WO2010132359A2 - Inflatable ear device - Google Patents
Inflatable ear device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2010132359A2 WO2010132359A2 PCT/US2010/034237 US2010034237W WO2010132359A2 WO 2010132359 A2 WO2010132359 A2 WO 2010132359A2 US 2010034237 W US2010034237 W US 2010034237W WO 2010132359 A2 WO2010132359 A2 WO 2010132359A2
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- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- sound
- tube
- inflatable member
- transducer
- pump
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
- H04R1/10—Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
- H04R1/1016—Earpieces of the intra-aural type
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
- G10K11/16—Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
- H04R1/10—Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
- H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
- H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
- H04R25/656—Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal
Definitions
- the present device and methods relate to the structure, operation and manufacture of fluid pumps and the utilization of their output such as in an insertable sound transmission instrument for a user's ear.
- the device and methods relate to such an instrument which can be coupled with any number of electronic sound devices, such as a hearing aid, MP3 player, Bluetooth® device, phone, and the like, while providing improved comfort and control to the user.
- U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0028356 Al (the '356 application), published on January 29, 2009, discloses an in-ear, inflatable, diaphonic member (bubble), for the coupling of sound to the ear, wherein a source of static and active pressure is utilized to inflate the bubble and to keep it inflated.
- a diaphonic valve is described that can convert oscillating sound pressure into static pressure to inflate the bubble in the user's ear. This is accomplished while still passing the sound of the program material (music, voice, etc.) through the valve, into the bubble and thus into the ear, with a minimum of attenuation or distortion.
- a speaker or acoustical driver of the type used in hearing aids, mp3 player ear buds, or professional in ear monitors may be used to generate static pressures to inflate the diaphonic member (bubble), in addition to playing the program material.
- the diaphonic valve of the '356 application uses a flat valve design where oscillating sound waves cause oscillations in thin elastic membranes, thus opening and closing ports to harvest the positive pressure, pushing cycles of the speaker and venting in outside air during the negative pressure, pulling cycles of the speaker.
- Embodiments of the present invention supplement the inventive pumping methods which utilize sound energy to both actively inflate and deflate a diaphonic bubble in a user's ear.
- the diaphonic valve which harvests static (analog to DC) pressure from alternating (analog to AC) sound pressure waves.
- the diaphonic valve may be thought of as a fluid pump which uses sound as its energy source, or alternatively it is analogous to an electronic rectifier that converts alternating electrical current (AC) into direct clcctricai current (DC).
- AC alternating electrical current
- DC direct clcctricai current
- the diaphonic valve includes such changes as a reduction in the number of moving parts, increased simplicity of design and manufacture, and greater pressure generating capacity.
- a synthetic jet is another featured improvement of the present device. A synthetic jet occurs when a fluid (a liquid or gas) is alternately pushed and pulled through a small orifice.
- FIGURE Ia when the fluid is pushed out through the orifice it exits as a narrow, directed jet, which is expelled directly away from the surface containing the orifice.
- FIGURE Ib 1 when the fluid is pulled back through the same orifice, the flow field is much different: like fluid going down a drain it enters the orifice mainly from the sides.
- the asymmetry in the flow fields caused by the push cycle (FIGURE Ia) and the pull cycle (FIGURE Ib) result in a net flow of fluid away from the face of the surface containing the orifice.
- the synthetic jet At a distance beyond the surface equal to a large number of orifice diameters, the synthetic jet produces a near-continuous jet or motion of fluid, which is difficult to distinguish from a conventional jet such as a hose expelling liquid or gas under a pressure driving force.
- Luo and Xia have recently described the design of a "valve-less synthetic-jet- based micro-pump" [Z. Luo and Z. Xia Sensors and Actuators A 122 (2005) 131-140].
- the Luo and Xia pump design was not contemplated for the present, in-ear application, and by its structure could not be of utility in the present invention.
- the present invention relates to fluid pumps and the utilization of their output. Also, the present invention addresses and solves numerous problems and provides uncountable improvements in the area of earphone devices and manufacturing methods of the same. Solutions to other problems associated with prior earphone devices, whether the intended use is to be in conjunction with hearing aids, MP3 players, mobile phones, or other similar devices, may be achieved by the present devices.
- an improved fluid pump and the utilization of its output such as in an audio receiver device for in-ear placement of a user which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
- an invention of the present application provides for converting acoustical vibrations, such as sound, into static pressure. This can be accomplished by an inventive pump that transports air or another fluid and pressurizes the air or the other fluid using acoustical vibrations as its power source. The pressurized fluid can be used for inflating a bubble within an ear or for many other useful applications.
- the diaphonic valve described herein can include sound driven micropumps for microfluidic and mem s devices, such as chip based medical diagnostic tests or devices.
- a closed system is provided around or over an orifice through which a synthetic jet expels its jet of fluid.
- This closed system such as a bubble on one side of the orifice and an enclosed space (e.g., a transducer housing) on the other side of the orifice, can contain fluid pumped by the device and also contain the static pressure that the device generates.
- an ingress tube or ingress port can supply the source fluid to the synthetic jet, at or near the edge of the synthetic jet orifice.
- the other end of the ingress tube can be located outside the closed system into which the synthetic jet expels its jet of fluid.
- an invention of the present application is comprised of an electronic signal generator, an acoustical driver, a sound actuated pump, and an inflatable member.
- an improved design for a diaphonic valve utilizes the principle of the Synthetic Jet.
- a synthetic jet is produced when a fluid is alternately pushed and then pulled back through a small orifice. This is frequently done using alternating pressure waves in the form of sound.
- the asymmetry between the outward jet of fluid produced on the pushing strokes relative to the flow pattern of the fluid sucking on the pulling strokes produces a net transfer of fluid from the edges of the exterior of the orifice to a sustained fluid jet in front of the orifice.
- a diaphonic valve pump is provided for the inflation of an in-ear balloon. More complex embodiments of the present invention include stacks of multiple synthetic jet generating orifices as well as an oscillating, thin polymer membrane.
- a novel application is provided for the creation of static pressure to inflate or to deflate an inflatable member (balloon).
- sound can be utilized to inflate or deflate an inflatable member in a person's ear for the purpose of listening to sound.
- the design, fabrication and working mechanism of a diaphonic (sound driven) pumping device is also disclosed.
- This device works in conjunction with an existing balanced armature sound transducer, of the type currently used in hearing aids and high end audio ear pieces.
- this device can also work in conjunction with an existing moving coil speakers of the type currently used in headphones, headsets and ear buds.
- the inventive device acts both as an air pump to inflate an inflatable member in the listener's ear, and aLo allows the transducer to perform its conventional function of playing audio material.
- the inflatable member when inflated by the inventive diaphonic pump, produces a comfortable, adjustable and variable ear seal and works with the ear canal to produce a variable volume resonant chamber for safe, comfortable, rich sounding and high fidelity reproduction of audio.
