261results about "Optical signal transducers" patented technology

Hearing systems for both hearing impaired and normal hearing subjects comprise an input transducer and a separate output transducer. The input transducer will include a light source for generating a light signal in response to either ambient sound or an external electronic sound signal. The output transducer will comprise a light-responsive transducer component which is adapted to receive light from the input transducer. The output transducer component will vibrate in response to the light input and produce vibrations in a component of a subject's hearing transduction pathway, such as the tympanic membrane, a bone in the ossicular chain, or directly on the cochlea, in order to produce neural signals representative of the original sound.

A speaker system for a musical instrument that detects the displacement of a voice coil of a speaker and provides feedback processing. The speaker system has a preamp that alters the frequency characteristics of the an electrical signal that has been input to an input terminal, and a power amplifier that amplifies the electrical signal. A speaker is driven by the power amplifier and a feedback unit detects the displacement of the speaker and provides a feedback signal to the power amplifier. The power amplifier amplifies the electrical signal in conformance with the output of the preamp and the feedback signal.

A portable communication system provides a universal transmitter that mechanically couples to a communication device having a sound output, e.g., a cellular phone handset, and which transforms the sound output into infrared signals, e.g., pulses, for transmission to a wireless receiver, e.g., a behind the ear or in the ear receiver.

A hearing aid that is capable of automatically switching between a full-function mode and a sleep mode depending on the location of the hearing aid. The hearing aid comprises a hearing aid module for processing an input signal and generating a compensated output signal and, a location sensor module for providing a location information signal to indicate one of an in-the-ear case and an out-of-the-ear case. The hearing aid module automatically switches to the full-function mode when the location information signal indicates the in-the-ear case and the hearing aid module automatically switches to the sleep mode when the location information signal indicates the out-of-the-ear case.

The present invention relates to a hearing aid system comprising a hearing implant and a method of powering a hearing implant, the system comprising an external ear canal module and an implant, wherein the signalling and / or powering of the ear implant is by way of a light signal being provided to the implant through the ear drum from, for example, the ear canal module.

A directionally-sensitive device for detecting and processing vibration waves includes an array of polymeric optical waveguide resonators positioned between a light source, such as an LED array, and a light detector, such as a photodiode array. The resonators which are preferably oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to incoming vibration waves, vibrate when a wave is detected, thus modulating light signals that are transmitted between the light source and the light detector. The light detector converts the modulated light into electrical signals which, in a preferred embodiment, are used to drive either the speaker of a hearing aid or the electrode array of a cochlear implant. The device is manufactured using a combination of traditional semiconductor processes and polymer microfabrication techniques.

An optically unnoticeable and acoustically improved behind-the-ear hearing device having a housing which can be worn behind the ear, a signal processing facility which is arranged in the housing, and which comprises an optoelectrical converter, and at least one optical microphone is provided. The optical microphone is arranged outside the housing and can be positioned in the concha or in the auditory canal. Furthermore, the optical microphone is connected to the signal processing facility by way of an optical wave guide for optical signal transmission purposes. An optical microphone of this type can be realized small and in an unnoticeable fashion on / in an otoplastic, such that during the acoustic recording, the typical frequency behavior through the concha can also be used.

The present invention provides a photoacoustic spectrometer that is field portable and capable of speciating complex organic molecules in the gas phase. The spectrometer has a tunable light source that has the ability to resolve the fine structure of these molecules over a large wavelength range. The inventive light source includes an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) having combined fine and coarse tuning. By pumping the OPO with the output from a doped-fiber optical amplifier pumped by a diode seed laser, the inventive spectrometer is able to speciate mixtures having parts per billion of organic compounds, with a light source that has a high efficiency and small size, allowing for portability. In an alternative embodiment, the spectrometer is scanned by controlling the laser wavelength, thus resulting in an even more compact and efficient design.

A directionally-sensitive device for detecting and processing vibration waves includes an array of polymeric optical waveguide resonators positioned between a light source, such as an LED array, and a light detector, such as a photodiode array. The resonators which are preferably oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to incoming vibration waves, vibrate when a wave is detected, thus modulating light signals that are transmitted between the light source and the light detector. The light detector converts the modulated light into electrical signals which, in a preferred embodiment, are used to drive either the speaker of a hearing aid or the electrode array of a cochlear implant. The device is manufactured using a combination of traditional semiconductor processes and polymer microfabrication techniques.

An optical displacement sensor is disclosed that provides a optical displacement sensor that includes a optically-resonant cavity tuned to an operating wavelength without some of the disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. An embodiment of the present invention tunes an operating wavelength used with a Fabry-Perot interferometer to develop a desired relationship between the wavelength and the Fabry-Perot interferometer's initial cavity length.

