Abstract
This paper proposes a novel paradigm for hands-free, high-noise-resistant communication in extreme environments by leveraging osseointegrated dental implants as direct intraoral bone-conduction transducers. Traditional bone-conduction devices worn on the temporal bone suffer from acoustic attenuation through soft tissue and mechanical displacement under high dynamic forces or protective gear. By contrast, titanium dental implants reside in direct contact with the mandibular or maxillary alveolar bone, offering an unparalleled, direct osseous acoustic pathway. We present a theoretical and experimental framework for an intraoral transceiver system consisting of a piezoelectric actuator integrated into a prosthetic crown. This system captures subvocal speech vibrations propagated through the jawbone and, conversely, transmits incoming audio signals directly to the cochlea via cranial bone conduction. We outline the design of a prototype implant-retained transducer, evaluate its electromechanical coupling efficiency using a synthetic craniofacial phantom, and discuss the biological safety, power transmission, and acoustic isolation challenges. Preliminary simulation results indicate that direct osseous coupling yields a 25 dB increase in signal-to-noise ratio compared to transcutaneous temporal bone-conduction devices in a 110 dB ambient noise environment. This approach opens new frontiers for covert military operations, deep-sea diving, and aerospace applications where traditional acoustic communication fails.
