Earpiece and method for forming an earpiece

• US 8,437,492 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven, Keady, John Patrick, Calvert, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US13/051,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20110228963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/380, 381322-328, 181/129, 181/130, 181/135, 181/136, 264/279
• US Class Current: 381/380
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/18 Internal ear or nose parts, e.g. ear-drums implants for middle ear ventilation or drainage A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1204 and giving the material during expanding the shape of a particular article to be supported, e.g. a human body-part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/603 and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/10 Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 using optical signals for detecting or generating sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• 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

Abstract

An earpiece is provided containing a thermal activator layer comprised of a first polymer, the thermal activator layer being separated from the tympanic membrane of the user'"'"'s ear by an air gap, and an acoustical reflector layer, containing a second polymer and pigment particles, adjacent to the thermal activator layer. The earpiece may be produced by sequential introduction of various liquefied components in layers within the ear canal, with the components being cured to provide the thermal activator layer and the acoustical reflector layer.

Claims

1. An earpiece within an ear canal of a user comprising:

a) a thermal activator layer comprised of a first polymer and pigment particles, the thermal activator layer being separated from the tympanic membrane of the user'"'"'s ear by an air gap; and

b) an acoustical reflector layer comprised of a second polymer adjacent to the thermal activator layer.

2. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the thermal activator layer is selected to be absorptive to electromagnetic radiation having a first wavelength and reflective of electromagnetic radiation having a second wavelength.

3. The earpiece of claim 2, wherein the acoustical reflective layer is substantially transparent to the first wavelength.

4. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the thermal activator layer and acoustical reflective layer cooperate to provide a polymeric collar which seals the ear canal.

5. The earpiece of claim 4, wherein the polymeric collar is soft and elastomeric.

6. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein at least one of either the first polymer or the second polymer is a biocompatible partly-hydrophilic cross-linked acrylic copolymer.

7. The earpiece of claim 6, wherein the acrylic copolymer includes hydroxyethylmethacrylate.

8. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the pigment particles include carbon black particles.

9. A system comprising the earpiece of claim 1 and a communication device.

10. An earpiece within an ear canal of a user comprising:

a) a thermal activator layer comprised of a first polymer and pigment particles, the thermal activator layer being immediately adjacent to or in at least partial contact with the tympanic membrane of the user'"'"'s ear; and

b) an acoustical reflector layer comprised of a second polymer adjacent to the thermal activator layer.

11. A method of making the earpiece of claim 10, comprising the steps of:

a) introducing into an ear canal adjacent to or in at least partial contact with the tympanic membrane a first layer in liquefied form which comprises one or more polymer precursors and pigment particles capable of being cured to form the thermal activator layer;

b) introducing into the ear canal adjacent to the first layer a second layer in liquefied form which comprises one or more polymer precursors capable of being cured to form the acoustical reflector layer; and

c) curing the first layer and the second layer, simultaneously or sequentially.