Systems, devices, components and methods for improved acoustic coupling between a bone conduction hearing device and a patient's head or skull
First Claim
1. A method of improving acoustic coupling between a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) and a patient'"'"'s head or skull, the BCHD comprising a transducer configured to generate sound signals for transmission to the patient'"'"'s skull, the method comprising applying an aqueous acoustically conductive gel or paste to a bottom surface of the BCHD, and attaching, securing or magnetically coupling the BCHD to or against the patient'"'"'s head or skull;
- wherein at least portions of the acoustically conductive gel or paste are operably disposed between the bottom surface of the BCHD and the patient'"'"'s head or skull thereby to improve acoustic coupling and transmission of the audible frequency components of sound signals generated by the transducer to the patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is water soluble, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic (“
EM”
) transducer, wherein the sound velocity of the acoustically conductive gel or paste ranges between 1,450 meters/second and 1,700 meters/second, wherein a baseplate or spacer is operably connected to or forms a portion of the BCHD and is operably attached to or forms a portion of the transducer, and wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste has a pH between 5.5and 6.5.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems, devices, components and methods for improving acoustic coupling between a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) and a patient'"'"'s head or skull. Such systems, devices, components and methods include disposing a gel or paste between the BCHD and the patient'"'"'s skin, hair and/or skull. The gel or paste improves the transmission of acoustic signals generated by a transducer in the BCHD to the patients head or skull by providing a more efficient and improved intermediary acoustic medium for the transmission of acoustic signals to the patient'"'"'s head or skull.
103 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of improving acoustic coupling between a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) and a patient'"'"'s head or skull, the BCHD comprising a transducer configured to generate sound signals for transmission to the patient'"'"'s skull, the method comprising applying an aqueous acoustically conductive gel or paste to a bottom surface of the BCHD, and attaching, securing or magnetically coupling the BCHD to or against the patient'"'"'s head or skull;
- wherein at least portions of the acoustically conductive gel or paste are operably disposed between the bottom surface of the BCHD and the patient'"'"'s head or skull thereby to improve acoustic coupling and transmission of the audible frequency components of sound signals generated by the transducer to the patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is water soluble, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic (“
EM”
) transducer, wherein the sound velocity of the acoustically conductive gel or paste ranges between 1,450 meters/second and 1,700 meters/second, wherein a baseplate or spacer is operably connected to or forms a portion of the BCHD and is operably attached to or forms a portion of the transducer, and wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste has a pH between 5.5and 6.5. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- wherein at least portions of the acoustically conductive gel or paste are operably disposed between the bottom surface of the BCHD and the patient'"'"'s head or skull thereby to improve acoustic coupling and transmission of the audible frequency components of sound signals generated by the transducer to the patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is water soluble, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic (“
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12. A bone conduction hearing device (BCHD), comprising:
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a transducer configured to generate sound signals for transmission to the patient'"'"'s skull; a bottom surface, and an acoustically conductive gel or paste disposed on at least portions of the bottom surface;
wherein when the BCHD is attached, secured or magnetically coupled to a patient'"'"'s skull or head at least portions of the acoustically conductive gel or paste are disposed between the bottom surface and the patient'"'"'s head or skull thereby to improve acoustic coupling and transmission of the audible frequency components of sound signals originating from the transducer to the patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic (“
EM”
) to transducer, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is water soluble, wherein the sound velocity of the acoustically conductive gel or paste ranges between 1,450 meters/second and 1,700 meters/second, wherein a baseplate or spacer is operably connected to or forms a portion of the BCHD, and the baseplate or spacer is operably attached to or forms a portion of the transducer, and wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste has a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) kit, comprising:
a BCHD comprising a transducer configured to generate sound signals for transmission to the patient'"'"'s skull and a bottom surface, and an acoustically conductive gel or paste configured to be disposed on at least portions of the bottom surface;
wherein when the BCHD is attached, secured or magnetically coupled to a patient'"'"'s skull or head at least portions of the acoustically conductive gel or paste can be disposed between the bottom surface and the patient'"'"'s head or skull thereby to improve acoustic coupling and transmission of the audible frequency components of sound signals originating from the transducer to the patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic (“
EM”
) transducer, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is water soluble, wherein the sound velocity of the acoustically conductive gel or paste ranges between 1,450 meters/second and 1,700 meters/second, wherein a baseplate or spacer is operably connected to or forms a portion of the BCHD and the baseplate or spacer is operably attached to or forms a portion of the transducer, and wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste has a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An aqueous acoustically conductive gel or paste configured for use with a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD), the acoustically conductive gel or paste comprising a cross-linked system of one or more polymers, the acoustically conductive gel or paste having a viscosity sufficient to stick to a bottom surface of the BCHD after having been disposed thereon by a user, the BCHD comprising a transducer configured to generate sound signals for transmission to a patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic (“
- EM”
) transducer, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is configured for use in conjunction with the BCHD by being disposed over at least portions of the bottom surface and between the bottom surface and the patient'"'"'s skull when the BCHD is secured, attached or magnetically coupled to the patient'"'"'s head or skull, and the acoustically conductive gel or paste is further configured to improve acoustic coupling and transmission of the audible frequency components of sound signals originating from the transducer to the patient'"'"'s skull, wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste is water soluble, wherein the sound velocity of the acoustically conductive gel or paste ranges between 1,450 meters/second and 1,700 meters/second, and wherein the acoustically conductive gel or paste has a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification