Earplug and pumping systems

• US 9,138,353 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Keady, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nia, Alireza
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAMTU TRAN
• Application Number:
  US13/201,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20120103346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 128/864, 128866-867, 181/129, 181/135, 181/130, 381/328, 381/381, 381/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/10 inflatable or expandable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10181 Means for forcing inflation fluid into the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06

Abstract

An earplug is provided. The earplug includes at least a partially flexible distal end; an inflatable element; and a flexible anti-distal end. The anti-distal end has at least one portion that is deformable. The inflatable element is operatively attached to the distal end by an inflation channel. When the at least one portion is deformed the inflatable element expands to an adjustable pressure. At least one portion of the anti-distal end provides a pressurizing force to maintain the expansion of the inflatable element.

Claims

1. An earplug comprising:

a distal end;

an inflatable element coupled to the distal end; and

a flexible anti-distal end coupled to the distal end, the inflatable element operatively attached to the anti-distal end by an inflation channel,

where the anti-distal end includes a stop flange, a bladder serving as a reservoir and a pinchable resilient member, the bladder being disposed between the stop flange and the pinchable resilient member, the bladder coupled to the inflation channel, the pinchable resilient member expands the inflatable element to an adjustable pressure by having the pinchable resilient member providing a pressurizing force to maintain the expansion of the inflatable element and where the reservoir expands by moving fluid from the inflation element to the reservoir when pinching the pinchable resilient member.

2. The earplug according to claim 1, where the inflatable element is at least one balloon.

3. The earplug according to claim 2, where the inflatable element is pressurized with a gauge pressure between about 0.1 bar and about 0.4 bar.

4. The earplug according to claim 1, where the anti-distal end is configured to be deformed, to move the fluid into the inflatable element.

5. The earplug according to claim 4 where the fluid is air or other gas.