- FIGURES Ia and Ib depict the working principle of a synthetic jet
- FIGURES 2a and 2b depict a known synthetic-jet based pump design
- FIGURE 3 is a schematic of pressure generating elements of an embodiment of the disclosed in-ear device
- FIGURE 4 is a line graph illustrating pump pressure developed by Sonion
- FIGURE 5 is a line graph illustrating power required by the Sonion 44A0300 transducer along the same frequency range as that of FIGURE 4;
- FIGURE 6 is a line graph illustrating the efficiency of the Sonion 44A0300 transducer along the same frequency range as that of FIGURE 4;
- FIGURE 7 is a reproduction of the operating parameters of a Duracell Zinc Air
- Battery 10 including a operation voltage curve
- FIGURE 8 is a photograph of a prototype of an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 9 is a schematic of a single-substrate sound actuated pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 10 is a schematic of a single-substrate sound actuated pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE I l is a schematic of a single-substrate sound actuated pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 12 is a schematic of a double-substrate sound actuated pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 13 is a schematic of a double-substrate sound actuated pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 14 is a schematic of a double-substrate sound actuated pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 15 is a non-scaled representation of an air flow manifold in an inflation mode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 16 is a non-scaled representation of an air flow manifold in a deflation mode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 17 is a photograph of a disassembled diaphonic valve as well as labeled schematics of the component parts (for scale purposes, a portion of a U.S. dime is also shown);
- FIGURE 18 is a side schematic of the assembled component parts of the diaphonic valve illustrated in FIG. 17;
- FIGURE 19 is a schematic of a disassembled six-layered diaphonic valve in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 20 is a side schematic of the assembled component parts of the diaphonic valve illustrated in FIG. 19;
- FIGURE 21 is a side schematic of assembled component parts of a diaphonic valve similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20;
- FIGURE 22 is a side schematic of assembled component parts of a diaphonic valve similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20;
- FIGURE 23 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a transducer partially enclosed by the bubble, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 24 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a sound tube fully enclosed and a transducer partially enclosed by the bubble, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 25 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a transducer fully enclosed by the bubble, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 26 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a sound tube and a transducer fully enclosed by the bubble, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 27 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a transducer outside of the bubble, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 28 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a sound tube fully enclosed and a transducer outside of the bubble, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 29 is a side schematic of a driven bubble system with a sound tube and a transducer fully enclosed by the bubble similar to the embodiment of FIG. 26, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 30 is a side schematic illustrating two flat diaphonic valves attached to a single transducer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 31 is a side schematic illustrating a stack of flat diaphonic valves and two transducers, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 32 is a side schematic illustrating a plurality of diaphonic valves alternating with transducers, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 33 is a graphic illustration of pressure and volume changes along a range of altitudes
- FIGURE 34 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention inserted within an ear canal
- FIGURE 35 is an illustration similar to FIGURE 34;
- FIGURE 36 is a schematic of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the use of a coupling tube between the receiver and the bubble;
- FIGURE 37 is a schematic of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 36, illustrating the detachment of the receiver assembly
- FIGURE 38 is a couple of photographs of a donut-shaped embodiment of the inflatable member, in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGURE 39 is a series of photographs illustrating a connection process of the donut-shaped embodiment of FIGURE 38 with a sound tube;
- FIGURE 40 is a series of photographs illustrating a connection process of the pressure tube;
- FIGURE 41 is a schematic illustrating another embodiment of the donut configuration where the acoustical driver is fully or partially contained within the inflatable, donut-shaped bubble;
- FIGURE 42 illustrates the insertion of an embodiment of the donut-shaped bubble into an ear canal
- FIGURE 43 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention showing an inflatable membrane at two inflation pressures
- FIGURE 44 illustrates a transducer and sound tube enclosed within a bubble, the sound tube having a pattern of ports arranged along a line around the circumference, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 45 shows a device similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 44, including a polymer sleeve around a portion of the sound tube, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 46 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 45, including an air ingress tube;
- FIGURE 47 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 46, including an air ring manifold
- FIGURE 48 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 47;
- FIGURE 49 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 48;
- FIGURE 50 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 46 with only the sound tube enclosed within the bubble;
- FIGURE 51 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 50 with the transducer partially enclosed within the bubble as well;
- FIGURE 52 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 50;
- FIGURE 53 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 49;
- FIGURE 54 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 50;
- FIGURE 55 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 54 with multiple air ingress grooves
- FIGURE 56 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 55 with a air ring manifold at the base of the sound tube;
- FIGURE 57 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 55 with spiral grooves
- FIGURE 58 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 57 with crossing spiral grooves;
- FIGURE 59 shows an embodiment having a short sound tube in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGURE 60 is a graph illustrating an efficient wave form for pressure generation
- FIGURE 61 is a graphic illustration of a moving diaphragm having balanced synthetic jets as a result of the illustrated accompanying waveform
- FIGURE 62 is a graphic illustration of a moving diaphragm having unbalanced synthetic jets as a result of the illustrated accompanying waveform
- FIGURES 63a and 63b are bottom and side views of a schematic illustrating a conical orifice and a raised funnel, respectively;
- FIGURE 64 is a side view of a schematic illustrating a conical moving diaphragm in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 65 is a schematic of an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 66 is a schematic of an embodiment similar to that of FIGURE 65 including a check valve
- FIGURE 67 is a schematic of a dual transducer device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 68 is a schematic of a device having a co-axial diaphonic valve in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 69 is another schematic of a device having a co-axial diaphonic valve in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 70 is a schematic of an auto insertion mechanism for an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 71 is a schematic of a portion of the auto insertion mechanism shown in
- FIGURE 70
- FIGURE 72 is a schematic of an embodiment of a two transducer device in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGURE 73 is a photographic depiction of a Sonion 44A0300 dual transducer wired so that the polarity of one of the transducers can be switched relative to the other;
- FIGURE 74 is a graph showing the difference in sound pressure level (SPL) measured in a Zwislocki Coupler, which approximates the signal at the user's ear drum, corresponding to two transducers running 180 degrees out of phase in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 75 is a schematic illustration of a device having a separable coupling for the sound tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 76 is a schematic illustration similar to that of FIGURE 75 ;
- FIGURE 77 is a schematic illustration similar to that of FIGURE 75 with a short sound tube
- FIGURES 78a and 78b are illustrations of possible embodiments of the coupling shown in FIGURES 75-77;
- FIGURES 79 through 83 are illustrations of additional possible embodiments of the coupling shown in FIGURES 75-77;
- FIGURE 84 is a side and cross-sectional schematic of a dual-walled inflatable member, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 85 is a side and cross-sectional schematic of a multi-tube inflatable member, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 86 is another side and cross-sectional schematic of a multi-tube inflatable member, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 87 is a schematic showing a bubble assembly for connection to a receiver-in-canal (RIC) assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 88 is a schematic showing a bubble assembly for connector for coupling a bubble assembly to a receiver-in-canal (RIC) assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 89 is a schematic of a receiver-in-canal (RIC) device which couples to the assembly of FIGURES 87 and 88;
- RIC receiver-in-canal
- FIGURE 90 is a schematic of a receiver-in-canal (RIC) device which couples to the assembly of FIGURES 87 - 89;
- RIC receiver-in-canal
- FIGURE 91 is a cross-sectional schematic of a balanced armature transducer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 92 illustrates an embodiment similar to that shown in FIGURE 91, including a pressure equalization port
- FIGURE 93 illustrates an embodiment similar to that shown in FIGURE 92, including a port in the diaphragm;
- FIGURE 94 is a graph illustrating an asymmetric wave
- FIGURE 95 is a graph illustrating an asymmetric wave similar to that shown in
- FIGURE 94 but reversed
- FIGURE 96 is a cross-sectional schematic of a device similar to that shown in
- FIGURE 93 including a flap valve
- FIGURE 97 is a cross-sectional schematic of a device including a co-axial diaphonic valve in the transducer back volume, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 98 illustrates a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 97
- FIGURE 99 illustrates a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 9S 3 including an inflation filling tube
- FIGURE 100 is a cross-sectional schematic of a device including space-filling material in the transducer back volume, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 101 is a cross-sectional schematic illustrating the use of a back volume partition, in accordance with an embodiment of ihe present invention
- FIGURE 102 is a side and cross-sectional schematic of a device having a two- piece sound tube, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 103 illustrates a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 102, including a polymer sleeve;
- FIGURE 104 illustrates a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 103, including an air ingress tube;
- FIGURE 105 illustrates a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 104 with only the sound tube enclosed within the bubble;
- FIGURE 106 illustrates a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 105 including a sound tube coupling to the transducer;
- FIGURE 107 is a schematic illustrating eight layers of a diaphonic valve in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGURE 108 is a side cross-sectional schematic of the assembled layers shown in
- FIGURE 109 is the schematic of FIGURE 107 illustrating the air and sound through the valve layers
- FIGURE 110 illustrates an array of 500 substrates in a single sheet
- FIGURE 111 illustrates the eight layers of the diaphonic valve of FIGURE 107 arranged in the sheet array form shown in FIGURE 110;
- FIGURE 112 illustrates the aligned sheets of FIGURE 111 bonded together
- FIGURE 113 illustrates the bonded sheets cut into individual diaphonic valves
- FIGURE 114 illustrates an eight layered valve arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 115 illustrates an eight layered valve arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 1 16 illustrates an nine-layered valve arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 117 illustrates acoustical pressure flow in the valve embodied in
- FIGURE 114
- FIGURE 118 illustrates air flow in the valve embodied in FIGURE 114;
- FIGURE 119 illustrates acoustical pressure flow in the valve embodied in
- FIGURE 115
- FIGURE 120 illustrates air flow in the valve embodied in FIGURE 115;
- FIGURE 121 illustrates a balanced armature transducer with a diaphonic valve operating in reverse to pump air into the front volume thus creating a positive pressure in the front volume and the sound tube;
- FIGURE 122 illustrates a diaphonic valve operating in reverse to pump air into the back volume of a balanced armature transducer
- FIGURE 123 illustrates a diaphonic valve attached to the back volume of a balanced armature transducer using acoustical pumping energy to move air from an ingress tube, through the diaphonic valve, through an egress tube 38 and into the sound tube where it creates a positive pressure, to prevent infiltration of cerumen vapor, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIGURE 124 shows a transducer with a reversed diaphonic valve on its front volume and another diaphonic valve on its back volume with its egress connected to the sound tube;
- FIGURE 125 illustrates an embodiment in which the sound tube, which is pressurized by the operation of a diaphonic valve, feeds into a closed polymer bubble of a porous material.
- FIGURES 3 - 125 there is illustrated numerous embodiments for converting acoustical vibrations, such as sound, into static pressure.
- This can be accomplished by an inventive pump that transports air or another fluid and pressurizes the air or the other fluid using acoustical vibrations as its power source.
- the pressurized fluid can be used for inflating a bubble via an in-ear device, generally designated by the numeral 10, and the various components thereof.
- the device 10 is designed for use in combination with an external audio source, such as a hearing aid, MP3 player, or the like, of most any size and power dimension.
- the term "device” is used throughout the following description to refer to all embodiments of the present invention, with the reference numbers for similar components being consistent across all embodiments as well. The intent is to make clear that such components are interchangeable between different embodiments, except where noted.
- the invention is generally comprised of four components, including a transducer, a diaphonic valve, an inflatable member, and a sound tube.
- the transducer 20 is powered by an electrical source, either AC or DC, to produce a, in some cases reversible, fluid flow using the diaphonic valve.
- the fluid is used to inflate the inflatable member 30 (aka, bubble) which fits within an ear canal of the user.
- the sound tube 40 is used to channel sound, fluid, or both, to and from the ear canal, the inflatable member 30, or both.
- FIGURE 3 which will be described in further detail herein, shows one particular layout for a basic embodiment of the present device 10.
- a transducer 20 which produces sound in response to an electrical signal supplied through a cord 50, may be outside of or enclosed within an inflatable member 30 (e.g., bubble 31). If within the bubble 31, the cord 26 passes through one end of the bubble 31 and the transducer sound output is directed out through the other end of the bubble 31 through a sound tube 40.
- the device 10 is inserted into a user's ear with the cord 26 coming out of the ear and connecting the device to an audio signal generating device 60 such as a hearing aid, a cell phone, a Bluetooth® device, a digital music player, or another communication device.
- the opening of the sound tube 40 which provides a direct path, uninterrupted by the polymer bubble 31, from the transducer 20 to the outside of the polymer bubble 31, is directed down the user's ear canal toward the user's tympanic membrane, commonly referred to as the ear drum.
- FIGURE 4 a graph of pressure developed by the device pump as a function of frequency, illustrates, for this particular example of the device, that the highest pressure can be generated at about 4000 Hz.
- FIGURE 5 shows the power required to drive this particular device as a function of frequency.
- FIGURE 5 shows that this frequency corresponds to a local maximum in power requirement. It is desirable to operate the device at a frequency where the pumping is most energy efficient so as to make the optimum use of the limited power available in a battery driven application such as a hearing aid or an MP3 player. This frequency is found at the maximum of the ratio of pressure generated (FIG. 4) to power required (FIG. 5). A plot of this ratio versus frequency is shown in FIGURE 6.
- FIGURE 6 shows that operating this particular embodiment of the device at about 3000 Hz gives the greatest energy efficiency — i.e., Pascals of pressure generated per milli- Watt of power consumed. This conclusion is or.ly useful provided that, at its most energy efficient frequency, the device can actually generate a high enough pressure to fulfill the intended application. When the application is sealing a bubble in a user's ear, a pressure of one kPa is more than adequate. Thus, 3000 Hz is found to be a good operational frequency for the referenced embodiment of the device.
- FIGURE 6 shows that high energy efficiency is also achieved at the highest frequencies measured, 8000 Hz.
- the trend of the data also suggests that it may be possible to continue to increase pumping efficiency by going to even higher frequencies, or at least that a similarly high efficiency might be maintained at even higher frequencies.
- This observation raises the attractive possibility of a device that inflates a balloon in the user's ear by operating at a very high frequency — i.e., one which is beyond the audible range.
- FIGURE 4 indicates that this may not be practical, at least for the particular embodiment evaluated.
- the pressure generated by the device drops off at high frequencies, and the trend indicates that at frequencies above the audible range the device may generate insufficient pressure for the application.
- FIGURES 4 and 6 show that workable pressures and reasonable power efficiencies are achieved over a very broad range of frequencies, from less than 100 Hz to as high as 8000 Hz with the Sonion transducer. Other transducers may have even broader usable ranges.
- the data suggests that one can produce effective device pumping using a wide range of sound including the environmental sounds picked up by a hearing aid, conversation, music and the like. Tests on a prototype hearing aid device showed that normal conversation or recorded music played at normal levels produced enough pressure to inflate a bubble and produce an effective ear seal.
- the present device 10 which inflates a bubble in the ear using sound generated by the device itself (described below), it is important that the power required to inflate the bubble and to keep it inflated is a small enough percentage of the available battery power so as not to adversely impact the device performance.
- the bubble inflation and bubble pressure maintenance should not consume more than about five percent of the available battery energy.
- the Data Sheet, shown in FIGURE 7, is for a typical size hearing aid battery (DURACELL® No. 10 Zinc Air Battery manufactured by Duracell) used in small BTE style RIC type products (5.7 ram diameter x 3.5 mm thickness).
- the "Typical Discharge Curve" shown in FIGURE 7 assumes a load impedance of 3000 ohms applied for twelve hour periods, with 12 hour rest periods between. This suggests a hearing aid user would use the device for 12 hours per day.
- the graph shows a battery voltage of about 1.3 volts as being maintained for about 180 hours.
- the end point voltage appears to be 0.9 volts after a little more than 200 hours. This would imply that the power being dissipated for 180 hours is 1.3 x 1.3 / 3000 equal to 0.00056 Watts or 0.56 milli-Watts. This further implies that the energy being expended from the battery over a 180 hour period is about 0.00056 Watts x 180 Hours or about 0.101 Watt Hours.
- the present inflation pump can at most consume five percent of the available battery energy, this would be about 0.005 Watt Hours or 5 milli-Watt hours. If the battery powers the hearing aid for 12 hours a day and provides such service for 180 hours, this would extrapolate to a battery lifespan of approximately 15 days. Thus, the device can consume about 0.3 milli-Watt hours/day for bubble inflation and bubble pressure maintenance.
- Embodiments of the present device 10 work in conjunction with an existing balanced armature sound transducer, as illustrated in FIGURE 91, of the type currently used in hearing aids and high end audio ear pieces. Embodiments of the present device could also work in conjunction with a moving coil speaker.