Hearing systems for both hearing impaired and normal hearing subjects comprise an input transducer and a separate output transducer. The input transducer will include a light source for generating a light signal in response to either ambient sound or an external electronic sound signal. The output transducer will comprise a light-responsive transducer component which is adapted to receive light from the input transducer. The output transducer component will vibrate in response to the light input and produce vibrations in a component of a subject's hearing transduction pathway, such as the tympanic membrane, a bone in the ossicular chain, or directly on the cochlea, in order to produce neural signals representative of the original sound.

The robustness of hearing aid devices in terms of electromagnetic disturbances and chemically aggressive surroundings should be improved. For this purpose, provision is made to equip a hearing aid apparatus with optical microphones. Since no metal parts must be used for these optical micro-phones, corrosion can be largely excluded. Furthermore, no EMC problems occur as a result of the optical signal processing.

A microphone having an optical component for converting the sound-induced motion of the diaphragm into an electronic signal using a diffraction grating. The microphone with inter-digitated fingers is fabricated on a silicon substrate using a combination of surface and bulk micromachining techniques. A 1 mm×2 mm microphone diaphragm, made of polysilicon, has stiffeners and hinge supports to ensure that it responds like a rigid body on flexible hinges. The diaphragm is designed to respond to pressure gradients, giving it a first order directional response to incident sound. This mechanical structure is integrated with a compact optoelectronic readout system that displays results based on optical interferometry.

An audio system includes an earplug with a speaker to deliver sound to the ear, and / or a microphone which captures sound in the ear canal, and an earmuff is worn over the earplug. The earplug receives sound signals from the earmuff (and / or transmits captured sound signals to the earmuff) by translating such sound signals into light signals which are transmitted over a free space situated between the earmuff and earplug. The light signals are then received at the earplug and / or earmuff and converted to electrical signals which may be further transmitted (e.g., from the earmuff to some external communications device) or converted to sound (e.g., in the earplug by having the electrical signals drive an earplug speaker). If power is required by the earplug, the need for on-board power sources may be avoided by converting light transmitted from the earmuff into power at the earplug. Electrical shock and physical snag hazards are avoided, and the earmuff is easily put on and removed, owing to the lack of wires or other physical connections between the earplug and earmuff. Additionally, by avoiding wires or radio transmission between the earplug and earmuff, electromagnetic interference may be reduced.

Micron-scale displacement measurement devices having enhanced performance characteristics are disclosed. One embodiment of a micron-scale displacement measurement device includes a phase-sensitive reflective diffraction grating for reflecting a first portion of an incident light and transmitting a second portion of the incident light such that the second portion of the incident light is diffracted. The device can further include a mechanical structure having a first region and a second region, the mechanical structure positioned a distance d above the diffraction grating and forming a wall of a cavity, the second portion of the incident light is reflected off of the first region of the structure such that an interference pattern is formed by the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion of the incident light. The device can further include an orifice formed in the cavity to provide for the passage of air between the inside and outside of the cavity.

An opto-acoustoelectric device encompasses a diaphragm having a diffraction grating, the diaphragm is susceptible to a vibration driven by an external force; a light source oriented to irradiate the diffraction grating; and a photo detector configured to detect the light diffracted by the diffraction grating and to convert the detected light into an electric signal. The electric signal corresponds to a displacement of the vibration in the diaphragm.

A method and system for monitoring the operation of downhole equipment, such as electrical submersible pumps, is disclosed. The method and system rely on the use of coiled fiber optic sensors, such as hydrophones, accelerometers, and / or flow meters. These sensors are either coupled to or placed in proximity to the equipment being monitored. As the sensor is perturbed by acoustic pressure disturbances emitted from the equipment, the length of the sensing coil changes, enabling the creation of a pressure versus time signal. This signal is converted into a frequency spectrum indicative of the acoustics emissions of the equipment, which can then be manually or automatedly monitored to see if the equipment is functioning normally or abnormally, and which allows the operator to take necessary corrective actions.

A prosthetic hearing device comprising a biocompatible housing having a surface that vibrates in response to sound waves traveling through tissue; and an interferometer mounted in the housing, the interferometer is constructed and arranged to generate a light beam that impinges on a reflective interior surface of the vibrating surface, and to receive light reflected from the reflective interior surface. The device detects ambient sound by impinging a light beam on a portion of the vibrating surface; receiving light reflected from the reflective portion; measuring the movement of the vibrating surface based on an interference pattern of the impinging and reflected light; and determining at least a frequency of the incident sound wave based on the interference pattern.

