HEARING AID, EXPANSION UNIT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A HEARING AID

• US 20090262964A1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Exsilent Research B.V.
• Inventors: Havenith, Michel Martin Marie, Kaal, Marcus Johannes Aloysius, Pander, Aeldrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A hearing aid includes a device housing to be worn outside an ear of a user and which co-acts with an in-the-ear part provided with a sound-emitting opening and which is intended and adapted to be received at least substantially in the ear of the user. The in-the-ear part is physically separated from the device housing, wherein at least a microphone and a loudspeaker are accommodated together with the sound-emitting opening in the in-the-ear part. An electronic connection is present between the device housing and the in-the-ear part. A power supply of a hearing aid particularly includes a capacitor (40), more particularly an ultra-capacitor. The functionality of a hearing aid can be expanded with an expansion unit (50). For an accurate fit of the in-the-ear part use is made of a digital representation which has been modified on the basis of fitting data of a fitting body.

Claims

1. Hearing aid, comprising a device housing which is intended and adapted to be worn outside an ear of a user and which co-acts with an in-the-ear part which is provided with a sound-emitting opening and which is intended and adapted to be received at least substantially in the ear of the user, and comprising at least an electric power supply, a microphone, a loudspeaker and a processing device for the purpose of reproducing sound received via the microphone in at least partly processed manner via the loudspeaker and generating it from the sound-emitting opening to an auditory organ of the user, characterized in that the in-the-ear part is physically separated from the device housing, that at least the microphone and the loudspeaker are accommodated together with the sound-emitting opening in the in-the-ear part, and that at least during operation an electronic connection is present between the device housing and the in-the-ear part.

2. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the in-the-ear part also comprises the processing device.

3. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device housing comprises a primary power supply and that the in-the-ear part is provided with a secondary power supply.

4. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that at least one of the primary and secondary power supply comprises a capacitor, in particular an ultra-capacitor.

5. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic connection comprises a cord connection.

6. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the cord connection comprises on at least one end a connector for a releasable connection to at least one of the device housing and the in-the-ear part of the device.

7. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic connection comprises a wireless connection for signal transmission.

8. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the in-the-ear part comprises an inductive coupling element and the device housing comprises an inductive transmitting element, which are able to mutually co-act in order to at least temporarily maintain an electrical supply current from the device housing to the in-the-ear part.

9. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the in-the-ear part is accommodated in a separate outer casing which is able and adapted to lie against a wall of an auditory canal of the user while at least practically sealing acoustically all around.

10. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the outer casing comprises at least one flexible fin for lying resiliently against the wall of the auditory canal.

11. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the outer casing is made to measure for the natural anatomy of the auditory canal.

12. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device housing is provided with at least one further microphone.

13. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device housing is provided with an exchangeable outer shell.

14. Hearing aid comprising at least one electronic component and an electric power supply for power supply to the at least one electronic component, characterized in that the power supply comprises an ultra-capacitor, comprising a capacitor having in fully charged state an energy-weight ratio of more than about 1.0 Wh/kg, in particular between about 1 and 10 Wh/kg.

15. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the ultra-capacitor is formed from a number of elongate dielectric tubes, in particular of carbon, placed at least substantially parallel adjacently of each other and having a diameter in the order of several to several tens of nanometres and a length which is several thousand to several hundreds of thousands times greater than their diameter.

16. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a DC-DC converter is provided to receive a variable direct voltage from the ultra-capacitor and to generate an at least almost fixed, lower direct voltage, and that the ultra-capacitor is coupled via the DC-DC converter to the at least one electronic component in order to apply thereover an at least almost stable direct voltage.

17. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the ultra-capacitor is coupled to an inductive coupling element in order during operation to intercept and receive an externally applied electromagnetic induction field as charging current therefrom.

18. Hearing aid comprising a device housing and at least one electronic component, characterized in that electronic coupling means are provided for coupling to an optionally processor-controlled portable external expansion unit.

19. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the coupling means comprise means for wireless signal transmission in accordance with a first protocol for wireless communication between the hearing aid and the expansion unit, and that the expansion unit is moreover equipped with means for wireless signal transmission in accordance with a differing second protocol for wireless communication between the expansion unit and a further device.

20. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that a rechargeable power supply is applied therein as power supply, that the expansion unit is provided with a further power supply, and that the coupling means comprise a power supply connection for supply to the rechargeable power supply from the power supply of the expansion unit.

21. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit is provided with at least one further microphone.

22. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit is provided with coupling means for signal transmission from an external audio source in order to receive an audio signal therefrom, and that the expansion unit is adapted and able to transmit the audio signal to the hearing aid.

23. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit is provided with storage means for electronic data storage, in particular an electronically rewritable and readable semiconductor memory such as Flash EEPROM.

24. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit comprises a standardized communication interface for data exchange with an optionally portable computer, in particular one comprising a standard interface for data exchange such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port or a Fire Wire connection.

25. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit is provided with a programming interface which is able and adapted to exchange data with a corresponding programming interface of the hearing aid for the purpose of adjusting the processing device.

26. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit is connected to a necklace.

27. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the expansion unit is able and adapted to co-act with the electronic host device.

28. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 27, characterized in that the expansion unit is at least partially accommodated in a standardized add-on body manually releasable from the host device, in particular one from a group comprising an SDIO (Secure Digital Input Output) card, a Smart Card, an MM (Multi Media) card, a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) card, an Express card, a CardBus card and similar bodies.

29. Expansion unit as applicable in the hearing aid as claimed in claim 18.

30. Method for manufacturing a hearing aid with an in-the-ear part which is adapted and intended to be received fittingly in an ear of a user, wherein at least at the intended location a likeness of the ear is taken and wherein at least an outer casing of the in-the-ear part is derived from the likeness, characterized in that a digital representation of the likeness is created, that an at least substantially form-retaining fitting body is inserted in the ear of the user and fitting data thereof are measured, that if necessary the digital representation is modified on the basis of the fitting data of the fitting body and that at least the outer casing of the in-the-ear part is derived faithfully from the possibly modified digital representation of the likeness.

31. Method as claimed in claim 30, characterized in that the likeness comprises a contact cast and that a digital representation of the cast is obtained by means of a three-dimensional scan.

32. Method as claimed in claim 30, characterized in that at least the outer casing of the in-the-ear part is formed from a suitable starting material directly from the modified digital representation.

33. Method as claimed in claim 30, characterized in that a mould is formed from a suitable starting material on the basis of the modified digital representation and that at least the outer casing of the in-the-ear part is formed in the mould.