METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CORRECT AND SAFE PLACEMENT OF AN IN-EAR COMMUNICATION DEVICE IN THE EAR CANAL OF A USER

• US 20170006393A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: NIELSEN, Claus, LAUGESEN, Sren
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/05 Electronic compensation of the occlusion effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A method for correct placement of an in-ear communication device, e.g. a hearing aid, in an ear canal of a user, the in-ear communication device comprising an acoustic seal towards inner surfaces of the ear canal and being configured to be located in a bony part of the ear canal during normal operation, comprises: placing the in-ear communication device in the ear canal thereby forming a substantial acoustic seal in the soft part of the ear canal; generating body-conducted sound to inner surface portions of the user'"'"'s ear canal; gradually inserting the device deeper into the ear canal in the direction towards the ear drum, until a position where the sound level perceived by the user decreases; maintaining the device in this position in the ear canal, this position being the correct position of the device in the bony part of the ear canal. An in-ear device is furthermore provided.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a correct placement of an in-ear communication device, such as a hearing aid, in an ear canal of a user, the ear canal having a soft part and a bony part, the in-ear communication device comprising an acoustic seal towards inner surfaces of the ear canal and being configured to be located in the bony part of the ear canal during normal operation, the method comprising the steps of:

placing the in-ear communication device in the ear canal thereby forming a substantial acoustic seal in the soft part of the ear canal;

generating body-conducted sound to inner surface portions of the user'"'"'s ear canal;

gradually inserting the device deeper into the ear canal in the direction towards the ear drum, until a position in which the sound level perceived by the user decreases;

maintaining the device in this position in the ear canal, this position being the correct position of the device in the bony part of the ear canal.

2. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

providing an in-ear communication device comprising a probe sound generator configured to emit a probe sound from the device into the ear canal, where the level of the probe sound can be adjusted by the user;

providing a vocalization sound generator that is able both to generate body-conducted sound from the generator to inner surface portions of the user'"'"'s ear canal and air-conducted sound that is transmitted via air to the entrance of the user'"'"'s ear canal; and

in a first stage;

placing the in-ear communication device in the ear canal thereby forming a substantial acoustic seal in the soft part of the ear canal;

by means of said vocalization sound generator generate a vocalization sound;

emitting a probe sound from the device into the cavity of the ear canal formed between the device and the ear drum, the probe sound having a level that makes it audible in the presence of the vocalization sound;

the user adjusting the level of the probe sound such that it is just below the masking threshold of the vocalization sound;

in a second stage;

reducing the level of the probe sound below the masking threshold determined in the first stage;

by means of said vocalization sound generator generate substantially the same vocalization sound as in the first stage;

gradually inserting the device deeper into the ear canal in the direction towards the ear drum, until a position in which the probe tone is no longer masked by the vocalization sound, i.e. where the probe sound becomes audible in the presence of the vocalization sound;

maintaining the device in this position in the ear canal, this position being the correct position of the device in the ear canal.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said reduction of the level of the probe sound below the masking threshold is in the range 2 dB to 5 dB.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the level of the vocalization sound is monitored and the level of the probe sound is adjusted in concert with the level of the vocalization sound.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the spectral content of the monitored vocalization sound is determined and the spectral content of the probe sound is dynamically changed in concert with the spectral content of the vocalization tone.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein both the level and the spectral content of the monitored vocalization sound is determined and the level and spectral content of the probe sound is changed in concert herewith.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the vocalization sound is generated by the user.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the probe sound is a band-limited noise.

9. A method according to claim 1, where the method comprises generating a vocalization sound during gradual insertion of the in-ear communication device into the ear canal of the user;

and

wherein the user during this gradual insertion ongoing determines the lateral location of the perceived sound image of the vocalization sound within the user'"'"'s head; and

where the in-ear communication device has reached the correct position in the ear canal of the user, when the user perceives a substantial change in loudness balance between the sound images at each respective ear of the user.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said vocalization sound is generated by an external device that is brought in contact with a surface portion of the user'"'"'s body.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said external device is a bone-conductor or a vibrator provided in an electronic communication device.

12. A method according to claim 9, where the vocalization sound is generated by the user.

13. An in-ear communication device comprising:

a housing configured for deep insertion into the ear canal of a user, the housing comprising;

a microphone with a sound inlet at the inlet portion of the in-ear communication device, the microphone providing an output signal;

a loudspeaker or receiver provided at the tip portion of the in-ear communication device and configured for emitting sound energy into the ear canal;

a pre-amplifier configured for receiving the output signal from the microphone and providing the amplified signal to an A/D converter, thereby providing a digital representation of the amplified microphone signal;

a band pass filter configured for receiving the digital signal from the A/D converter and providing a band pass filtered output signal;

a level detector configured for receiving the band pass filtered output signal from the band pass filter and for determining the level of the band pass filtered output signal from the band pass filter;

a probe sound generating means;

a gain adjusting means;

a gain determining means configured to determine a gain factor of the probe sound signal provided by the probe sound generating means, which gain factor is provided to the gain adjusting means thereby providing a gain-adjusted probe sound signal;

a D/A converter and an output amplifier configured to receive the gain adjusted probe sound signal and providing it to the loudspeaker or receiver for emission into the ear canal.

14. An in-ear communication device according to claim 13, wherein said gain determining means is a gain table.

15. An in-ear communication device according to claim 13 where the transfer function of the combination of said level detector and gain determining means is given by the expression:

16. An in-ear communication device according to claim 13, where the device is or comprises a hearing aid.

17. An in-ear communication device according to claim 13 where the device is or comprises a loudspeaker or receiver portion of a head-set.

18. An in-ear communication device according to claim 14 where the device is or comprises a loudspeaker or receiver portion of a head-set.

19. An in-ear communication device according to claim 15 where the device is or comprises a loudspeaker or receiver portion of a head-set.