Compressible hearing aid
First Claim
1. A hearing aid comprising:
- a deformable skin which bounds an internal region and wherein the skin does not exhibit sufficient rigidity to be insertable into a user'"'"'s ear canal;
at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and which includes a deformable matrix in the region wherein the matrix applies expansive forces to the skin.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A compressible hearing aid includes an exterior deformable skin which bounds an internal region which is filled, at least in part, with an open-cell foam, the foam can be wrapped around or molded to contain an audio output transducer. The skin is not self-supporting and in response to applied forces from user'"'"'s ear canal, the skin and the foam both deform and readily compress exhibiting a reduced volume. Though compressed, the foam exerts an outward force against the skin thereby continuing to form an elongated seal between the skin and the external periphery of the user'"'"'s dynamically changing ear canal. As the volume of the ear canal increases, the skin and open-cell foam expand, exhibiting an increased internal volume, while maintaining a comfortable seal with the ear canal. A plurality of external ribs carried on the skin not only reduces feedback but promotes drying of the ear canal and promotes retention of the hearing aid in the ear canal.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region and wherein the skin does not exhibit sufficient rigidity to be insertable into a user'"'"'s ear canal; at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and which includes a deformable matrix in the region wherein the matrix applies expansive forces to the skin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region wherein the skin does not exhibit sufficient rigidity to be insertable into a user'"'"'s ear canal; and at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and wherein the spine comprises a vent tube that is attached to the skin substantially along its length.
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9. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region wherein the skin does not exhibit sufficient rigidity to be insertable into a user'"'"'s ear canal; and at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and wherein the at least one spine is integrally molded with the skin. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region wherein the skin does not exhibit sufficient rigidity to be insertable into a user'"'"'s ear canal; and at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and which includes an audio output transducer in the internal region wherein the transducer is surrounded, at least in part, by a compressible matrix. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region and where the skin is compliant and at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and which includes a deformable matrix in the region wherein the matrix applies expansive forces to the skin. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region where the skin is compliant and at least one spine which extends axially along an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rinidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and wherein the spine comprises a vent tube that is attached to the skin substantially along its length.
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22. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region where the skin is compliant and at least one spine which extends axially alone an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and wherein the at least one spine is integrally molded with the skin. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A hearing aid comprising:
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a deformable skin which bounds an internal region where the skin is compliant and at least one sDine which extends axially alone an interior surface of the skin and is attached thereto sufficiently so as to provide insertion rigidity when the skin is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal and which includes an audio output transducer in the internal region wherein the transducer is surrounded, at least in part, by a compressible matrix. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification