Systems for manufacturing oral-based hearing aid appliances

• US 8,291,912 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Abolfathi, Amir, Phan, Loc X.
• Primary Examiner(s): GILBERT, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US11/841,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 600/25, 128/897, 128/898, 433/196, 433/213, 433/214, 433/223, 433/201.1, 264/16, 264/17, 264/19
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/085 Mouth or teeth protectors A63B71/081 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/77 Design aspects, e.g. CAD, of hearing aid tips, moulds or housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

Systems for manufacturing oral-based hearing aid appliances utilizing various manufacturing methods and apparatus are described herein. The oral appliance may have an electronic and/or transducer assembly for receiving incoming sounds and transmitting processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or teeth. The oral appliance may be formed or fabricated via three-dimensional digital scanning systems or via impression molding to create a housing for the electronics and/or transducer assembly as well as to securely conform the appliance to the user'"'"'s dentition.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an oral appliance for maintaining an electronics and/or transducer assembly against at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s dentition, comprising:

scanning at least the portion of dentition such that a corresponding three-dimensional image is created;

manipulating the image such that a housing is formed to have a tooth engaging channel for removable placement upon a lingual and an apposed buccal surface of the dentition and where a housing sized for the transducer is positioned along the buccal surface of the portion of dentition; and

forming the oral appliance having the housing portion from the image whereby the oral appliance is conformable to the portion of dentition and where the transducer is securable to the buccal surface via the housing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning comprises scanning via an imaging modality selected from the group consisting of laser, white light, ultrasound, mechanical three-dimensional touch scanners, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning comprises scanning via an intra-oral digital camera.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning comprises generating a corresponding three-dimensional digital image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein manipulating comprises digitally adding via a computer the housing sized for the electronics and/or transducer assembly.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein forming comprises creating the oral appliance corresponding to the image via a process selected from the group consisting of machining, computer numerical control machining, stereolithography apparatus, and selective laser sintering.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein creating comprises forming a positive mold corresponding to the oral appliance having the housing portion.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising thermal forming the oral appliance over the positive mold.

9. A method for fabricating an oral appliance for maintaining an electronics and/or transducer assembly against at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s dentition, comprising:

obtaining an impression of at least the portion of dentition;

scanning the impression such that a corresponding three-dimensional image is created;

manipulating the image such that a housing is formed to have a tooth engaging channel for removable placement upon a lingual and an apposed buccal surface of the dentition and where the housing is sized for placement of the transducer along the buccal surface of the portion of dentition; and

forming the oral appliance having the housing portion from the image whereby the oral appliance is conformable to the portion of dentition and where the transducer is securable to the buccal surface via the housing.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein obtaining an impression comprises impressing a mold upon the portion of dentition.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein scanning comprises scanning via an imaging modality selected from the group consisting of laser, white light, ultrasound, mechanical three-dimensional touch scanners, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein scanning comprises scanning via an intra-oral digital camera.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein scanning comprises generating a corresponding three-dimensional digital image.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein manipulating comprises digitally adding via a computer a housing sized for the electronics and/or transducer assembly.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein forming comprises creating the oral appliance corresponding to the image via a process selected from the group consisting of machining, computer numerical control machining, stereolithography apparatus, and selective laser sintering.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein creating comprises forming a positive mold corresponding to the oral appliance.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising thermal forming the oral appliance over the positive mold.