Disposable hearing aid with integral power source

• US 6,473,511 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahoney, Derek, Fritz, Fredrick, Aceti, John Gregory, Sjursen, Walter Paul, Leedom, Marvin Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US09/263,593
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/322, 381/323, 381/324, 381/328, 381/329, 429/27, 429/72, 429/86, 429/89, 429/96, 429/100, 429/110, 429/49
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• 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 25/656 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

Abstract

A hearing aid includes a microphone, signal processing circuitry, receiver and integral battery all mounted in a casing. The battery may be a metal-air device. The battery may be activated by removing a tape which blocks air holes on the battery or, if the battery is sealed into the hearing aid, air-vent holes on the hearing aid. The hearing aid may also include an air-blocking mechanism which is activated when the hearing aid is inserted in the user'"'"'s ear and deactivated when the hearing aid is removed. The assembled hearing aid may also be packaged in non-permeable packaging material to extinguish battery activity. The hearing aid may also include an electronic switch which monitors the battery potential to disconnect the battery from the hearing aid electronics when the battery is deprived of oxygen and which connects the battery to the electronics when oxygen is provided to the battery. In one embodiment of the invention, the integral battery is a rechargeable battery which is recharged via external contacts. In another embodiment, the battery is recharged using an induced alternating current potential which is rectified before being applied to the battery.

Claims

1. A disposable hearing aid comprising:

a microphone which translates acoustic energy into electrical signals;

signal processing circuitry which processes the electrical signals provided by the microphone according to a predetermined frequency response characteristic;

a receiver which converts the processed electrical signals into acoustic energy;

a metal-air battery contained in the hearing aid and adapted to be substantially permanently coupled to the signal processing circuitry; and

a mechanical switch, activated by a user, to selectively deprive the battery of air or provide air to the battery contained in the hearing aid.

2. The disposable hearing aid of claim 1, further including a case which encloses the microphone, signal processing circuitry, receiver and battery, wherein:

the case includes openings through which air is provided to the metal-air battery.

3. The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein the metal-air battery includes at least one opening through which air is allowed to enter the battery to activate the battery, the hearing aid further including a removable non-permeable seal covering the at least one opening on the battery to prevent the battery from being activated during shipment and storage of the hearing aid.

4. The disposable hearing aid of claim 3, further including electrical contacts on the signal processing circuitry which are configured to couple with corresponding contacts on the metal-air battery, and the removable non-permeable seal forms an insulating barrier between the corresponding contacts of the signal processing circuitry and the metal-air battery until the removable non-permeable seal is removed.

5. The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein:

the metal-air battery includes openings through which air enters the battery to activate the battery; and

the case comprises a faceplate which includes the openings through which air is provided to the battery and the case further comprises an air passageway which is configured to pneumatically couple the openings on the faceplate to the openings of the battery to provide a primary channel for providing air to the battery.

6. The hearing aid of claim 5 further including a removable seal which covers the openings on the faceplate to effectively prevent air from entering the battery.

7. The hearing aid of claim 6 wherein the removable seal which covers the openings on the faceplate of the hearing aid further includes packaging material in which the hearing aid is enclosed for shipment and storage, the removable seal being fixedly coupled to packaging material such that, when the hearing aid is removed from the packaging material, the seal is retained in the packaging material and the metal-air battery is activated.

8. The hearing aid of claim 2 further including non-permeable packaging in which the hearing aid is shipped and stored, said packaging acting to minimize the air which is provided to the metal-air battery.

9. The hearing aid of claim 8 wherein inert gas is blown over the hearing aid while the package is being sealed to reduce levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the sealed package.

10. The disposable hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the metal-air battery has first and second terminals and the hearing aid further comprises a switch coupled between the metal-air battery and the signal processing circuitry to selectively disconnect the signal processing circuitry from at least one of the first and second terminals of the battery.

11. The disposable hearing aid of claim 10 wherein:

the metal-air battery exhibits a first electrical potential when the metal-air battery is deprived of air and which exhibits a second electrical potential when air is provided to the metal-air battery; and

the switch is an electronic switch which senses the electrical potential of the battery to disconnect the at least one terminal of the battery from the signal processing circuitry when the battery exhibits the first electrical potential and to connect the at least one terminal of the battery to the signal processing circuitry when the battery exhibits the second electrical potential.

12. The hearing aid of claim 1, further including a pull string, coupled to the mechanical switch, wherein the mechanical switch is configured to provide air to the battery when a user inserts the hearing aid into the user'"'"'s ear and the mechanical switch is configured to deprive the battery of air when the user pulls the pull string to remove the hearing aid from the user'"'"'s ear.

13. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein the hearing aid further includes packaging for shipping and storing the hearing aid, the packaging being configured to hold the switch in a position which prevents the switch from connecting the signal processing circuitry to the at least one terminal of the battery.

14. A disposable hearing aid comprising:

a microphone which translates acoustic energy into electrical signals;

signal processing circuitry which processes the electrical signals provided by the microphone according to a predetermined frequency response characteristic;

a receiver which converts the processed electrical signals into acoustic energy;

a non-replaceable metal-air battery coupled to the signal processing circuitry; and

a mechanical switch, activated by a user, to selectively deprive the battery of air or provide air to the battery.