Hearing aid having hard mounting plate and soft body bonded thereto

• US 6,254,526 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Softear Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Softear Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Major, Michael, Juneau, Roger P., Siegle, Gregory R., Desporte, Edward J., Creel, Lynn P., Kinler, Kelly M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/181,842
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 600/25, 607/55-57, 381/68.6, 381/69, 181/130, 181/135
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00576 fluorophore
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0072 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C07B 2200/11 Compounds covalently bound to a solid support
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 493/10 Spiro-condensed systems
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 15/26 Acyclic or carbocyclic radicals, substituted by hetero rings
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 19/16 Purine radicals
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor C12Q1/6897 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/34 involving hydrolase
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/00 Libraries per se, e.g. arrays, mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/52 Predicting or monitoring the response to treatment, e.g. for selection of therapy based on assay results in personalised medicine; Prognosis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56983 Viruses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/573 for enzymes or isoenzymes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/582 with fluorescent label
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/68 involving proteins, peptides or amino acids involving lipoproteins G01N33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/49 Reducing the effects of electromagnetic noise on the functioning of hearing aids, by, e.g. shielding, signal processing adaptation, selective (de)activation of electronic parts in hearing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/77 Design aspects, e.g. CAD, of hearing aid tips, moulds or housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• 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 25/654 : Ear wax retarders
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 : Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

A hearing aid instrument of the in-the-ear type (and preferably CIC) provides a plate member with electronic hearing aid components mounted thereto. The plate member is preferably of a harder material such as hard plastic. A soft polymeric body is bonded to the plate member and encapsulates preferably a plurality of the electronic hearing aid components. The body is soft and is shaped to conform to the ear canal of the user. The soft polymeric body and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components define a soft structure compliant to the ear canal during use and that is substantially solid and free of void spaces between at least some of the components and the ear canal. This combination of soft compliant structure and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components addresses problems of peripheral leakage, poor fit, pivotal displacement that occurs with jaw motion and internal cross talk of components housed in prior art hollow type hearing aids.

Claims

1. A hearing aid that is adapted to be positioned in the ear during use, comprising:

a) a mounting member providing a support for holding one or more electronic hearing aid components mounted thereto, the mounting member having medial and lateral side portions;

b) a soft polymeric body that engages the medial surface portion of the mounting member and encapsulating at least some of the electronic hearing aid components, the soft polymeric body providing an interface and having an outer surface that is shaped to closely conform to the ear canal of a user;

c) a bonding layer that affixes the soft polymeric body to the lateral side of the mounting member;

d) the soft polymeric body and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components defining a soft structure compliant to the ear canal during use, the polymeric body being substantially solid in between the encapsulated electronic hearing aid components and the ear canal so that it is free of void spaces between the electronic components and ear canal; and

e) the combination of the soft compliant structure and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components enabling a precise representation of the user'"'"'s ear canal, flexing with jaw motion, and a cushioning of the interface between ear canal and electronic hearing aid components.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein both of the medial and lateral sides of the mounting member carry at least one electronic hearing aid component.

3. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the bonding layer comprises in part a bonding enhancer.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the mounting member is acrylic at the medial surface.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the mounting member is acrylic at the medial surface and the bonding layer includes a bonding enhancer that coats the medial surface.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the soft polymeric body includes silicone.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the mounting member is acrylic at the medial surface and the soft polymeric body includes silicone.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the mounting member is harder than the soft polymeric body.

9. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the bonding layer comprises multiple layers at least one of which is a bonding enhancer.

13. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is adapted to fit completely in the ear canal of the user.

10. An apparatus for making a hearing aid that is adapted to be positioned in the ear during use, comprising:

a) a mounting member providing a support for holding one or more electronic hearing aid components mounted thereto;

b) a soft polymeric hollow outer shell that is at least temporarily attached to the medial surface of the mounting member with a bonding material, the outer shell and mounting member defining an enclosure that contains a plurality of electronic hearing aid components and a void space that can be filled with a soft filler material;

c) a soft polymeric filler material that substantially fills the enclosure engaging the inner respective surfaces of the face plate member and outer shell to thereby minimize the volume of void space and encapsulate the electronic hearing aid components, the outer shell inner surface being shaped to conform to the ear canal of a user;

d) the soft polymeric body and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components defining a soft structure compliant to the ear canal during use, and substantially solid so that it is free of void spaces between the electronic components and ear canal;

e) the combination of the soft compliant structure and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components enabling a precise representation of the user'"'"'s ear canal, flexing with jaw motion, and a cushioning of the interface between ear canal and electronic hearing aid components.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the hearing aid is adapted to fit completely in the ear canal of the user.

11. A hearing aid that is adapted to be positioned in the ear during use, comprising:

a) a mounting member providing a support for holding one or more electronic hearing aid components mounted thereto;

b) a soft polymeric hollow outer shell that is connected to the medial surface of the mounting member;

c) the outer shell and face plate defining an enclosure that contains a plurality of electronic hearing aid components and a void space that can be filled with a soft filler material;

c) a soft polymeric filler that substantially fills the enclosure engaging the inner respective surfaces of the face plate member and outer shell to thereby minimize the volume of void space and encapsulate the electronic hearing aid components, the outer shell inner surface being shaped to conform to the ear canal of a user;

d) a bonding layer forming an interface between the mounting member and the soft polymeric body, the bonding layer including a bonding enhancer that enhances bonding between silicone and a plastic that is harder than silicone;

d) the soft polymeric body and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components defining a soft structure compliant to the ear canal during use, and substantially solid so that it is free of void spaces between the electronic components and ear canal;

e) the combination of the soft compliant structure and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components enabling a precise representation of the user'"'"'s ear canal, flexing with jaw motion, and a cushioning of the interface between ear canal and electronic hearing aid components.

12. The hearing aid of claim 11, wherein the hearing aid is adapted to fit completely in the ear canal of the user.

15. A hearing aid that is adapted to be positioned in the ear during use, comprising:

a) a mounting member providing a support for holding one or more hearing aid components mounted thereto, the mounting member having medial and lateral side portions;

b) a soft polymeric body that engages the medial surface portion of the mounting member and encapsulating at least some of the hearing aid components, the soft polymeric body having an outer surface that is shaped to closely conform to the ear canal of a user;

c) a bonding layer that affixes the soft polymeric body to the lateral side of the mounting member;

d) the soft polymeric body and encapsulated hearing aid components defining a soft structure compliant to the ear canal during use, the polymeric body being substantially solid in between the encapsulated hearing aid components and the ear canal so that it is free of void spaces between the electronic components and ear canal; and

e) the combination of the soft compliant structure and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components enabling a precise representation of the user'"'"'s ear canal, flexing with jaw motion, and a cushioning of the interface between ear canal and electronic hearing aid components.

16. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein both of the medial and lateral sides of the mounting member carry at least one hearing aid component.

17. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the bonding layer comprises in part a bonding enhancer.

18. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the mounting member is acrylic at the medial surface.

19. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the mounting member is acrylic at the medial surface and the bonding layer includes a bonding enhancer that coats the medial surface.

20. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the soft polymeric body includes silicone.

21. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the mounting member is acrylic at the medial surface and the soft polymeric body includes silicone.

22. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the mounting member is harder than the soft polymeric body.

23. The hearing aid of claim 15 wherein the bonding layer comprises multiple layers, at least one of which is a bonding enhancer.

24. The hearing aid of claim 15, wherein the hearing aid is adapted to fit completely in the ear canal of the user.