Sealing retainer for extended wear hearing devices

• US 8,503,707 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Insound Medical Incorporated (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Insound Medical Incorporated (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Urso, Richard C, Shennib, Adnan, Anderson, Greg, Ram, Sunder, Schindler, Robert, Day, Ian, Buckley, James
• Primary Examiner(s): ELBIN, JESSE A
• Application Number:
  US12/646,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20100098281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 181/128, 181/130, 181/135, 381/312, 381/320, 381/322, 381/328
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/11 Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/656 Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

An embodiment provides a seal for retaining a hearing device within the ear canal comprising a curved shell having an opening at a shell apex portion. The shell defines a cavity for retention of a device component. An interior surface of a shell wall has a scalloped shape configured to distribute compressive forces applied to the shell perimeter such that when the shell is positioned in the canal, the shell wall conforms to the shape of the canal to maintain an acoustical seal between a shell exterior surface and the canal walls. The scalloped shape can be configured to produce a substantially constant amount of inward deformation of a shell wall independent of a force application point on a shell perimeter. The shell can include a coating to retain the seal in the canal and/or to promote asparagine growth into the coating to fastenly retain the seal in the canal.

Claims

1. A multi seal system for retaining an extended wear hearing device within a bony portion of an ear canal, the system comprising:

at least a first seal and a second seal, at least one of the seals including a curved shell having a shell wall and defining an apex portion, an opening at the apex portion, a cavity for retention of a hearing device component, and a longitudinal axis, the shell wall having an inwardly facing interior surface and an outwardly facing exterior surface and being formed at least in part from a resilient material having sound attenuating properties, and the inwardly facing interior surface of the shell wall having a longitudinally extending scalloped shape configured to distribute compressive forces applied to a shell perimeter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first seal is configured to be coupled to a first hearing device component and the second seal is configured to be coupled to a second hearing device component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first component is a receiver assembly and the second component is at least one of a battery or a microphone assembly.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the seals retain the first and second hearing device components in the ear canal at an angular offset with respect to each other.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first seal exerts a first spring force to retain the first device component at a first location in the ear canal and the second seal exerts a second spring force to retain the second device component at a second location in the ear canal.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first seal centers the first device component at a first location in the ear canal and the second seal centers the second device component at a second location in the ear canal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second seal augments the acoustical attenuation of the first seal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first seal attenuates sound at a first frequency range and the second seal attenuates sound a second frequency range.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first seal is sized to be positioned at first location in the ear canal and second seal is sized to be positioned at a second location in the ear canal.

10. A system for retaining a hearing device within an ear canal, the system comprising:

a first seal and a second seal, the first seal including

a curved shell having a shell wall formed at least in part from a resilient material having sound attenuating properties, the shell wall defining an apex portion, an opening at the apex portion, an outer surface that is configured to abut the ear canal, and an interior surface that defines a cavity for a first portion of the hearing device, the shell wall interior surface having a plurality of indentations that extend into the shell wall toward the outer surface such that each indentation defines an open end and a close end and the closed end is closer to the outer surface than the open end.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second seal includes

a curved shell having a shell wall formed at least in part from a resilient material having sound attenuating properties, the shell wall defining an apex portion, an opening at the apex portion, an outer surface, and an interior surface that defines a cavity for a second portion of the hearing device, the shell wall interior surface having a plurality of indentations that extend into the shell wall toward the outer surface.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the shell wall of the first seal is formed from a resilient material that attenuates sound at a first frequency range;

and

the shell wall of the second seal is formed from a resilient material that attenuates sound a second frequency range.

13. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of indentations define a scalloped shape.

14. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of indentations are configured to distribute compressive forces applied to the outer surface of the shell wall.

15. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the shell wall tapers downwardly from the apex portion.

16. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the first seal defines first and second longitudinal ends;

and

the first seal includes an openings at the first and second longitudinal ends.

17. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first seal is configured to be coupled to a first hearing device component and the second shell is configured to be coupled to a second hearing device component.

18. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the shell wall includes a core portion and an outer skin;

and

the core portion and the outer skin are formed from the same material.

19. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the shell wall includes a core portion and an outer skin;

and

the core portion and the outer skin are formed from different materials.

20. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shell wall defines a thickness that is not constant.

21. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the first seal defines a longitudinal axis;

and

the outer surface defines a perimeter that is oval in shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

22. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first seal is sized to be positioned at first location in the ear canal and second seal is sized to be positioned at a second location in the ear canal.

23. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shell wall interior surface defines a circumference and the plurality of indentations are circumferentially spaced.

24. A system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the curved shell defines a longitudinal axis and the plurality of indentations extend longitudinally.