- the inventive transducer 20 acts both as an air pump to inflate an inflatable member in the listener's ear, and also allows the transducer 20 to perform its conventional function of playii.g audio material.
- the inflatable member bubble or balloon
- when inflated by the inventive diaphonic pump produces a comfortable, adjustable and variable ear seal and works with the ear canal to produce a variable volume resonant chamber for safe, comfortable, rich sounding and high fidelity reproduction of audio.
- the front volume, on the opposite side of the diaphragm 28, is continuous with the sound tube by which the audio exits the transducer 20.
- the invention described here can be produced using any balanced armature transducer containing these basic components, regardless of the details of the layout or arrangement of these components in a particular balanced armature transducer embodiment. Additionally, embodiments of the invention described herein could use a moving coil speaker as its audio and sound energy source rather than a balanced armature transducer. The basic layout of such a device is similar regardless of whether the sound source is balanced armature or moving coil. Illustrations shown herein generally use a balanced armature sound source.
- the inner housing 44 separates the diaphragm back volume from the diaphragm front volume.
- the port 56 allows for the equalization of barometric pressure between the back volume and front volume. An excess of pressure on one side of the diaphragm 28 over the other will bias its vibrations and modify (impede) its sound generating characteristics.
- the pressure equalization port 56 provides a small physical pathway by which air can move between the front and back volumes thus equalizing pressure between them.
- the pressure equalization port 56 can be placed anywhere in the inner housing 44, including in a flexible membrane that seals the diaphragm with the inner housing 44.
- a closed system is provided in one or more embodiments around or over an orifice through which a synthetic jet expels its jet of fluid.
- This closed system such as a bubble on one side of a synthetic jet orifice and an enclosed space (e.g., a transducer housing) on the other side of the orifice, can contain fluid pumped by the device, such as in the bubble, and also contain the static pressure that the device generates.
- an ingress tube or ingress port can supply the source fluid to the synthetic jet, at or near the edge of the synthetic jet orifice.
- the other end of the ingress tube can be located outside the closed system into which the synthetic jet expels its jet of fluid,
- both positive pressure in the jet and negative pressure at the sides of the synthetic jet orifice may be directed, or stored in closed systems, and therefore isolated from each other. Accordingly, accumulated pressures, and or vacuums can be directed to do work.
- a diaphonic pumping device uses an orifice located in the surface of a moving diaphragm of a balanced armature transducer or the diaphragm of a moving coil speaker.
- the orifice 61 in the diaphragm 28 see transducer 20 of FIGURE 93, creates a pair of synthetic jets, one on either side of this orifice 61, as shown in FIGURE 61. Movement of the orifice 61 in a given direction creates the synthetic jet in the opposite direction. Excursions of the diaphragm 28, and thus the orifice, upward generate the synthetic jet downward into the back volume of the transducer 20.
- FIGURE 94 With transducer 20 wired such that a rising wave, as shown in FIGURE 94, indicates an outward (upward) thrust of the diaphragm 28, a pumping action from the front volume toward the back volume will be produced.
- FIGURE 94 shows an opposite waveform with a vigorous downward draw followed by a slower upward thrust. This wave form will produce a net pumping action from the back volume toward the front volume.
- FIGURE 93 also shows an ingress port 52, which directly connects the back volume to ambient air. The port 52 is desired if the device is going to be operated as a pump for the net transport of air from the outside, through the device and into an inflatable member 30 in the user's ear.
- the port 52 is also desired if device 10 is going to be used (by reversing the waveform driving the diaphragm 28) to actively deflate the inflatable member 30 in the ear by drawing air out of the bubble, through the device and expelling it outside.
- the audio program sound generated by the diaphragm 28 propagates exclusively or at least predominantly through the front volume of the diaphragm 28, down the sound tube 40, and into the inflatable member 30 (i.e., toward the ear drum).
- the orifice 61 in the diaphragm 28 and the ingress port 52 have high acoustical impedance in the audible frequency range.
- This high acoustical impedance is achieved is my making these ports (52 and orifice 6!) very small.
- the same consideration about acoustical impedance applies to the pressure equalization port 56 when it is present.
- the sound tube 40 has a much lower acoustical impedance.
- FIGURE 96 shows a modification of the previous embodiment in which the inside of the ingress port 52 (the side within the diaphragm back volume) is covered by flap valve 54.
- the flap valve 54 permits air to flow from outside into the back volume but prevents the reverse flow of air from the back volume to outside.
- the flap valve 54 creates an extreme imbalance in the impedance for air flow such that the pumping efficiency in the forward direction (from outside through the device into the inflatable member) is enhanced, but at the expense of making the pumping action irreversible. With the flap valve 54 in place it is not possible to reverse the wave form and actively pump down or deflate the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 97 shows a co-axial diaphonic valve 22, which consists of a tube 23 preferably a few millimeters in diameter.
- a ring of small ports or holes 24 (1 to 6 holes generally) is drilled around the circumference of the tube 23.
- a tight fitting polymer sleeve 25 is placed on the outside of the tube 23 covering the ring of holes 24.
- the polymer sleeve 25 is fixed to the tube 23 around its circumference at one end (A) and is open at the other end (B). The fixed and the open end (A and B) may be switched without compromising the performance of the device.
- FIGURE 97 does not have a port in the diaphragm 28. It does, however, have a pressure equalization port 56 in the inner housing 44, allowing pressure equalization of the front and back volumes of the transducer 20.
- the pumping action is provided by the diaphonic valve 22 in response to the acoustical actuation provided in the back volume by the back side of the diaphragm 28.
- the co-axial diaphonic valve 22 pumps air into the back volume and increases its pressure. Air leaks through the pressure equalization port 56, equalizing the pressure in the front volume. Since the front volume is connected, through the sound tube 40, to the inflatable member 30, the bubble is also inflated as the front volume is pressurized.
- This embodiment has the advantage that the pressure equalization between the back and front volume results in no net pressure on the diaphragm 28 and thus no distortion of audio.
- FIGURE 98 shows a slight modification of the previous embodiment in which a tube79 is extended off the back of the transducer housing 44 to hold the diaphonic valve 22. This is done for the simple reason that there may not be sufficient space within the compactly built housing of the commercial balanced armature transducer 20 to accommodate the coaxial diaphonic valve 22.
- the open end of the co-axial diaphonic valve 22 still accesses ambient air and the ring of ports 24 in the tube 23 and the polymer sleeve 25 sit within the volume of the extension tube and this volume is continuous with the back volume of the transducer 20.
- FIGURE 3 the incorporation of a sound actuated pump 27 (actually two pumps) into a larger total device, is shown.
- the pumps 27 are used to inflate a bubble in the ears of a user and to supply the bubble with audio program material. This is similar to the type of device described in the co-pending '356 application.
- An electronic signal is generated by c. conventional prior art electronic device shown as a computer chip 64 in the schematic. This signal generates mechanical oscillations in the pressure generating receivers 65 shown. There are two sets of receivers 65 and the other components shown in the figure, one for each of the user's ears.
- the receivers 65 are electronically driven acoustical drivers (balanced armature or moving coil) of the general type used to create audio signals in prior art hearing aids, headsets and the like.
- the disclosed acoustical drivers (receivers 65) supply an oscillating sound-pressure to the pressure driven pumping devices 27.
- a design is disclosed for a sound driven diaphonic valve that both supplies pressure to an in-ear bubble and also transmits sound.
- This device utilizes a sequence of oscillating flat, membrane valves.
- the sound driven pump 27 works in part or in whole on the principles of a synthetic jet (described further herein).
- Various embodiments of the pump 27 are available that can include, for example, a membrane that operates in cooperation with a valve seat. In such an embodiment, the sound pump 27 passes a static pressure on to the in-ear bubble as well as sound corresponding to the audio program material.
- the pump 27 passes static pressure but blocks the transmission of sound, corresponding to noise made by the oscillating drivers (receivers) 65 driving the pumps 27, and prevents this sound from reaching the user's ear.
