Hearing aid, expansion unit and method for manufacturing a hearing aid
First Claim
1. A hearing aid, comprising:
- a behind-the-ear (BTE) component, comprising a device housing configured to be worn behind an ear of a user;
a completely-in-canal (CIC) component, comprising a sound-emitting opening, said completely-in-canal (CIC) component being configured to be received completely recessed in the ear canal of the user; and
at least an electric power supply, a microphone, a loudspeaker and a processing device for a purpose of reproducing sound received via the microphone and delivering reproduced sound via the loudspeaker and the sound-emitting opening to an auditory organ of the user,wherein the completely-in-canal (CIC) component is physically separated from the behind-the-ear (BTE) component,wherein said completely-in-canal (CIC) component and said behind-the-ear (BTE) component are mutually connected via an electrical cable connection which, at least during operation, establishes an electronic connection between the behind-the-ear (BTE) component and the completely-in-canal (CIC) component,wherein the loudspeaker as well as the microphone are accommodated in the completely-in-canal (CIC) component,wherein said electrical cable connection has a length sufficient for the completely-in-canal (CIC) component and the microphone to reside completely recessed in the ear canal of the user,wherein said processing device is a programmable digital sound processor which reproduces said sound in at least partly processed manner, andwherein the completely-in-canal (CIC) component is accommodated in a casing which comprises at least one flexible fin at an outer circumference thereof for lying resiliently against an inner wall of the ear canal, andwherein the completely-in-canal (CIC) component is removable from the ear by the electrical cable connection and/or a pull cord in the form of a monolithic extension of the casing which is formed integrally therewith.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hearing aid includes a device housing to be worn outside an ear of a user and which co-acts with an in-the-ear part provided with a sound-emitting opening and which is intended and adapted to be received at least substantially in the ear of the user. The in-the-ear part is physically separated from the device housing, wherein at least a microphone and a loudspeaker are accommodated together with the sound-emitting opening in the in-the-ear part. An electronic connection is present between the device housing and the in-the-ear part. A power supply of a hearing aid particularly includes a capacitor (40), more particularly an ultra-capacitor. The functionality of a hearing aid can be expanded with an expansion unit (50). For an accurate fit of the in-the-ear part use is made of a digital representation which has been modified on the basis of fitting data of a fitting body.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A hearing aid, comprising:
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a behind-the-ear (BTE) component, comprising a device housing configured to be worn behind an ear of a user; a completely-in-canal (CIC) component, comprising a sound-emitting opening, said completely-in-canal (CIC) component being configured to be received completely recessed in the ear canal of the user; and at least an electric power supply, a microphone, a loudspeaker and a processing device for a purpose of reproducing sound received via the microphone and delivering reproduced sound via the loudspeaker and the sound-emitting opening to an auditory organ of the user, wherein the completely-in-canal (CIC) component is physically separated from the behind-the-ear (BTE) component, wherein said completely-in-canal (CIC) component and said behind-the-ear (BTE) component are mutually connected via an electrical cable connection which, at least during operation, establishes an electronic connection between the behind-the-ear (BTE) component and the completely-in-canal (CIC) component, wherein the loudspeaker as well as the microphone are accommodated in the completely-in-canal (CIC) component, wherein said electrical cable connection has a length sufficient for the completely-in-canal (CIC) component and the microphone to reside completely recessed in the ear canal of the user, wherein said processing device is a programmable digital sound processor which reproduces said sound in at least partly processed manner, and wherein the completely-in-canal (CIC) component is accommodated in a casing which comprises at least one flexible fin at an outer circumference thereof for lying resiliently against an inner wall of the ear canal, and wherein the completely-in-canal (CIC) component is removable from the ear by the electrical cable connection and/or a pull cord in the form of a monolithic extension of the casing which is formed integrally therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification