Open ear canal hearing aid system

• US 6,275,596 B1
• Filed: 01/10/1997
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GN Resound North America (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Resound Corporation (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Stypulkowski, Paul H., Fretz, Robert J., Woods, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUYEN D
• Application Number:
  US08/781,714
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68, 381/68.2, 381/68.3, 381/68.4, 381/68.5, 381/68.6, 381/68.7, 381/60, 381/312, 381/314, 381/317, 381/318, 381/328, 381/320, 381/321, 381/322, 381/106, 381/107, 381/330, 381/380, 381/381, 381/382, 735/85, 128/746, 181/129, 181/130, 181/135
• US Class Current: 381/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0213 Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• 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 25/656 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

An open ear canal hearing aid system comprises an ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal of a user so that the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds. The open ear canal hearing aid system further comprises a sound processor for amplifying received ambient sounds included within a predetermined frequency to produce processed sounds and for supplying said processed sounds to said ear canal tube.

Claims

1. A hearing aid system comprising:

an ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal of a user; and

a sound processor having a compressor for amplifying received ambient sounds included within a predetermined amplitude and frequency range that is selected as a function of the ear canal tube size to produce processed sounds and for supplying said processed sounds to said ear canal tube wherein said ear canal tube is sized so that an ear canal of the user is at least partially open for receiving and delivering ambient sounds directly to a tympanic membrane of the user.

2. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amplitude and frequency range is also selected for a predetermined level of hearing loss.

3. A hearing aid system according to claim 2, wherein said frequency range is greater than 1 kHz, and said amplitude range is less than 70 dB of sound pressure level (SPL).

4. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein said ear canal tube has an inside diameter of less than 0.030 inches and an outside diameter of less than 0.050 inches.

5. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein said ear canal tube comprises a barb at a tip securing said ear canal tube in the ear canal of the user.

6. A hearing aid system according to claim 5, wherein the barb extends outward from the ear canal tube and lodges behind the tragus.

7. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein feedback due to sound emanating from the ear canal is reduced.

8. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, comprising a microphone for receiving sounds, wherein said sound processor comprises a detector for detecting whether the sounds received by said microphone are within said predetermined amplitude and frequency range and said compressor applies compression and amplification to said sounds responsive to said detection.

9. A hearing aid system according to claim 8, wherein said compressor applies the same amount of compression to sounds within a predetermined frequency range.

10. A hearing aid system according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined frequency range includes frequencies greater than 1 kHz.

11. A hearing aid canal system according to claim 8, wherein said compressor applies different amounts of compression to sounds within a predetermined frequency range.

12. A hearing aid system according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined frequency range includes frequencies greater than 1 kHz.

13. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, comprising:

means for shaping the frequency response of the sound processor.

14. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein said ear canal tube has an outside diameter of less than approximately 0.085 inches.

15. A hearing aid system according to claim 14, wherein said ear canal tube has an inside diameter of less than approximately 0.053 inches.

16. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein the compressor amplifies received ambient sounds as a function of the amplitude level of the received ambient sounds.

17. A hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein the ear canal tube is sized for placement of the sound processor behind an ear of the user.

18. A hearing aid system comprising:

an ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal of the user, said ear canal tube having an outside diameter of less than approximately 0.085 inches; and

a sound processor for amplifying received ambient sounds included within a predetermined amplitude and frequency range to produce processed sounds and for supplying said processed sounds to said ear canal tube wherein said ear canal tube is sized so that an ear canal of the user is at least partially open for receiving and delivering ambient sounds directly to a tympanic membrane of the user.

19. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined amplitude and frequency range is also selected for a predetermined level of hearing loss.

20. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein said frequency range is greater than 1 kHz, and said amplitude range is less than 70 dB of sound pressure level (SPL).

21. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein said ear canal tube has an inside diameter of less than 0.030 inches and an outside diameter of less than 0.050 inches.

22. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein said ear canal tube comprises a barb at a tip securing said ear canal tube in the ear canal of the user.

23. A hearing aid system according to claim 22, wherein the barb extends outward from the ear canal tube and lodges behind the tragus.

24. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein feedback due to sound emanating from the ear canal is reduced.

25. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, comprising a microphone for receiving sounds, wherein said sound processor comprises a detector for detecting whether the sounds received by said microphone are within said predetermined amplitude and frequency range and a compressor for applying compression and amplification to said sounds responsive to said detection.

26. A hearing aid system according to claim 25, wherein said compressor applies the same amount of compression to sounds within a predetermined frequency range.

27. A hearing aid system according to claim 26, wherein said predetermined frequency range includes frequencies greater than 1 kHz.

28. A hearing aid canal system according to claim 25, wherein said compressor applies different amounts of compression to sounds within a predetermined frequency range.

29. A hearing aid system according to claim 28, wherein said predetermined frequency range includes frequencies greater than 1 kHz.

30. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, comprising:

means for shaping the frequency response of the sound processor.

31. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein said ear canal tube has an inside diameter of less than approximately 0.053 inches.

32. A hearing aid system according to claim 18, wherein the sound processor amplifies the received ambient sounds as a function of the amplitude level of the received ambient sounds.