- the acoustical program material is separately supplied via another set of acoustical drivers (not shown). The electrical signal to these other acoustical drivers is indicated by lines 14 and 16 in FIGURE 3.
- the sound actuated pump 27 is connected to the pressure generating receivers (acoustical drivers) 65 via a short or long tube .
- an ingress port 52 has a tube impedance and supplies air to sound actuated pump 27, and an outlet tube 41 carries the static pressure generated on to inflate a bubble of the in-ear device 10.
- the tube 41 carrying the pressure from the sound actuated pump 27 to the bubble incorporate inertance filters 42 to dampen the sound created by the pressure generating receivers (acoustical drivers) 65.
- FIGURE 8 is a photograph of a prototype device of encompassing a particular embodiment of the pressure generating elements of FIGURE 3
- FIGURES 9 - 14 show designs of a sound actuated pump 27 based on a synthetic jet generating orifice. These are perhaps the simplest embodiments of a sound actuated pump 27 in accordance with the present invention. More complex designs tend to give an improved pumping efficiency. However, the embodiments of these figures is important to study since they show one or more basic principles of the present invention.
- an audio signal device 60 such as a hearing aid receiver is sealed proximally to a circular substrate 34 in the center of which is mil led a conical depression 35, at the base of which is a small orifice 36. Oscillations from the signal device 60 create an oscillating flow to the cone 35 and through the orifice 36 in the substrate 34. This gives a synthetic jet effect and creates a net pressure in the egress tube 38 and the outlet tube 41 connected to a pressurized system (e.g. bubble). Make-up air for this pumping system is supplied through an ingress tube 37 passing through the substrate 34 and entering through the side of the cone 35.
- a pressurized system e.g. bubble
- the device of FIGURE 10 is different from the design in FIGURE 9 in that, inter alia, the device of FIGURE 10 supplies the make-up air just proximal to the orifice 36 within a cone geometry not present in the Luo and Xia device of FIGURE 2. Additionally, the design in FIGURE 2 appears to be a rectangular box-shaped device with the orifice actually being a narrow slit along the top of the box. In contrast, one or more embodiments of the present pump 27 are cylindrically shaped with circular orifice geometries. Additionally, the device of FIGURE 2 is not a closed system, as the air inlets are not physically separated or isolated from the fluid in which the synthetic jet is formed. While the device of FIGURE 2 is capable of producing a fluid jet for use as an actuator, it is not capable of generating a static pressure of the type needed to inflate, for example, a balloon.
- FIGURE 10 is a different embodiment of the acoustically actuated pump 27 in which the ingress tube 37 enters the device proximal to the substrate 34.
- FIGURE 11 is another embodiment of the device in which the ingress tube 37 enters the device distal to the substrate 34 and supplies make-up air from the side, just past the orifice 36.
- Devices with all three geometries shown in FIGURES 9 - 11 have been constructed and found to pump air effectively when actuated with sound.
- FIGURE 12 shows a sound actuated pump 27 with two substrates 34a and b, each with its own cone 35 and orifice 36.
- the ingress tube 37 is shown entering through the side of the proximal substrate 34.
- Other pumps have been constructed containing three or more substrates and orifices. It is found that the increasing the number of substrates from one, as in FIGURES 9 - 11 , to two, as in FIGURE 12, or to three increases pumping efficiency. However, increasing the number of substrates beyond three does not appear to lead to further improvements in pump performance.
- the ingress tube 37 can enter proximal to the first substrate 34a, in the cone 35 of the first substrate 34a, between the first and second substrate 34a,b, in the cone 35 of the second substrate 34b, beyond the orifice 36 of the second substrate 34b, and such other locations.
- the ingress tube 37 can enter in virtually any location from before the first substrate 34a to just past the orifice 36 of the last substrate 34(z). Additionally, there may be more than one ingress tube and these multiple ingress tubes may be placed in any combination of the locations just listed, including multiple tubes at a given location, such as multiple tubes going through the same substrate. [00185] Pumping efficiency may also be improved by the incorporation of a thin membrane 39 between the substrates.
- This membrane 39 contains a pore 43 (or pores) offset from the location of the orifice 36 of the most proximal substrate 34.
- the membrane material itself may be impermeable to air or it may be a semi-permeable material such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).
- FIGURES 13 - 14 show two versions of the acoustically actuated pump 27 in which an ePTFE membrane 43 with an offset pore 43 is located between the proximal (or first) 34a and distal (or last) substrates 34b.
- the embodiments of FIGURES 13 and 14 differ only in the location of the ingress tube 37.
- Al! versions of the device 10 with a membrane valve desirably have the ingress tube proximal to the membrane 43. Both of the embodiments in FIGURES 13 and 14 pump with similar efficiency.
- FIGURES 15 - 16 While a manifold 46 or valve to reverse a pressure driven flow of a gas is not novel, Its application, as shown in FIGURES 15 - 16, for inflation and deflation of an in-ear bubble is completely new. By the actuation of a toggle mechanism 47, the routing manifold 46 can be switched between operation in an inflation mode (FIG. 15) and a deflation mode (FIG. 16).
- a flat diaphonic valve 50 was constructed which mounts to the side of a transducer case and which adds 0.4 mm or less to the overall device width.
- the working principle and practical operation of the flat diaphonic valve 50 is not different from that described above.
- the device disclosed here has the advantage of compact design fitting onto the side of a balanced armature transducer 24.
- the entire device, including the transducer and the diaphonic valve 50 is small enough to fit into the user's ear, and is small enough to be partially or fully contained within a bubble 31.
- FIGURE 17 shows a photograph of a disassembled working diaphonic valve 50 as well as labeled schematics of the component parts. For scale purposes, a U.S. dime is provided in the image as well.
- FIGUREl 8 shows a cross sectional view of the assembled, multilayered valve 50.
- the valve 50 is built on the side of a balanced armature transducer 24, which has a hole 57 in the middle of its outer casing 45.
- the hole 57 is a byproduct of the manufacture of this particular transducer 20, and it leads directly into the back volume of the transducer 20. If no such hole is present on a particular transducer to be fit with a diaphonic valve of this type, then one would need to be drilled.
- Layer 1 of the valve structure is a plate containing a groove or slot 51 which will become an air ingress channel in the final valve when all the layers are stacked on top of one another. At the closed end of the slot 51 is a circular terminus 55.
- Layer 2 is a plate with a single small hole 53. When assembled, the hole 53 is aligned with the hole 57 in the transducer housing 45 as well as with the circular terminus 55 of the air ingress channel.
- the hole 53 in Layer 2 is the orifice of the synthetic jet, which is the heart of the diaphonic valve 50, This orifice is smaller than the hole 51 in the transducer housing 45 and it is smaller than the circular terminus 55 of the air ingress channel.
- Layer 3 of the flat diaphonic valve is a rigid frame with a central region spanned by a thin and flexible polymer membrane or film 58.
- the membrane 58 is composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- the membrane 58 could be composed of any of the polymer materials disclosed in the '356 application, which has been incorporated herein by reference, as suitable for use as a membrane in flat diaphonic valves.
- the membrane 58 could also be a non-polymer film or foil such as a thin metal foil.
- the membrane 58 is mounted on the underside of the rigid frame of Layer 3 so that in the assembled device this flexible film rests directly on the top of the plate of Layer 2.
- a flap 54 is cut in the center of the membrane 58 of Layer 3. In the assembled device, the flap 54 is directly over the synthetic jet port 53 in Layer 2.
- Layer 4 is a top plate or cover for the diaphonic valve 50. This cover contains an egress port 59 by which air pumped by the diaphonic valve exits the device. In the particular embodiment shown, this egress port 59 connects to an egress air tube 38, which may be used to route the air into a bubble for inflation.
- FIGURE 19 shows an assembled, six-layer structure.
- Layers 1 through 3 are the same as the first three layers in the flat diaphonic valve 50 discussed previously.
