HEARING AID APPARATUS

• US 20120230529A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel R. Schumaier
• Original Assignee: Daniel R. Schumaier
• Inventors: Schumaier, Daniel R., Campbell, David M. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/326
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A bone conduction hearing aid includes an in-the-ear (ITE) component including a transducer that is carried by the ITE component and positioned in the concha of the ear when in use. A vibrationally conductive structural member of the ITE component conducts vibration produced the transducer into the ear canal and such vibrations are transferred through a housing of the transducer. From there, the vibrations are transferred to a cochlea of the user by way of the mastoid bone, enabling enhanced hearing perception in patients with hearing loss.

Claims

1. An apparatus for imparting vibrational energy to a user for assistance in hearing, the apparatus comprising:

an earpiece shell having a cavity that defines an inner surface of the earpiece shell; and

a transducer disposed at least partially within the earpiece shell, the transducer comprising;

a housing engaged adjacent the inner surface of the earpiece shell;

a spring member attached adjacent the housing;

a weight having a mass, the weight attached adjacent the spring member and movable within the cavity without contacting the earpiece shell; and

means for initiating vibration disposed at least partially within the housing, the means for initiating vibration operable to impart vibrational energy to the weight to cause the weight to vibrate at a frequency which is dependent at least in part upon the mass of the weight attached adjacent the spring member,

the earpiece shell for conducting the vibrational energy to the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing of the transducer is press fit into the cavity of the earpiece shell.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the earpiece shell further comprises an interference structure which controls a depth of insertion of the housing into the earpiece shell when the housing is press fit into the cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the earpiece shell is formed from one or more acrylate polymers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the earpiece shell including an aperture for receiving the housing of the transducer into the cavity; and

a cover plate configured for substantially covering the aperture.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frequency of the vibrational energy ranges from about 500 Hz to about 3000 Hz when the mass of the weight ranges over a ratio of about 36:

1.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frequency of the vibrational energy is approximately inversely proportional to the square root of the mass of the weight.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the earpiece shell further comprises at least two substantially flat inner sub-surfaces including a first inner sub-surface and a second inner sub-surface, and wherein the housing of the transducer further comprises an outer surface including at least one substantially flat outer sub-surface including a first outer sub-surface, wherein the first inner sub-surface fits tightly against the first outer sub-surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the earpiece shell further comprises at least two substantially flat inner sub-surfaces including a first inner sub-surface and a second inner sub-surface, and wherein the housing of the transducer further comprises an outer surface including at least one substantially flat outer sub-surface including a first outer sub-surface, wherein the first inner sub-surface is attached to the first outer sub-surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for initiating vibration further comprises a device selected from the group consisting of an electromagnetic transducer, a coil and magnet transducer, a piezoelectric crystal transducer, and a differential floating mass transducer.

11. A method of altering the output frequency of an apparatus that imparts vibrational energy to a user for assistance in hearing, wherein the apparatus comprises an earpiece shell for conducting the vibrational energy to the user and a transducer disposed at least partially within the earpiece shell, wherein the earpiece shell includes a cavity that defines an inner surface of the earpiece shell, and the transducer includes:

a first housing engaged adjacent the inner surface of the earpiece shell;

a first spring member attached adjacent the housing;

a first weight having a first mass, the first weight attached adjacent the first spring member and movable within the cavity without contacting the earpiece shell; and

a first means for initiating vibration disposed at least partially within the first housing, the first means for initiating vibration operable to impart vibrational energy to the first weight to cause the first weight to vibrate at a frequency which is dependent at least in part upon the mass of the first weight attached adjacent the first spring member,

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) removing a first set of one or more components from the earpiece, wherein the first set of one or more components includes at least the first weight; and

(b) adding a second set of one or more components to the earpiece to replace the first set of one or more components removed in step (a), wherein the second set of one or more components includes at least a second weight having a second mass, wherein the second mass is not equal to the first mass.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

step (a) further comprises removing one or more of the first housing, the first means for initiating vibration, and the first spring member; and

step (b) further comprises adding one or more of a second housing, a second means for initiating vibration, and a second spring member to replace the one or more components removed in step (a).

13. A transducer for use within an earpiece shell, the transducer comprising:

a housing configured for attachment adjacent an inner surface of an earpiece shell;

a spring member attached adjacent the housing;

a weight having a mass, the weight attached adjacent the spring member;

means for initiating vibration disposed at least partially within the housing, the means for initiating vibration operable to impart vibrational energy to the weight to cause the weight to vibrate at a frequency which is dependent at least in part upon the mass of the weight attached adjacent the spring member; and

a power source for providing power to the means for initiating vibration,

wherein the transducer is configured so that the weight freely vibrates, based at least in part on the energy transmitted through the spring member, without contacting the inner surface of the earpiece shell during operation.

14. An earpiece shell for a hearing aid apparatus, the earpiece shell having a cavity sized to receive a transducer in a press-fit configuration, wherein the transducer includes a vibrating weight, and wherein a portion of the cavity provides sufficient space for the weight to vibrate without contacting inner surfaces of the cavity while vibrating.