EARPLUG AND PUMPING SYSTEMS

• US 20120103346A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Keady, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/865
• 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

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an earplug comprising: at last a partially flexible distal end; an inflatable element; and a flexible anti-distal end, where the anti-distal end has at least one portion that is deformable, where the inflatable element is operatively attached to the distal end by an inflation channel, where when the at least one portion is deformed the inflatable element expands to an adjustable pressure, where 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:

at least a partially flexible distal end;

an inflatable element; and

a flexible anti-distal end, where the anti-distal end has at least one portion that is deformable, where the inflatable element is operatively attached to the distal end by an inflation channel, where when the at least one portion is deformed the inflatable element expands to an adjustable pressure, where at least one portion of the anti-distal end provides a pressurizing force to maintain the expansion of the inflatable element.

2. The earplug according to claim 1, where the pressurizing force is provided by an elastic membrane.

3. The earplug according to claim 1, where the pressurizing force is provided by a plate secured by screwing in the plate to a given position.

4. The earplug according to claim 1, where the pressurizing force is provided by a resilient member.

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

6. The earplug according to claim 3, where the inflatable element is at least one balloon.

7. The earplug according to claim 4, where the inflatable element is at least one balloon.

8. The earplug according to claim 5, where the inflatable element is pressurized with a gauge pressure between about 0.1 bar and about 0.4 bar.

9. The earplug according to claim 6, where the inflatable element is pressurized with a gauge pressure between about 0.1 bar and about 0.4 bar.

10. The earplug according to claim 7, where the inflatable element is pressurized with a gauge pressure between about 0.1 bar and about 0.4 bar.

11. The earplug according to claim 8, where the anti-distal end includes a moveable portion and a non-movable portion, where a user can pull on the moveable portion to deform the at least one portion of the anti-distal end that is deformable, where the anti-distal end that is deformable is an elastic membrane that provides a pressurizing force.

12. The earplug according to claim 9, where the anti-distal end includes a moveable portion and a non-movable portion, where a user can twist on the moveable portion to screw a plate where the plate provides a pressurizing force to deform the at least one portion of the anti-distal end that is deformable.

13. The earplug according to claim 10, where the anti-distal end includes a moveable portion and a non-movable portion, where a user can unpinch the moveable portion, where the moveable portion includes a resilient member to provide a pressurizing force to deform the at least one portion of the anti-distal end that is deformable.

14. The earplug according to claim 13, where when a user pinches the moveable portion to un-deform the at least one portion of the anti-distal end that is deformable the inflatable element deflates.

15. The earplug according to claim 11, where when the anti-distal end that is deformable is deformed fluid is moved into the inflatable element.

16. The earplug according to claim 12, where when the anti-distal end that is deformable is deformed fluid is moved into the inflatable element.

17. The earplug according to claim 13, where when the anti-distal end that is deformable is deformed fluid is moved into the inflatable element.

18. The earplug according to claim 15 where the fluid is air.

19. The earplug according to claim 16 where the fluid is air.

20. The earplug according to claim 17 where the fluid is air.