- Layer 4 is a plate with a single small hole 63. The hole 63 is not in the center of the plate, but is closer to one of the ends of the plate, along its long axis.
- Layer 5 is a rigid frame with a flexible membrane 58 on its lower side, similar to Layer 3. However, in Layer 5, there is no flap, but rather another small hole 66 in the membrane 58, which is located at the opposite end of the structure from the hole in the plate of Layer 4.
- Layers 4 and 5 comprise the check valve 62.
- the region of contact of the top of the plate of Layer 4 and the bottom of the film of Layer 5, between the hole 63 in Layer 4 and the hole 66 in the flexible film 58 of Layer 5, comprises the sealing function of the check valve 62. Placing the holes 63, 66 in Layers 4 and 5 at opposite ends of the structure creates the largest possible valve seat for the check valve 62 and thus improves the seal. Finally, Layer 6 is the same cover plate with an air egress port 59,
- FIGURE 21 As shown in FIGURE 21 , raising the rim 67 around the ports 53 and 63 in Layers 2 and 4 improves the seating of the flexible membrane 58 across these ports. This increases the pumping efficiency of the diaphonic valve 50 and produces a tighter seal for the check valve 62.
- FIGURE 21 shows that this can be accomplished by thickening the rim 67 around the ports 53 and 63.
- FIGURE 22 shows that this can also be accomplished by pushing up or embossing the plate underneath the ports 53 and 63. This also raises the rim 67 of the ports 53 and 63 and produces the desired improvement in performance.
- FIGURES 23 - 28 show various ways the flat diaphonic valve 50 mounted on the side of a transducer can be incorporated with a bubble 31. These figures show the flat diaphonic valve 50 without the additional check valve. However, the same configurations are possible with a flat diaphonic valve 50 containing a check valve 62, as described above.
- FIGURE 23 shows a device 10 with the transducer 20 partially enclosed by the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 24 shows a donut-shaped bubble 32 with a sound tube 40 and the transducer 20 partially enclosed in the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 25 shows a device 10 with the transducer 20 fully enclosed by the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 26 shows a donut-shaped bubble 32 with the transducer 20 fully enclosed by the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 27 shows a device 10 with the transducer 20 completely outside the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 28 shows a donut-shaped bubble 32 with the transducer 20 completely outside the bubble 31.
- FIGURE 29 shows an embodiment of the device 10 with the flat diaphonic valve 50 in which the air ingress channel is absent. This is shown with the transducer 20 fully enclosed within the bubble 31 , but other embodiments lacking an air ingress port can also be partially enclosed by the bubble 31 or completely outside the bubble 31.
- air to inflate the bubble 31 is drawn from the ear canal, down the sound tube 40, into the front volume of the transducer 20, through the pressure compensation port 56, into the back volume of the transducer 20, through the pumping diaphonic valve 50 and finally into the bubble 31.
- This embodiment has the advantage of using air pressure to pull the bubble 31 into the user's ear, producing a good acoustic seal.
- FIGURE 30 shows an embodiment where two flat diaphonic valves 50 are attached to a single transducer 20.
- the diaphonic valve 50a on the front volume is turned around to pump from outside into the front volume, thus pressurizing the front volume. This pressure leaks through the compensation port 56 into the back volume, thus increasing the pressure of the back volume.
- the other diaphonic valve 50b on the back volume further increases pressure and pumps air out of the device via the egress port 59.
- This device can produce higher pressures than the single diaphonic valve on the back volume only.
- the first valve increases pressure inside the transducer 20 and the second boosts pressure even more before egress.
- the device in FIGURE 30 is illustrated using flat diaphonic valves 50. However, this same arrangement will also work with any of the previously disclosed diaphonic valve designs (e.g., co-axial diaphonic valve 22).
- FIGURE 31 shows that it is possible to stack two transducers 20 together with a diaphonic valve 50a between them and with additional diaphonic valves 50b, c on the front volume of the first transducer 20a and on the back volume of the second transducer 20b.
- Each transducer and diaphonic valve combination can only increase the pressure so much (about IkPa at most).
- the second transducer/diaphonic valve combination begins with air which has already been pressurized. It can thus boost the pressure higher.
- FIGURE 32 carries the concept of a stack of transducers and diaphonic valves even further.
- the devices shown in FIGURES 31 and 32 have open sound ports, and will thus tend to allow some pressure to escape from the stack of transducers and diaphonic valves. Other embodiments may have some or all of these sound ports blocked to create even greater pressures.
- Embodiments of the devices in FIGURES 31 and 32 may have variations in the flow and sound impedance of the compensation ports (for instance by changing the size of the ports) as air progresses up the stack of transducers. This may help to prevent back flow of pressure in the device 10.
- the transducers 20 in a stack such as FIGURES 31 and 32 may be run in phase or with other complex combinations of phase and amplitude differences to produce different pressure and sound outputs from the device.
- FIGURES 31 and 32 illustrate interleaved balanced armature transducers 20 and diaphonic valves 50. Similar stacked devices for the purpose of pressure generation, pumping, and sound generation can be produced by interleaving diaphonic valves with other sound generating devices (not shown), such as piezoelectric diaphragms, or moving coil speakers. In these cases the piezoelectric diaphragms or speakers may have small compensation ports in them or in their surrounds in order to allow pressure to move from the front volume to the back volume or vice-versa.
- the inflatable member 30 or, more specifically to the illustrated embodiments, bubble 31 is a key component of the present invention.
- the bubble 31, which can be comprised of an almost infinite number of shapes, sizes, colors, and materials, all as detailed below, serves a variety of functions, including providing retention, comfort, adjustability, and compactability.
- Expanded polytetraffuoroethylene (ePTFE) or PTFE are favored materials for the production of bubbles due to a combination of properties including: strength, lightness (low density), tailorable air permeability (through controlled porosity), smoothness of surface feel, and low surface energy, which makes these materials resistant to soiling and dirt accumulation.
- ePTFE and PTFE suitable for bubble production is available commercially in the form of sheets and films of various thicknesses and porosities. Generally, thinner grades of the ePTFE or PTFE sheet are better for bubble production than thicker grades.
- the thickness of the starting film material is typically less than 10 mils, preferably less than three mils, and most preferably one mil or less.
- bubble production from ePTFE and PTFE films has yielded best results using grades of polymer film having low or negligible air permeability. This is because, in use, it is easier to keep a low or negligible permeability bubble inflated by the action of acoustical pumps than a more porous bubble.
- acoustical properties and advantages for ear comfort and ear health that are enabled by more porous and, therefore, more breathable bubbles. This includes the lessening of cerumen buildup as dicussed below.
- using more air permeable grades of ePTFE or PTFE film in bubbles is not excluded from the present invention.
- polyurethane films including polyurethane films, thermoplastic polyurethane films, aromatic polyurethane films and aliphatic polyurethane films are also favorable materials for bubble production due to their strength, expandability, processibility, and low air permeability.
- Poly ⁇ rethanes are particularly useful when a statically inflated, non-breathable bubbles are desired.
- the thickness of the starting polyurethane film material is typically less than 10 mils, preferably less than three mils, and most preferably one mil or less.
- bubbles can be formed by stretching polymer filmes, ePTFE or PTFE films, or polyurethane films over convex mandrels with a variety of shapes: spherical, hemispherical, cylindrical with a hemispherical cap, spherical on top of a thinner cylindrical stem, light bulb shaped (approximately spherical top tapered into a narrower cylindrical stem).
- Bubble shapes with a larger bulbous top and a narrow stem the light bulb shape for example, present a problem of removing the larger top of the mandrel through the thinner bubble stem without stretching, deforming, or destroying the thinner bubble stem.
- an inflatable mandrel (not shown).
- the inflatable mandrel is a small rubber balloon which is blown up to form the polymer film, ePTFE film, or polyurethane film into the correct bubble shape. Then the rubber balloon is deflated so it can be easily removed through the neck of the formed polymer, ePTFE, or polyurethane bubble.
