A totally implanted hearing device is located within a dry cavity formed in the mastoid area of the human skull to house and mount the device and associated electronic hardware allowing the bypass of the middle ear's oscicullar chain. The device uses spring prosthesis coupled to sense the vibrations of the tympanic membrane and transmit same to the electronic hardware which senses, amplifies, and which transmits the amplified signal to a transducer which is connected to a piston which vibrates the parilymph fluid of the inner ear to achieve enhanced hearing free of feedback and distortion.

An electromagnetic induction type hearing aid which comprises (1) an electromagnetic transmitter having an input for receiving a radiated acoustical signal and an output for radiating an alternating electromagnetic signal whose frequency components are determined by the input signal and (2) a wireless magnetostrictive vibrator of bimorph design and of biocompatible material and which is adapted to be surgically implanted on one of the bones of the ossicular chain in a spatial operative relationship to the transmitter output without the need for mechanical anchoring and without any components passing through the boundary of the middle ear of the user. The vibrator is further responsive to the electromagnetic signal radiated from the transmitter and vibrates the ossicular chain in response to such radiated electromagnetic signal to stimulate the inner ear to create the perception of sound to the user.

Implantable hearing aid for stimulation of the inner ear with a hydromechanical coupling element having an input side connected to an electromechanical converter for transmission to the inner ear of the mechanical vibrations generated by the converter.

A floating mass transducer for improving hearing in a hearing impaired person is provided. The floating mass transducer (100) may be implanted or mounted externally for producing vibrations in a vibratory structure of an ear. In an exemplary embodiment, the floating mass transducer comprises a magnet assembly (12) and a coil (14) secured inside a housing (10) which is fixed to an ossicle of a middle ear. The coil is more rigidly secured to the housing than the magnet. The magnet assembly and coil are configured such that conducting alternating electrical current through the coil results in vibration of the magnet assembly and coil relative to one another. The vibration is caused by the interaction of the magnetic fields of the magnet assembly and coil. Because the coil is more rigidly secured to the housing than the magnet assembly, the vibrations of the coil cause the housing to vibrate. The vibrations of the housing are conducted to the oval window of the ear via the ossicles. In alternate embodiments, the floating mass transducer produces vibrations using piezoelectric materials.

An implantable hearing device is coupled to a tympanic membrane and an oval window of a human subject's ear. The implantable hearing device includes an amplifier, a first transducer electrically coupled to the amplifier, and a second transducer also electrically coupled to the amplifier. A first compliant connecting member elastically couples the tympanic membrane to the first transducer. A second compliant connecting member elastically couples the second transducer to the oval window. Ambient sounds are transmitted from the tympanic membrane to the first transducer by the first compliant connecting member, thus generating an audio signal. The audio signal is amplified by the amplifier, which drives the second transducer. The second compliant connecting member transmits the amplified sounds to the oval window, possibly via one or more ossicles or prostheses. The hearing of the human subject is thus improved.