Open ear hearing aid system
DCFirst Claim
1. A hearing aid system, comprising:
- a receiver comprising a housing to be positioned in an open ear configuration within an ear canal, said housing comprising a speaker and having an arm extending from said housing, and a portion of said arm contacting said ear canal to suspend the receiver in the ear canal and away from the ear canal walls to effect said open ear configuration, which configuration lacks additional substantially obstructive masses in the open canal adjacent said housing; and
a microphone sampling position, said sampling position located remote from the ear canal and the speaker positioned therein, wherein sound from the microphone sampling position is amplified in accordance with hearing loss programming and passed via electrical connection around a portion of the external ear and through the ear canal opening to the speaker that is positioned within the ear canal in an open ear configuration for delivery of audible sound to the unoccluded ear canal, wherein said microphone sampling position and an amplifier are positioned within a behind the ear unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for improving a user'"'"'s hearing and more particularly to a receiver system used in the system. In one embodiment, the receiver system has a housing and a plurality of arms extending from the housing for positioning and suspending the receiver within the ear canal of a user. Each of the arms may be formed from a flexible, plastic material or a bendable wire. In a second embodiment, the receiver system is surrounded by a disc formed from a sound filtering material. When installed in a combination instrument, the receiver is separated from the microphone. When installed in a tinnitus/hyperacusis device, the receiver is separated from the body of the instrument.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A hearing aid system, comprising:
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a receiver comprising a housing to be positioned in an open ear configuration within an ear canal, said housing comprising a speaker and having an arm extending from said housing, and a portion of said arm contacting said ear canal to suspend the receiver in the ear canal and away from the ear canal walls to effect said open ear configuration, which configuration lacks additional substantially obstructive masses in the open canal adjacent said housing; and a microphone sampling position, said sampling position located remote from the ear canal and the speaker positioned therein, wherein sound from the microphone sampling position is amplified in accordance with hearing loss programming and passed via electrical connection around a portion of the external ear and through the ear canal opening to the speaker that is positioned within the ear canal in an open ear configuration for delivery of audible sound to the unoccluded ear canal, wherein said microphone sampling position and an amplifier are positioned within a behind the ear unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. A hearing aid system comprising a microphone sampling position located externally of an ear canal of a user, a receiver comprising a speaker positioned in an open ear configuration and suspended within said ear canal and away from the ear canal walls to effect said open ear configuration, which configuration lacks additional substantially obstructive masses in the open canal adjacent said housing, wherein sound from the microphone sampling position is amplified in accordance with hearing loss programming and passed via electrical connection around a portion of the external ear and through the ear canal opening to the speaker that is positioned within the ear canal in an open ear configuration for delivery of audible sound to the unoccluded ear canal, wherein said microphone sampling position and an amplifier are positioned within a behind the ear unit.
- 29. A hearing aid system comprising a microphone sampling position located externally of an ear canal of a user, a receiver comprising a speaker positioned in an open ear configuration within said ear canal, said speaker including a plurality of flexible, spaced arms extending radially from said speaker such that said arms suspend said speaker in the ear canal and away from the ear canal walls to effect said open ear configuration, which configuration lacks additional substantially obstructive masses in the open canal adjacent said housing, wherein sound from the microphone sampling position is amplified in accordance with hearing loss programming and passed via electrical connection around a portion of the external ear and through the ear canal opening to the speaker that is suspended within the ear canal in an open ear configuration for delivery of audible sound to the unoccluded ear canal, and wherein said electrical connection passed around a portion of the external ear and through the ear canal opening to the speaker comprises a coated wire wherein said microphone sampling position and an amplifier are positioned within a behind the ear unit.
Specification