- Bubbles can also be produced from polymer films, ePTFE or PTFE films, or polyurethane films without in-plane stretching of the film material.
- One way to do this is to fold or pleat the film material over a convex mandrel (not shown).
- the film material is gathered or cinched up around the base of the mandrel and can be fixed to a metal or plastic ring (not shown), which would define the base of the bubble.
- the mandrel is inflatable and can thus be easily removed from the inside of the bubble, by deflation.
- formation of the bubble shape may involve a combination of some amount of polymer film, ePTFE or PTFE film, or polyurethane film stretching, some folding and pleating (especially around the bubble stem and base), and fixing the base of the bubble to a ring or collar.
- the ring or collar may be part of the sound tube of the co-axial device, it may be part of the separable coupling, or it may perform both these functions as well as being the connection for the base of the bubble.
- the polymer film, ePTFE or PTFE film, or polyurethane film from which the bubble of the present invention may be produced can be modified by coatings applied to the surfaces of the films or infused into the porous structures of the films, in cases where the 1 films are porous materials.
- Coating and infusing agents include polymer latex coatings, especially polyurethane latex coatings and particularly water soluble polyurethane latex coatings, are preferred. These coatings may be used by themselves or they may be combined with other fillers, modifiers, pigments and the like. For example, colored polymer latex coatings may be used to color the bubble. Or, pigments or dyes may be added to uncolored latex coating materials in order to color the bubble.
- Coloring of the bubble is one means to distinguish different grades or prescriptions of bubbles (discussed in further detail below).
- Incorporating additional materials with the bubble material coatings, especially talc and fumed silica, may be used to modify the bubble surface properties to keep the bubble membrane from sticking to itself and/or to keep the bubble membrane from sticking to the user's ear canal.
- Surface coatings may be added to the polymer films, ePTFE or PTFE films, or polyurethane films prior to bubble fabrication. This can be done with conventional spraying or web coating techniques. Coating techniques such as silk screening and InkJet printing are used to apply the coatings to the bubble forming material in some areas and not in others or to apply the coatings in different amounts in different areas of the film. This process produces gradients or patterns in bubble material properties when the films are then fabricated into bubbles. Patterns in the coatings applied to the bubble forming film materials, for instance resulting in concentric rings on the bubble surface, may be used to focus, reflect, refract, damp, or otherwise modify sound in the present device.
- Coating techniques such as silk screening and InkJet printing are used to apply the coatings to the bubble forming material in some areas and not in others or to apply the coatings in different amounts in different areas of the film. This process produces gradients or patterns in bubble material properties when the films are then fabricated into bubbles. Patterns in the coatings applied to the bubble forming
- Coatings may also be produced on the inner and/or outer surfaces of previously formed bubbles, by dipping the bubbles in coating solution or filling the bubbles with coating solution. Patterned or gradient coating patterns can be produced by these techniques if, for example, the top or the bottom half of an inflated bubble is dipped into the coating solution for a different amount of time than other parts of the bubble. Coating solution may be placed inside the top or the bottom part of an inflated b'lbble, thus producing patterns or gradients of coatings inside the bubble. The concentration of the coating solutions, and the time that the bubble material is exposed to such solutions can be varied in the dipping and interior coating processes to create additional patterning flexibility.
- J is the flux of gas through a polymer membrane having units (cm 3 of gas)/((cm 2 of membrane)(second)), P is the gas permeability of the membrane, and (dp/dx) is the driving pressure gradient across the membrane, the x-coordinate representing distance in the membrane thickness direction.
- the driving pressure gradient (dp/dx) ⁇ ( ⁇ p/ ⁇ x) is 295 (cm Hg)/(cm thickness) if the interior bubble pressurization is 100Pa, and it is 2950 (cm Hg)/(cm thickness) if the interior bubble pressurization is one kPa.
- the resulting flux of air through the membrane, J is 3x10 "7 (cm 3 of air)/(cm 2 of membrane)(second) when the interior bubble pressurization is 100Pa, and J is 3x10 ⁇ 6 (cm 3 of air)/(cm 2 of membrane)(second) when the interior bubble pressurization is one kPa, Based on the volume and surface area of a one cm diameter bubble, these calculations indicate that with a lOOPa internal pressure, the bubble will lose about two percent of its gas in 12 hours and that at one kPa it will lose about 20% of its gas in 12 hours, this time period being the assumed normal length of daily wear. The calculation is an estimate that assumes the air pressure inside the bubble remains constant throughout the process.
- the calculation is most accurate for a case in which the diaphonic valve is used to periodically top-off the pressure in the bubble.
- the device would need to make up about 20% of the bubble volume in the 12 hour period. This is a very small amount of pumping and would fall below the approximate maximum of 20 minutes per day of pumping necessary to stay below five percent of battery use.
- bubbles of the present invention can be inflated and remain inflated, with no noticeable loss of pressure for at least a day and in some cases up to a week.
- An inflatable ear canal sealing device such as the present device, must be able to tolerate changes in the outside atmospheric pressure without either losing its seal or causing user discomfort. For instance, if a user with an inflated bubble in his or her ear ascends rapidly to the top of a tall building or ascends in an airplane, the resulting drop in atmospheric pressure will allow the bubble in the ear to expand. Too much expansion of the bubble in the ear may cause discomfort. Conversely, if a user with an inflated bubble in his or her ear descends rapidly from the top of a tall building or descends in an airplane, the resulting increase in atmospheric pressure will reduce the bubble volume. Too much contraction of the bubble may cause the loss of the acoustical ear seal.
- FIGURE 33 shows a plot of atmospheric pressure versus altitude in meters constructed using a barometric pressure calculator found on the Internet (see, http://h ⁇ perphysics.phy-astr. ⁇ su.edu/hbase/Kinetic/barfor.html).
- FIGURES 34 and 35 show a bubble 31 of the present invention, in the ear, as it undergoes a significant change in outside atmospheric pressure.
- the bubble 31 lays in the ear canal like a loosely inflated bag and it makes contact with a significant length of ear canal wall.
- FlG. 35 At higher atmospheric pressure (FlG. 35), the bubble 31 is smaller and extends a little less distance along the ear canal.
- the difference in bubble volume and position in the ear canal between Figures 34 and 35 is not significant enough, even with a 25% change in bubble volume (i.e., the worst case scenario) to cause user discomfort or to disrupt the acoustic seal in the ear.
- Another issue for the bubble of the present invention is surface wrinkles. Wrinkles in the bubble surface may result from the natural resting of the bubble along the ear canal surface, which may be rough, for instance, due to the presence of hairs. Also the bubble surface may be intentionally wrinkled by embossing or another mechanical or chemical processing technique. An advantage to wrinkles in the bubble wall is that they can aid the bubble in accommodating slight or moderate volume changes in response to slight or moderate changes in the external atmospheric pressure.
- FIGURES 36 and 37 Depicted in FIGURES 36 and 37 is an "inflatable donut,” which is shown schematically.
- the inflatabis donut-shaped bubble 32 which is inserted into the user's ear, consists of a toroidal or donut-shaped inflatable member 30 with a tube 40 running through a hole in the center of the toroid.
- the hole through the center of the donut- shaped bubble 32 provides a direct path for sound generated by an acoustical driver (receiver) to pass through the bubble, which is sealed in the ear, and to enter the ear canal between the seal and the user's tympanic membrane.
- an acoustical driver receiveriver
- FIGURES 36 and 37 show pressure tubes, for carrying pressure generated by the acoustically driven pump 27 discussed herein, as well as electrical wires for conveying the audio signal entering the device 10 through cable 48.
- the wires provide the signals that drive the acoustical driver (receiver).
- the pressure in the cable pressurizes the earpiece housing 49.
- the earpiece housing 49 is connected via an outer tube
- the pressure causes the bubble 32 to be inflated in the ear, or to be actively deflated for removal from the ear by reversing the pressure, using the pressure routing manifold 46 (as described herein).
