Water-resistant hearing device

• US 8,144,907 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Reithinger, Jurgen, Weistenhofer, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Clark, Jasmine
• Application Number:
  US12/322,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20090208045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 381/322, 381/71.1
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 15/00 Magnetostrictive transducers magnetostrictive elements in general H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/005 using a piezoelectric polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/025 using a piezoelectric polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/01 Non-planar magnetostrictive, piezoelectric or electrostrictive benders
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a water-resistant hearing device, which has the following: At least one first electroacoustic transducer for receiving sound waves and converting said sound waves into electrical signals, an electronic circuit sealed against liquids by coating and/or encapsulation, at least one second electroacoustic transducer converting electrical signals supplied to the circuit into sound waves and an electrical energy source sealed against liquids by means of coating and/or encapsulation. In this way the electroacoustic transducers are made of materials which realize a deformation in an electrical and/or magnetic field and/or an electrical current flow and/or an electrical voltage (and/or vice versa) and are insensitive to liquids, in particular water, salt water and slight acids.

Claims

1. A hearing device, comprising:

a first electroacoustic transducer that is made of a first material and converts sound waves into electrical signals;

an electronic circuit that is sealed for against a liquid and processes the electrical signals;

a second electroacoustic transducer that is made of a second material and converts the processed electrical signals into sound waves; and

an electrical energy source that is sealed for against the liquid and supplies a power,

wherein the first material and the second material are configured to be insensitive to the liquid so that a seal of the first electroacoustic transducer and a seal of the second electroacoustic transducer for not contacting with the liquid are omitted.

2. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer or the second electroacoustic transducer comprises a layer of piezoelectret films that is applied to a housing of the hearing device, wherein the layer of piezoelectret films is configured to be insensitivity to solid-borne sound.

3. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer or the second electroacoustic transducer is a piezoelectric transducer.

4. The hearing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is a flexural vibrator or a thickness vibrator.

5. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer comprises a hot-wire microphone.

6. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer comprises a housing having an opening for draining off the liquid that reaches an interior of the housing.

7. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electroacoustic transducer comprises a transducer material that is molded to form a hollow cylinder or hollow cylinder segment.

8. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is sealed by a coating or an encapsulation.

9. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical energy source is sealed by a coating or a casting.

10. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer converts a change in shape into an electrical, or a magnetic field, or an electrical current flow, or an electrical voltage.

11. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electroacoustic transducer converts a change in shape into an electrical, or a magnetic field, or an electrical current flow, or an electrical voltage.

12. The hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises water, or salt water, or slight acids.

13. The hearing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing is constructed as an open housing and is not water tight.