Earplug and hearing devices formed in-situ

• US 5,333,622 A
• Filed: 07/17/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Center For Innovative Technology
• Inventors: Mauney, Daniel W., Casali, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US07/916,220
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 128/864-868, 264/222, 264/466
• US Class Current: 128/864
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• 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 25/659 Post-processing of hybrid ear moulds for customisation, e.g. in-situ curing

Abstract

A custom-molded earplug (18) for swimming protection, hearing protection, and the like, is fabricated in situ by depositing a foaming material (14 or 24) within a person'"'"'s ear (10 or 42) and allowing the foaming material to form foam (16 or 44). Acoustic and electronic equipment such as a Helmholtz resonator or other tuned device capable of modifying sound waves, a communications transmitter, a communications receiver, a communications transceiver, a hearing aid, an ear microphone, a personal earphone, and a hearing test transducer or probe tube can be fabricated in the ear in a similar fashion. Temperature sensing elements may also be incorporated within or positioned by the foaming material to provide an in the ear thermometer.

Claims

1. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device, comprising:

a body member positionable within an ear canal of a person;

an electronic device; and

a foaming material in a non-foamed state carried by said body member, said foaming material in said non-foamed state being activatable to fill said ear canal with a foam material, said body member and said electronic device being positioned within said foam material after activation of said foaming material in said non-foamed state.

2. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic device is a tuned device capable of modifying sound waves.

3. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a communications transmitter, a communications receiver, a communications transceiver, a hearing aid, an ear microphone, a personal earphone, a hearing test transducer, and a probe tube.

4. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said body member is a cylindrical hollow core member.

5. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 4 further comprising a means for mounting said electronic device on said cylindrical hollow core member.

6. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said body member is a plastic disk and said electronic device is positioned on said plastic disk.

7. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic device is a temperature sensitive element.

8. An in the ear, custom-fit, electronic device as recited in claim 7 wherein said temperature sensitive element is selected from the group consisting of a thermometer, a thermistor, and a thermocouple.