Hearing aid system

• US 20050078843A1
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Auditory Licensing Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Auditory Licensing Company LLC
• Inventors: Bauman, Natan
• Application Number:
  US10/773,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078843A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/57 Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/609 of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603
• 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 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

An exemplary hearing aid system includes a receiver configured so as to create an insertion loss over the audible range of hearing below about three decibels as compared to the unaided ear. An exemplary hearing aid system also includes one or more of: a micro-receiver positioned in an open-ear configuration within the ear canal of a user; an intermediate connecting portion extending between a sound processing unit and a receiver, wherein the intermediate connecting portion includes a stiffening wire provided on at least a portion of the intermediate connecting portion and/or within or on at least a portion of the receiver; a retaining wire extending from one of the stiffening wire and the receiver, the retaining wire configured to position within a portion of the concha of the ear; an electrical conducting component comprising two wires within distinct channels or otherwise isolated from one another within the intermediate connecting portion; and a speaker, at least partially enclosed within a casing having first and second end portions, the first end portion communicating with, the connection, the speaker communicating with a port provided at the second end portion of the casing, wherein the casing is sealed to fluids and wherein the port is sealed to fluids by a membrane or mesh material. The described hearing aid reduces the insertion and occlusion effects relative to comparison devices.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a receiver positioned within the ear canal of a user, the receiver generating no more than about three decibels of insertion loss over human ear audible frequencies.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the receiver generates no more than about two decibels of insertion loss over human ear audible frequencies.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the receiver generates no more than about one decibel of insertion loss over human ear audible frequencies.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the receiver generates no more than about three decibels of insertion loss over audible frequencies between about 2200 Hertz and about 5300 Hertz.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 4, wherein the receiver generates no more than about three decibels of insertion loss over audible frequencies between about 3000 Hertz and about 5000 Hertz.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein the receiver generates no more than about three decibels of insertion loss over audible frequencies between about 3500 Hertz and about 4500 Hertz.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is positioned within the bony and/or cartilaginous region of the ear canal of the user.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than half the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 8, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than thirty percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 9, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than twenty percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 10, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than ten percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 11, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than five percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

19. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a sound processing unit;

and an intermediate connecting portion, wherein a retaining wire extends from at least one of the intermediate connecting portion and the receiver, and further wherein the retaining wire is configured to engage at least a portion of the concha of a user'"'"'s ear.

21. The hearing aid according to claim 19, wherein the retaining wire is configured such that the receiver has a maximum insertion depth into an ear canal.

22. The hearing aid according to claim 19, wherein the retaining wire is configured such that the receiver does not substantially contact any portion of an ear canal when inserted within the ear canal.

23. The hearing aid according to claim 19, wherein the retaining wire stabilizes the receiver in the ear canal.

24. The hearing aid according to claim 19, wherein the retaining wire prevents any movement of the receiver in the ear canal.

26. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a speaker, at least partially enclosed within a casing having first and second end portions, the first end portion communicating with an intermediate connecting portion, the speaker communicating with a port provided at the second end portion of the casing.

27. The hearing aid according to claim 26, wherein the port is at least partially sealed to debris by a membrane or mesh material.

28. The hearing aid according to claim 27, wherein the casing is sealed to debris at the first end portion and along a length of the casing extending from the first end portion to the port.

29. The hearing aid according to claim 26, wherein the port includes a removable cerumen collector.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

30. A hearing aid, comprising:

a receiver, configured to be positioned within the bony and/or cartilaginous region of a user'"'"'s ear canal, the receiver dimensioned so as to minimize insertion loss upon positioning of the receiver within the bony and/or cartilaginous region.

31. The hearing aid according to claim 30, wherein the receiver generates no more than about three decibels of insertion loss over human ear audible frequencies between about 2200 Hertz and about 5300 Hertz.

32. The hearing aid according to claim 30, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than twenty percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

35. The hearing aid according to claim 30, further comprising a sound processing unit;

and an intermediate connecting portion including at least two electrical conducting components provided within the intermediate connecting portion, wherein the at least two electrical conducting components are provided within at least two channels at least partially isolated from one another.

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

36. A hearing aid, comprising:

a receiver, configured to be positioned within a user'"'"'s ear canal, the receiver having a maximum lateral dimension that is less than thirty percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

37. The hearing aid according to claim 36, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than twenty percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

38. The hearing aid according to claim 36, wherein the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension that is less than ten percent of the maximum lateral dimension of a user'"'"'s ear canal.

39. A hearing aid, comprising:

a receiver;

a sound processing unit; and

an intermediate connecting portion, wherein a retaining wire extends from at least one of the intermediate connecting portion and the receiver, and further wherein the retaining wire is configured to engage at least a portion of the concha of a user'"'"'s ear.

40. A hearing aid, comprising:

a receiver;

a sound processing unit; and

an intermediate connecting portion, wherein the intermediate connecting portion comprises an electrical conducting component and a stiffening wire, provided on at least a portion of the intermediate connecting portion.

41. A hearing aid, comprising:

a receiver;

a sound processing unit; and

an intermediate connecting portion, including at least two electrical conducting components provided within the intermediate connecting portion, wherein the at least two electrical conducting components are provided within at least two channels at least partially isolated from one another.