Patent ID: 8811643

Claim:
An integrated headpiece for use with a cochlear implant, comprising: a microphone for outputting an audio signal; a headpiece magnet for attracting said headpiece to said cochlear implant; signal processing electronics for processing said audio signal into a processed audio signal; a transmitter for transmitting said processed audio signal received from said electronics to said cochlear implant; and an assistive listening device cap that provides additional functionality to said headpiece, said headpiece and said assistive listening device cap being respectively configured such that said assistive listening device cap can be magnetically secured to and communicate with said headpiece when said headpiece is magnetically secured to said cochlear implant; wherein all of said microphone, headpiece magnet, signal processing electronics, and transmitter are disposed in a common rigid housing of said integrated headpiece, said integrated headpiece being configured as a stand alone, head-mounted external component which provides external functionality for operation of said cochlear implant system.