Hearing aid assembly

• US 20050117765A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hearing Specialties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Andrew F. Morabito, John A. Meyer
• Inventors: Meyer, John A., Morabito, Andrew F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,164,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

Disclosed is a hearing aid assembly wherein the hearing aid is comprised of an acoustic receiver, an acoustic transmitter, and a body, and an annular channel, wherein the acoustic receiver is designed to fit into a external acoustic meatus of an ear, the acoustic transmitter is designed to fit into a inner ear canal, and the generally cylindrical body is disposed between the receiver and the transmitter, the annular channel is disposed on the surface of the body such that it circumscribes the body'"'"'s circumference. The annular channel is adapted to receive an annular ring which functions as an acoustic seal.

Claims

1. A hearing aid assembly comprising a hearing aid wherein said hearing aid is comprised of an acoustic receiver, an acoustic transmitter, a body, and a first annular channel, wherein

a. said acoustic receiver is operatively configured to fit into a external acoustic meatus of an ear,

b. said acoustic transmitter is operatively configured to fit into a inner ear canal of said ear,

c. and said body disposed between said acoustic receiver and said acoustic transmitter, said body being generally elliptical,

d. said first annular channel is disposed on a surface of said body such that said first annular channel circumscribes said body'"'"'s circumference.

2. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said body is further comprised of a second annular channel wherein said channel circumscribes said body.

3. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 2, further comprising a first annular ring disposed within said first annular channel, wherein said first annular ring has a Shore A hardness of from about 3 to about 85 Shore A units.

4. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 3, further comprising a second annular ring disposed within said second annular channel, wherein said second annular ring has a Shore A hardness of from about 3 to about 85.

5. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said first annular channel has a first depth which is less than a depth of said first annular ring, such that said first annular ring protrudes from said first annular channel.

6. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the quotient of a depth of said first annular channel divided by a thickness of said first annular ring is less than about 0.85.

7. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said second annular channel has a second depth which is less than a depth of said second annular ring, such that said second annular ring protrudes from said second annular channel.

8. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said first annular ring and said second annular ring are each removable from said first annular channel and said second annular channel respectively.

9. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said first annular ring has a four lobed quad cross section.

10. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said second annular ring has a four lobed quad cross section.

11. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said first annular ring has first cross section, said second annular ring has a second cross section, and said first cross section is not the same as said second cross section.

12. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said first cross section is a four lobed quad cross section and said second cross section is not a four lobed quad cross section.

13. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said first cross section is a not a four lobed quad cross section and said second cross section is a four lobed quad cross section.

14. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said first annular ring and said second annular ring each have a tensile strength of at least about 400 pounds per square inch.

15. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said first annular ring and said second annular ring are comprised of polymeric material.

16. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein said polymeric material is a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomeric material.

17. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the shape of said hearing aid is customized for a specific patient.

18. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said first annular channel is positioned on said body such that it will contact the cartilaginous region of said ear.

19. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said second annular channel is positioned on said body such that it will contact the osseous canal region of said ear.

20. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said first annular ring is comprised of a first material and said second annular ring is comprised of a second material, wherein said first material and said second material are not the same material.

21. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said first material has a first Shore A value and said second material has a second Shore A value, wherein said first Shore A value and said second Shore A value are at least 10 Shore A units apart.

22. A hearing aid assembly comprising a hearing aid wherein said hearing aid is comprised of an acoustic receiver, an acoustic transmitter, and a body, a first annular channel, a second annular channel, a first annular ring and a second annular ring, wherein

a. said acoustic receiver is operatively configured to fit into a external acoustic meatus of an ear,

b. said acoustic transmitter is operatively configured to fit into an inner ear canal of said ear,

c. and said body disposed between said acoustic receiver and said acoustic transmitter, said body being generally elliptical,

d. said first annular channel and said second annular channel are disposed on a surface of said body such that said first annular channel and said second annular channel circumscribes said body'"'"'s circumference,

e. said first annular ring is disposed within said first annular channel and has a Shore A hardness of from about 7 to about 80, and

f. said second annular ring is disposed within said second annular channel and has a Shore A hardness of from about 7 to about 80.

23. A hearing aid assembly comprising a hearing aid wherein said hearing aid is comprised of means for receiving an acoustic signal, means for transmitting an acoustic signal, and a body, means for receiving a first acoustic seal, and means for receiving a second acoustic seal, wherein

a. said means for receiving an acoustic signal is operatively configured to fit into a external acoustic meatus of an ear,

b. said means for transmitting an acoustic signal is operatively configured to fit into a inner ear canal of said ear,

c. and said body disposed between said acoustic receiver and said acoustic transmitter, said body being generally elliptical, and

d. said means for receiving a first acoustic seal and said means for receiving a second acoustic seal are disposed on the surface of said body.

24. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 23, further comprising a first acoustic seal and a second acoustic seal, each of which are operatively configured to be received by said means for receiving a first acoustic seal and said means for receiving a second acoustic seal.

25. The hearing aid assembly as recited in claim 23, wherein said first acoustic seal and said second acoustic seal have a Shore A hardness of from about 7 to about 80.