Patent ID: 7955249

Claim:
An output transducer assembly for a hearing system for use with a human subject having a tympanic membrane, the tympanic membrane having a first portion responsive to first frequencies and a second portion responsive to second frequencies, the output transducer assembly comprising: a support component that is configured to be coupled to the tympanic membrane of the human subject, the support comprising a first region configured to couple to the first portion of the tympanic membrane and a second region configured to couple to the second portion of the tympanic membrane; and a plurality of activatable elements distributed at a plurality of locations on the support component, wherein each of the plurality of activatable elements is responsive to light and wherein the activatable elements are configured to receive a light signal from an input transducer and provide a distributed vibration across the acoustic member in accordance with the light signal from the input transducer; wherein the plurality of activatable elements is coupled to the first region and tuned in frequency to the first portion of the tympanic membrane and wherein the plurality of activatable elements is coupled to the second region and tuned in frequency to the second portion of the tympanic membrane, such that the first region vibrates preferentially in response to the first frequencies and the second region vibrates preferentially in response to the second frequencies.