In-ear system

• US 6,339,648 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. (Sonomax Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonomax (SFT), Inc.
• Inventors: Saulce, Roger Leon George, McIntosh, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US09/533,258
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/322, 381/328, 381/329, 381/380, 381/381, 381/382, 381/FOR.133, 381/FOR.135, 181/130, 181/135
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/085 including an inner channel
• 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

The device comprises a core, surrounded by a thin sheath so as to form a chamber that can be inflated. Inflation is done while the device is inside the ear, using an inflation tool. The tool injects a solid-setting fluid into the chamber. After curing, the tool is detached, leaving a finished in-ear unit, upon which no further manufacturing processing is required.

Claims

1. Hearing apparatus, which is suitable for fitment to the ear of a person, wherein:

the apparatus includes an ear-unit, which includes a sheath, and includes an end-plug;

the sheath is a moulded structure, and is moulded to a configuration which is suitable for insertion inside a person'"'"'s ear-canal, the end-plug being so large as to be not suitable for insertion into the person'"'"'s ear-canal;

the sheath is hollow inside, and the sheath defines, with the end-plug, an internal enclosed hollow chamber;

the structure of the sheath is such that the hollow chamber can be inflated, in that the sheath is able to expand radially, upon the chamber being pressurised;

the sheath is so structured, as to its shape and size, that, with the hollow chamber not inflated, the sheath is able to pass loosely into the ear-canal of a person;

the ear-unit includes an inflation-port, having a mouth which lies outside the end-plug, and which is accessible from outside the person'"'"'s ear, when the sheath has been passed into the ear-canal of the person, and the inflation-port communicates with the hollow chamber;

the apparatus includes an inflation-medium, which initially is a liquid, but which is able to set and cure to a solid;

the apparatus includes an operable injector-means, which is so structured as to be suitable to be applied to the mouth of the inflation-port, and which is effective, when operated, then to inject the inflation-medium, as a liquid, under pressure, through the inflation-port, and into the hollow chamber, while the sheath lies disposed in the ear-canal of the person, thereby to inflate the sheath to an inflated condition, in the person'"'"'s ear-canal, and for maintaining the inflation-medium in the chamber while the medium sets and cures;

the inflation-medium has adhesive properties, and, after setting and curing to solid, in the person'"'"'s ear-canal, the inflation-medium lies adhered to the inside surface of the hollow-chamber in the sheath;

the injector-means is so structured as to be detachable, after the medium has set and cured, from the mouth of the inflation-port, and from the ear-unit;

whereby, with the injector-means detached therefrom, the ear-unit, comprising the sheath, and the end-plug, and including the solid inflation-medium in the chamber, comprises a complete unitary structure, being a structure that is suitable for removal from, and for subsequent re-insertion into, the ear-canal of the person.

2. Hearing apparatus, which is suitable for fitment into the ear of a person, wherein:

the apparatus includes an ear-unit, comprising a sheath and a core;

the core comprises a main-portion, and an end-plug, located at a near end of the core;

at a near end of the main-portion thereof, the main-portion is attached to the end-plug, and extends away from the end-plug;

the sheath is generally tubular, and lies generally over and around the core;

the apparatus includes a near-seal-means, for sealingly attaching a near-end-portion of the sheath to the near end of the core;

the apparatus includes a far-seal-means, for sealingly attaching a far-end-portion of the sheath to the far end of the core;

between the near end and the far end, the sheath comprises a middle-portion, and the inside surface of the sheath is free of adherence to the outside surface of the core, over the middle portion;

the sheath is so positioned over and around the core as to define an annular chamber between the inside surface of the sheath and the outside surface of the core;

the annular chamber is closed at the near end by the near-seal-means, and is closed at the far end by the far-seal-means;

the disposition of the sheath on the core is such that the middle-portion of the sheath can be inflated, in that the middle-portion is able to expand radially away from the core, upon the annular-chamber being pressurised;

the ear-unit is so structured, as to its shape and size, that, with the annular chamber not inflated, the ear-unit is able to pass loosely into the ear-canal of a person;

the ear-unit includes an inflation-port, having a mouth which lies outside the end-plug, and which is accessible from outside the person'"'"'s ear, when the ear-unit has been passed into the ear-canal of the person;

the apparatus includes an inflation-medium, which initially is a liquid, but which is able to set and cure to a solid;

the apparatus includes an operable injector-tool, which is so structured as to be suitable to be applied to the mouth of the inflation-port, and which is effective, when operated, then to inject the inflation-medium, as a liquid, under pressure, through the inflation-port, and into the annular chamber, while the ear-unit lies disposed in the ear-canal of the person, thereby to inflate the ear-unit to an inflated condition, in the person'"'"'s ear canal, and as to be suitable for maintaining the inflation-medium in the chamber while the medium sets and cures;

the inflation-medium has adhesive properties, and, after setting and curing to solid, in the person'"'"'s ear-canal, the inflation-medium lies adhered to the inside surface of the sheath and to the outside surface of the core;

the injector-tool is so structured as to be detachable, after the medium has set and cured, from the mouth of the inflation-port, and from the ear-unit;

whereby, with the injector-tool detached therefrom, the ear-unit, comprising the core and the sheath, and including the solid inflation-medium in the chamber therebetween, comprises a complete unitary structure, which is suitable for removal from, and for subsequent re-insertion into, the ear-canal of the person.

3. Apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ear-unit, upon detachment of the injector-tool therefrom, is complete in the sense that substantially no further manufacturing processing of the ear-unit is required for the ear-unit to be suitable for repeated insertion into, and removal from, the ear-canal of the person.

4. Apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inflation-port comprises an inflation-tube, which passes through the core, and the inflation-tube communicates the mouth of the inflation-port, in the end-plug, with the outside surface of the middle-portion of the core, and the inflation-tube opens into the annular chamber.

5. Apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

an in-tube portion of the now-cured medium is a portion that remains in the inflation-tube, and remains attached to the injector-tool, after the inflation-medium has cured;

the inflation-tube is so configured that, upon detachment of the injector-tool from the end plug, the in-tube portion of the now-cured medium breaks off, leaving a stump of the now-cured medium remaining in the inflation-tube.

6. Apparatus of claim 2, wherein.:

the sheath is in the form of a thin, flexible membrane, and the sheath, by itself, has substantially no inherent structural rigidity;

the core is of a form that is solid and rigid enough that the core has an inherent structural rigidity.

7. Apparatus of claim 6, wherein the sheath and the core are so dimensioned that, prior to inflation, the sheath lies stretched tightly over the core, to the extent that substantially no air lies trapped between the inside surface of the sheath and the outside surface of the core.

8. Apparatus of claim 6, wherein the core is elastomeric, and the core, though having some inherent structural rigidity, is also soft and squeezable.

9. Apparatus of claim 8, wherein the core is pre-moulded.

10. Apparatus of claim 2, wherein the core includes a sound-means, for transmitting sounds to the ear drum, and the sound-means includes a portion which is located at or near the far end of the in-ear-unit, and which faces the ear drum.

11. Apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sound-means includes a tube, running lengthwise through the core, and sealed from the annular chamber.