Hybrid behind-the-ear and completely-in-canal hearing aid

• US 5,606,621 A
• Filed: 06/14/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hear-Wear LLC
• Original Assignee: Siemens Hearing Instruments Incorporated (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Berkholcs, Gordon, Reiter, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US08/490,214
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/68, 381/68.1, 381/68.2, 381/68.3, 381/68.4, 381/68.5, 381/68.6, 381/68.7, 381/69, 381/69.1, 381/69.2, 181/129, 181/130, 181/134, 181/135, 128/864, 128/865, 128/866
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture

Abstract

A hybrid BTE and CIC hearing aid has a BTE component which is worn behind the patient'"'"'s ear and a CIC component which is worn in the bony portion of the patient'"'"'s ear canal. The BTE and CIC components are connected together with a wire cable. Electroacoustic feedback is reduced or eliminated, allowing gain to be increased. The patient is not disturbed by the occlusion effect.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind the ear of a patient and containing a microphone, battery receiving means and amplifier means, the amplifier means being operatively connected to the microphone and a battery received in the battery receiving means, and producing an amplified electrical signal in response to sound at the microphone; and

a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component being mechanically isolated from the behind-the-ear component, being shaped to fit into the ear canal of the patient in such a manner as to touch the bony portion of the ear canal, the completely-in-canal component containing a hearing aid receiver and being operatively connected to the amplifier means.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the behind-the-ear component and the completely-in-canal component are connected together by a wire cable.

3. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein a retrieval line is attached to the completely-in-canal component.