Adjustable venting for hearing instruments

• US 9,924,276 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Original Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Inventors: Wenzel, Stuart W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etesam, Amir
• Application Number:
  US14/554,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20160150331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• 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 25/456 mechanically

Abstract

An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device is provided and comprises a malleable structure. The malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user. The malleable structure is deformable to allow an adjustable venting of the ear canal, thereby minimizing the occlusion effect. Methodology for adjusting a degree of venting of the ear canal is also provided, including the automatic adjustments. Adjusting the degree of venting may be done in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

Claims

1. An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device, the ear tip comprising:

a malleable structure sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user, the malleable structure having a cross-section shaped to define at least one channel between an inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure for venting of the ear canal,

wherein the malleable structure is deformable to adjust the cross-section thereof so as to vary a size of the at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel; and

an actuator coupled to the malleable structure and operable to cause the malleable structure to deform,

wherein the actuator comprises a slider configured for translation and/or rotation relative to the malleable structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slider comprises one or more threads to facilitate rotation relative to the malleable structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein translating the slider toward the malleable structure deforms the malleable structure to increase the size of the at least one channel to reduce the degree of venting provided by the at least one channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator further comprises an elongate element coupled to the malleable structure and the slider, wherein the malleable structure is disposed over the elongate element and the slider is translatable over the elongate element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the elongate element comprises one or more of a shaft, wire, or a post.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to vary the degree of venting provided by the at least one channel in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the actuator comprises one or more of a circuitry, a processor, or a mechanical element adapted to be responsive to one or more of the detected feedback or the environmental cue.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the detected feedback or the environmental cue is indicated from a sensor in communication with the actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a microphone, an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, an internal sensor of the ear tip apparatus, or a sensor of a control device external of the ear tip apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the communication is at least partially electronic or at least partially wireless.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the actuator is configured to vary the degree of venting provided by the at least one channel in response to one or more of a volume or a sound directionality of an ambient environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the actuator is configured to increase the degree of venting in a loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more unprocessed sound, or to decrease the degree of venting in a loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more processed sound.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the malleable structure is deformable between a low cross-sectional area configuration and a high cross-sectional area configuration, the at least one channel providing more venting when the malleable structure is in the low cross-sectional area configuration than when in the high cross-sectional area configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the malleable structure is biased to assume the low cross-sectional area configuration.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the malleable structure has one or more of a Y-shaped, X-shaped, or cross-shaped cross-section.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the malleable structure comprises a gel.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the malleable structure comprises a fluid-filled bladder, the fluid-filled bladder comprising a bladder wall and a bladder fluid, and wherein the bladder wall comprising one or more of a stiff plastic or an elastomeric material.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the stiff plastic or elastomeric material comprises one or more of silicone, parylene, nylon, a PEBA material, Pebax, or polyurethane.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the bladder fluid comprises one or more of a gas, a liquid, or a gel.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises one or more of a silicone gel, a viscous hydrophilic fluid, a viscous hydrophobic material, a thixotropic material, a viscoelastic material, a dilatant material, a rheopectic material, Nusil MED-6670, Nusil MED-6346, Nusil MED-6345, a polyurethane gel, a polyvinylpyrrolidone gel, a polyethylene glycol gel, glycerol, thickened glycerol, petroleum jelly, mineral oil, lanolin, silicone oil, or grease.

21. A method for reducing occlusion in a hearing device placed in an ear canal of a user, the method comprising:

deforming a malleable structure placed in the ear canal to vary a size of at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel,

wherein the malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in the ear canal and has a cross-section shaped to define the at least one channel between the inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure, and

wherein deforming the malleable structure comprises one or more of translating or rotating a slider relative to the malleable structure.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the slider is translated or rotated over an element, wherein one or more of the slider or the malleable structure is disposed over the element.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein translating or rotating the slider relative to the malleable structure transitions the malleable structure from a low cross-sectional area configuration to a high cross-sectional area configuration.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the malleable structure comprises a gel.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising adjusting the degree of venting in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the detected feedback or the environmental cue is indicated from a sensor and wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a microphone, an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, an internal sensor of the hearing device, or a sensor of a control device external of the hearing device.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising increasing the degree of venting in a loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more unprocessed sound or decreasing the degree of venting in loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more processed sound.

28. A method for reducing occlusion in a hearing device placed in an ear canal of a user, the method comprising:

deforming a malleable structure placed in the ear canal to vary a size of at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel,

wherein the malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in the ear canal and has a cross-section shaped to define the at least one channel between the inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure; and

adjusting the degree of venting in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the malleable structure comprises a gel.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising adjusting the degree of venting in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the detected feedback or the environmental cue is indicated from a sensor and wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a microphone, an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, an internal sensor of the hearing device, or a sensor of a control device external of the hearing device.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising increasing the degree of venting in a loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more unprocessed sound or decreasing the degree of venting in loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more processed sound.

33. An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device, the ear tip comprising:

a malleable structure sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user, the malleable structure having a cross-section shaped to define at least one channel between an inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure for venting of the ear canal,

wherein the malleable structure is deformable to adjust the cross-section thereof so as to vary a size of the at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel; and

an actuator coupled to the malleable structure and operable to cause the malleable structure and operable to cause the malleable structure to deform,

wherein the actuator is configured to vary the degree of venting provided by the at least one channel in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the actuator comprises one or more of a circuitry, a processor, or a mechanical element adapted to be responsive to one or more of the detected feedback or the environmental cue.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the detected feedback or the environmental cue is indicated from a sensor in communication with the actuator.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a microphone, an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, an internal sensor of the ear tip apparatus, or a sensor of a control device external of the ear tip apparatus.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the communication is at least partially electronic or at least partially wireless.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the actuator is configured to vary the degree of venting provided by the at least one channel in response to one or more of a volume or a sound directionality of an ambient environment.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the actuator is configured to increase the degree of venting in a loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more unprocessed sound, or to decrease the degree of venting in a loud ambient environment, thereby allowing the user to hear more processed sound.

40. An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device, the ear tip comprising:

a malleable structure sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user, the malleable structure having a cross-section shaped to define at least one channel between an inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure for venting of the ear canal,

wherein the malleable structure is deformable to adjust the cross-section thereof so as to vary a size of the at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel,

wherein the malleable structure is deformable between a low cross-sectional area configuration and a high cross-sectional area configuration, the at least one channel providing more venting when the malleable structure is in the low cross-sectional area configuration than when in the high cross-sectional area configuration.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the malleable structure is biased to assume the low cross-sectional area configuration.