Optical sensors, and methods for operating optical sensors, are disclosed. One such sensor may include: a reflector positioned a distance from a reflective diffraction grating and a light source for providing light. A first portion of the light can be reflected from the reflective diffraction grating and a second portion of the light passes through the grating to the reflector and is reflected back through the diffraction grating. The sensor may further include a detector for sensing an intensity of light in an interference pattern formed by the first portion of the light reflected from the diffraction grating and the second portion of the light reflected from the reflector. The sensor includes a controller configured to modulate an emission of the light.

Micron-scale displacement measurement devices having enhanced performance characteristics are disclosed. One embodiment of a micron-scale displacement measurement device includes a phase-sensitive reflective diffraction grating for reflecting a first portion of an incident light and transmitting a second portion of the incident light such that the second portion of the incident light is diffracted. The device further includes a mechanical structure having a first region and a second region, the mechanical structure positioned a distance d above the diffraction grating, the second portion of the incident light is reflected off of the first region of the structure such that an interference pattern is formed by the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion of the incident light. The device can further include an electrode extending toward, but spaced a distance away from, the second region of the mechanical structure.

The present invention relates to micron-scale displacement measurement devices. A first embodiment is a device that includes a substrate and a rigid structure suspended above the substrate to form a backside cavity. Formed in the rigid structure is a reflective diffraction grating positioned to reflect a first portion of an incident light and transmit a second portion of the incident light such that the second portion of the incident light is diffracted. The device also includes a membrane positioned a distance d above the reflective diffraction grating and at least a first photo-detector for receiving interference patterns produced from the first portion of the incident light reflected from the diffraction grating and the second portion of the incident light reflected from the membrane.

A system and method for detecting a sound originating from a body and enhancing signal-to-noise ratio with respect to noise originated outside the body is disclosed. The system comprises a light source for producing a quasi-monochromatic, spatially-coherent light beam; and interferometer for interfering alight beam originated from the source, incident upon the body and reflected from it, with a reference beam, which also originates from the light source; and a detector for detecting changes caused by motion of a least one interference fringe across the detector, and for generation a corresponding electric signal.

An earpiece is provided containing a thermal activator layer comprised of a first polymer, the thermal activator layer being separated from the tympanic membrane of the user's ear by an air gap, and an acoustical reflector layer, containing a second polymer and pigment particles, adjacent to the thermal activator layer. The earpiece may be produced by sequential introduction of various liquefied components in layers within the ear canal, with the components being cured to provide the thermal activator layer and the acoustical reflector layer.

An optical transducer includes a base member, a light source carried on a face of the base member, a light detector carried on the face of the base member laterally spaced from the light source, an optical shield extending from the face of the base member between the light source and light detector, and a displaceable member overlying, and spaced from, the light source, light detector and optical shield, and effective to reflect light from the light source to the light detector. The optical shield includes a transparent plate extending from the face of the base member between the light source and light detector, and carrying a thin layer of a light-blocking material to shield the light detector from direct exposure to the light source. The light source, light detector, and optical shield are all embedded in a transparent plastic potting material. Also described is a method of making such optical transducers by producing an intermediate matrix of a plurality of such light sources, light detectors and optical shields and cutting the matrix into individual optical units.

Described herein is a method and system of distributed acoustic sensing, such as in an urban or metropolitan area involving a dedicated and established fibre optic communications network including a data centre. In general, the disclosed method and system includes the steps of (a) selecting an optical fibre cable installation having a path extending across a selected geographical area, the optical fibre cable installation including a bundle of optical fibres and forming part of a fibre-optic communications network, (b) determining characteristics associated with the optical fibre and / or the selected optical fibre installation, (c) transmitting outgoing light in the optical fibre, (d) receiving reflected light back scattered along the optical fibre, and (e) based on the reflected light and the determined characteristics, generating an alert signal representative of an acoustic event. The disclosed method and system may be useful in the detection of acoustic events near or within the selected geographical area.

A moving coil linear motor positioning stage with a concentric aperture is disclosed. The present invention relates to positioning an element or device such as an optic or lens. The apparatus is ideal for moving an optic coaxial with a light beam. The present invention uses a voice coil motor with a cylindrical moving coil and a cylindrical permanent magnet assembly with a radial gap. The moving coil and magnet assemblies have clear apertures concentric with the apparatus and the axis of motion. A pair of planar flexures guides the moving coil. A position-sensing device is used to sense the position of the moving coil to enable fine position control.