Disposable modular hearing aid

• US 20020027996A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Preves, David A., Sjursen, Walter P., Margicin, John M., Mahoney, Derek D., Leedom, Marvin A., Tardugno, Michael H., Zielinski, Reuben, Meytus, Sam, Fritz, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/57 Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/11 Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/609 of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/656 Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular hearing aid having a base unit and a detachable earmold. A battery, an earmold tip and a receiver can be integrated with the earmold. The earmold can also include a removably attached module. The module can have a shell, electronics, a receiver or a microphone. A hearing aid also includes a flexible hearing aid tip having a vibration isolator portion and a mushroom shaped tip portion. The vibration isolator portion mechanically decouples a receiver from a hearing aid base unit while the mushroom shaped tip portion provides an acoustic seal in the ear canal of a user. The internal components of a hearing aid can be potted to attenuate vibrations created by the receiver during operation.

A hearing aid includes a first half shell and a second shell attached to the first shell. A microphone, battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip are mounted within a housing formed by the first half shell and the second half shell. A mechanical securing mechanism, located on the first half shell and the second half shell, attaches the first half shell to the second half shell. A flexible tip for a hearing aid includes a tip portion, a sound port attached to the tip portion and a vent formed in the flexible tip. The vent provides static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

a first half shell;

a second half shell attached to the first half shell;

a microphone, a battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip mounted within a housing formed by the first half shell and the second half shell; and

a mechanical securing mechanism located on the first half shell and the second half shell, the securing mechanism attaching the first half shell to the second half shell.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the securing mechanism comprises an interlocking joint.

3. The hearing aid of claim 1 further comprising an aperture to allow a potting material to be introduced into the hearing aid, the potting material minimizing acoustic and mechanical feedback created by the components in the hearing aid.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1 further comprising a microphone retainer to secure the microphone against a faceplate of the hearing aid, the microphone retainer minimizing the space formed between the microphone and the faceplate, thereby reducing resonances in the acoustic frequency response of the hearing aid.

5. The hearing aid of claim 4 wherein the microphone retainer comprises a protrusion formed within the first half shell and the second half shell.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the flexible tip comprises a mushroom shaped tip.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the flexible tip comprises an isolation nest, the receiver being mounted within the isolation nest.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the hearing aid is an in-the-canal hearing aid.

9. The hearing aid of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive seal formed between the first half shell and the second half shell.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising potting the internal components of the hearing aid to minimize acoustic and mechanical feedback created by the components in the hearing aid.

10. A hearing aid comprising:

a housing having any of a microphone, a battery, electronics and a receiver; and

a microphone retainer to secure the microphone against a faceplate of the hearing aid, the microphone retainer minimizing the space formed between the microphone and the faceplate, thereby reducing resonances in the acoustic frequency response of the hearing aid.

11. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein the microphone retainer comprises a protrusion formed within the housing of the hearing aid.

16. The flexible tip of claim 15 wherein the vent comprises an aperture located within the flexible tip.

17. The flexible tip of claim 16 wherein the aperture is located parallel to the sound port of the tip.

18. The flexible tip of claim 17 wherein the aperture is located within a rib formed between the tip portion and the sound port.

19. The flexible tip of claim 16 wherein the aperture is formed within the tip portion.

20. The flexible tip of claim 19 wherein the aperture is formed within the tip portion at an angle of approximately 90 degrees with respect to a rib formed between the tip portion and the sound port.

21. The flexible tip of claim 16 wherein the aperture is located in the sound port.

22. The flexible tip of claim 21 wherein the aperture is formed by a capillary tube.

23. The flexible tip of claim 22 wherein the capillary tube comprises a valve.

24. The flexible tip of claim 23 wherein the valve includes a ball valve.

25. The flexible tip of claim 16 wherein the aperture is filled with a sound absorbing material to minimize acoustical feedback.

26. The flexible tip of claim 15 wherein the vent comprises a channel formed on at least a portion of a surface of the tip portion.

27. The flexible tip of claim 15 wherein the vent comprises a surface roughness formed on a surface of the tip portion.

28. The flexible tip of claim 27 wherein the surface roughness comprises a plurality of ridges.

29. The flexible tip of claim 15 wherein the vent further comprises a valve, the valve regulating air entering and exiting an ear canal to equalize pressure between the ear canal and an external ambient pressure.

30. The flexible tip of claim 29 wherein the valve is formed as a flap on the sound port.

31. The flexible tip of claim 29 wherein the valve is a hinge valve mounted within the sound port.

12. A method for minimizing resonance in the acoustic frequency response in a hearing aid comprising:

providing a shell having microphone retainer and a faceplate;

providing a microphone;

inserting a microphone within the microphone retainer; and

allowing the microphone retainer to secure the microphone against the faceplate of the hearing aid thereby minimizing resonance in the acoustic frequency response in the hearing aid.

13. A method for manufacturing a hearing aid comprising:

providing a first half shell and a second half shell;

providing a microphone, a battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip;

inserting components within first half shell;

aligning the second half shell with the first half shell; and

mechanically attaching first half shell to second half shell.

15. A flexible tip for a hearing aid comprising:

a tip portion;

a sound port attached to the tip portion; and

a vent formed in the flexible tip, the vent providing static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure.

32. A flexible tip that allows a rapid disengagement in a seal formed between the tip and an ear canal comprising:

a sound port having a proximal end and a distal end; and

a tip portion attached to the sound port, the tip portion having a proximal end and a distal end and the tip portion having a geometry that distorts upon insertion or removal of the flexible tip from an ear canal, the distortion equalizing pressure between the ear canal and an ambient pressure.

33. The flexible tip of claim 32 wherein the proximal end of the sound port attaches to the proximal end of the tip portion, allowing the distal portion of the tip portion to distort during insertion to or removal from an ear canal.

34. The flexible tip of claim 32 wherein the tip portion comprises a decreased thickness portion wherein the thickness of the decreased thickness portion tapers from the proximal end to the distal end of the tip portion to allow distortion of the tip portion during removal of the flexible tip form the ear canal.

35. The flexible tip of claim 32 wherein the tip portion comprises at least one protrusion located about the circumference of the tip portion to allow distortion of the tip portion during removal of the flexible tip form the ear canal..

36. A flexible tip that allows a rapid disengagement in a seal formed between the tip and an ear canal comprising:

a sound port having a proximal end and a distal end; and

a tip portion attached to the sound port, the tip portion having a proximal end and a distal end and the tip portion having a surface area that provides a minimal contact surface between an ear canal and the tip portion, the minimal contact surface equalizing pressure between the ear canal and an ambient pressure during removal of the flexible tip form the ear canal.

37. A flexible tip for a hearing aid providing static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure comprising:

a tip portion; and

a sound port attached to the tip portion, the tip portion and sound port formed of a porous material, the porous material allowing transfer of air between an ear canal and an ambient pressure to provide pressure equalization.