adjustable magnetic spacer to the implantable member; (e) the user may adjust a position of the first magnetic member so as to change or adjust relative positioning or spacing between the adjustable magnetic spacer and the implantable member; (f) at least a first portion of the adjustable magnetic spacer is custom-shaped to conform with skull contours underlying a desired skin contact region of a given patient; (g) at least a second portion of the adjustable magnetic spacer is configured to be conformable with skull contours underlying the desired skin contact region of the given patient, and (h) at least portions of the first magnetic member are shaped and configured for placement near a periphery of the adjustable magnetic spacer so as to permit a reduction in a thickness of the magnetic spacer between at least portions of the EM transducer and the patients skin; and further wherein an adhesion force to the implantable member provided by the adjustable magnetic spacer ranges between about 0.5 Newtons and about 3 Newtons, and the adjustable magnetic spacer permits the magnetic hearing device to be positioned comfortably on a chronic basis on the patient's skull.