Patent ID: 7818066

Claim:
A remote device adapted for use with a cochlear implant system, said cochlear implant system including an implant device adapted to receive forward telemetry signals emanating from a headpiece of an external sound processor and to generate and emanate a first back telemetry signal for reception within the external sound processor, said remote device comprising: a forward telemetry receiver adapted to receive and monitor the forward-telemetry signals emanating from the headpiece of the external sound processor; means for detecting status information contained within the forward telemetry signals; means for displaying the status information detected within the forward telemetry signals; means for monitoring the first back telemetry signal emanating from the implant device: control means for modulating the first back telemetry signal with user-selected information so as to create a second back telemetry signal that emanates from the remote device, said second back telemetry signal being independent of the first back telemetry signal emanating from the implant device; wherein the remote device functions as a remote status device that allows a user of the cochlear implant system to receive status information from the first back telemetry signal regarding operation of the cochlear implant system; and further wherein the external sound processor receives the second back telemetry signal and sends control information to the implant device in response thereto, whereby the user-selected information obtained from the second back telemetry signal is included in the control information sent to the implant device, whereby the remote device also functions as a remote control device that allows a user of the cochlear implant system to send user-selected control information to the implant device.