Design of a radio-linked implantable cochlear prosthesis using surface acoustic wave devices

Cochlear prosthesis systems for postlingually deaf individuals (those who have become deaf due to disease or injury after having developed mature speech capability) are considered. These systems require the surgical implantation of an array of electrodes within the cochlea and are driven by processed sound signals from outside the body. A system that uses an analog signal approach for transcutaneous transfer of six processed speech data channels using frequency multiplexing is described. The system utilizes a filterbank of six narrowband surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters in the range 72-78 MHz with a 1.2-MHz channel spacing to multiplex the six carrier signals, frequency modulated, by the processed speech signals, onto a composite signal. The same SAW filters are used in the receiver filterbank for signal separation, but are housed in a miniaturized package. The system includes a portable transmitter and a receiver package which is to be implanted in the patient. The implanted circuits are supplied exclusively from power transferred from outside the body via a separate 10-MHz transcutaneous link.