Soft hearing aid

• US 6,354,990 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• 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:
  US09/311,156
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 600/25, 381/68.6, 381/69
• 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 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 2225/57 Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/609 : of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 : Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
• 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 25/656 : 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 25/658 : Manufacture of housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1922 : Vibrating delaminating means

Abstract

A hearing aid instrument of the in-the-ear type (and preferably CIC) provides a receptacle with electronic hearing aid components mounted thereto. The receptacle has a cavity for holding electronic components (eg. battery, microphone, amplifier). A soft polymeric body is preliminarily formed by encapsulating a plurality of the electronic hearing aid component shaped inserts. The body is soft and is shaped to conform to the ear canal of the user. After forming, the insert is removed to provide an insert cavity that can carry electronic components. 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 comprising:

a) a soft body having an outer surface that is adapted to approximate the shape of a patient'"'"'s ear canal;

b) a socket in the soft body that is sized and shaped to closely conform to a hearing aid electronics package of a number of electronic components; and

c) an electronics package that fits in the socket, the electronics package including a receptacle that has an interior cavity, at least some of the electronic components occupying the cavity.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein some of the electronic components are positioned externally of the cavity.

3. The hearing aid of claim 2 further comprising a wiring harness that extends from the cavity to an electronic component external to the cavity.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the hearing aid components positioned externally of the receptacle cavity include a receiver.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the walled receptacle has a cavity occupied by electronic components, an external wall, and wherein the soft body substantially conforms to the external wall.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1 further comprising a wiring harness that connects the receiver to an electronics component in the cavity.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the soft body has an inner surface that closely conforms to the electronics package.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the soft body is of a polymeric material.

9. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the receptacle includes a pair of mounting members.

10. The hearing aid of claim 9 wherein one of the mounting members is a mounting plate.

11. The hearing aid of claim 9 wherein one of the mounting members has a socket that receives an electronic hearing aid component.

12. The hearing aid of claim 9 wherein the mounting members are positioned next to each other.

13. The hearing aid of claims 11 wherein one of the mounting members is supported by the soft body.