- FIGURE 37 shows that the donut-shaped bubble 32 can be removed from the earpiece for cleaning or replacement (described in further detail herein). This is accomplished by a coupling 70 between the portions of sound tube 40 connecting the earpiece housing 69 to the donut-shaped bubble 32.
- the central tube is, of course, the sound tube 40, and the outer-coaxial tube 69 conveys pressure to inflate the donut-shaped bubble
- FIGURE 38 shows photographs of a donut-shaped bubble 32.
- FIGURE 39 shows photographs of the first step of attaching the bubble 32 to the earpiece, the connection of the acoustical sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 40 shows photographs of the second step of attaching the bubble 32 to the pressure or inflating (outer) tube 69.
- FIGURE 41 shows another embodiment of the donut configuration of the inflatable in-ear device 10.
- the acoustical driver 60 providing the audio signal is fully or partially contained within the inflatable, donut-shaped bubble 32.
- All embodiments of the disclosed structure utilize sound to either inflate the polymer bubble 31 in the user's ear or to maintain inflation, which may be initially produced by another external means.
- the sound inflating the bubble 31 may be the program material itself, or it may be a special tone designed to inflate (deflate) the bubble 31.
- the end of the sound tube 40 may be closed off during the playing of the inflation tone.
- this feature is only possible for embodiments which employ a means for air ingress other than the sound tube 40.
- an air ingress tube 37 or groove may be positioned on the outside of the sound tube 40. Without the air ingress tube 37, the only source of air to inflate the bubble 31 is through the sound tube 40.
- the inflation tone need not necessarily be unpleasant for the user.
- the synthetic jet based, sound driven pumping can be tuned to different frequencies by adjusting such design parameters and sound tube diameter and length, port location, port size, and the like.
- the device 10 can be constructed such that that inflation tone or series of tones is pleasant to the user and may become a signature startup sound for the device, similar to the startup tunes commonly played by personal computers, cell phones, and the like.
- the inflation tone may be at a frequency above o/ below the hearing range of the user.
- the inflation tone maybe programmed into a device specifically constructed to use the present technology.
- the inflation tone may also be supplied by an outside source.
- an outside source for example, in a hearing aid, which does not contain recorded program material but which only picks up, amplifies and transmits ambient sound, the inflation tone may be supplied to the device 10 by an external device playing the tone or start up sound sequence.
- This external device can take the form of a small, handle held, speaker or sound generator, which is held up to the ear as part of the process of starting up the device 10.
- FIGURE 42 shows the result of inserting the inflatable donut-shaped bubble 32 into the user's ear which creates a variable trapped volume from the space in the ear canal between the tympanic membrane and the polymer membrane of the sealing donut.
- This variable trapped volume is analogous to the variable trapped volume inside a driven, closed bubble as described in the '356 application and has the same benefits of producing full rich sound.
- the configuration of a donut shaped bubble in the ear also reduces over excursions of the tympanic membrane by allowing excess sound energy to be absorbed into the bubble rather than the tympanic membrane.
- the impedance matching aspect of the donut bubble inflation discussed herein, relates to this feature.
- the tympanic membrane is a vibrating membrane with a back pressure provided by the volume of the inner ear.
- the inflatable donut-shaped bubble 32 is also a membrane, which vibrates in response to the sound transduced into the trapped volume of the ear canal.
- the trapped volume of the ear canal is a resonant cavity closed off by two vibrating membranes, the ear drum and the surface of the donut-shaped bubble 32.
- the resonance cavity in the ear canal can be viewed as a trapped volume that acts as a compliance to couple acoustic signals from the receiver to the diaphragm/bubble.
- the present device 10 can be constructed internal to conventional ear molds with at least one membrane window 71 in the ear mold facing the tympanic membrane, through which the vibrations of the device can access the tympanic membrane (ear drum) of the user.
- at least one other port in the ear mold allows the inflatable bubble 31 to be exposed to the ambient environment external to the ear.
- Variable pressurization of the membrane bladder 72 affords the audio (variable impedance matching and variable resonant volume) and occlusion capabilities of the device within the context of conventional ear molds.
- Conventional ear molds by themselves (without the inclusion of an internal diaphonic ear lens) do not achieve variable impedance matching and variable resonant volume characteristics.
- variable pressure membrane 72 is shown at two inflation volume levels. As the volume of the membrane changes to increase compliance, this will serve to minimize the amount of occlusion experienced by the user, while at the same time increasing the amount of external sound transmitted to the user's tympanic membrane.
- the physical properties of the bubble material influence the performance of the bubble in the ear.
- Relevant bubble material properties include thickness, areal density (mass per unit area of film), tensile modulus, strength, elasticity, air permeability, surface hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity, storage modulus, loss modulus, complex modulus, and mechanical damping coefficient.
- Certain directionally dependent properties (tensile modulus, strength, elasticity, storage modulus, loss modulus, complex modulus, mechanical damping coefficient) of the thin polymer film materials, used in bubble fabrication may vary with changing in-plane direction.
- the polymer films for bubble construction may be anisotropic with respect to certain properties.
- the polymer films may also be isotropic with respect to directionally dependent, in plane properties.
- the polymer films used for bubble construction may be anisotropic with respect to some directionally dependent, in plane properties and isotropic with respect to other directionally dependent, in plane properties.
- Different, predetermined prescription bubbles are produced to address common hearing problems, such as hearing loss in various commonly encountered frequency ranges.
- These prescription bubbles are distinguished by color coding or by different key codes in the separable couplings by which the bubbles are connected to the body of the listening device (including the transducer). Only the correct prescribed bubble and sound tube assembly will fit the coupling on the device. For more unusual hearing needs, it is possible to produce bubbles tailored to those needs of the individual.
- the individualized bubbles may be assigned a unique key code on their separable coupling. Thus, only the custom prescribed bubbles will fit the listening device of the user with a unique hearing or ear health issue.
- different portions of the bubble 31 can be optimized to selectively enhance different functions.
- the back of the bubble may be optimized to block sound transmission, thus improving isolation and avoiding feedback.
- the waist of the bubble (where it contacts the sides of the ear canal) may be optimized to improve the sealing function of the bubble, or to provide some air permeability for comfort and ear health.
- the front of the bubble (facing toward the tympanic membrane) may be optimized to enhance to acoustical properties of the trapped volume within the ear canal.
- An example of a way to produce tailored bubble material properties and to produce tailored gradients of those properties across the bubble surface is by coating or infusing a base polymer bubble material with a modifying agent.
- a specific example of the process is to take a bubble formed out of a semi-permeable polymer material and infuse a polymer latex into the semi-permeable structure, thus altering the density, permeability, thickness, and various mechanical moduli and coefficients of the bubble material. This type of infusion can be done to different degrees at different areas on the bubble surface, thus, leading to gradients in bubble material properties.
- a coating process can likewise be varied across the surface of the bubble material creating surface gradients in performance relevant properties.
- the described process has yielded useful modifications of bubble properties when the base bubble material is expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and the infusing latex is a water-based polyurethane latex.
- ePTFE expanded polytetrafluoroethylene
- the infusing latex is a water-based polyurethane latex.
- the extent of latex infusion into the ePTFE is controlled by controlling either the concentration of latex particles in the solution used to treat the ePTFE, or by the length of exposure of the ePTFE to the treating solution, or both.
- the sound tube 40 of the present invention can be embodied in several forms based on desired characteristics of device 10.
- One or more small ports or orifices 73 in the wall of the sound tube 40 provide a path between the inside of the sound tube 40 and the space inside the polymer bubble 31 (or donut-shaped bubble 32).
- the small ports or orifices in the sound tube can serve not only as ports for synthetic jet based pumps, as described herein, but also allow sound into the bubble. As such, the sound energy in the bubble is transducted to the ear canal walls, increasing the sound richness.
- FIGURE 44 shows a pattern of six ports 73 arranged equidistant (every 60 degrees of angle) along a line around the circumference of the sound tube 40.
- This particular port arrangement works very well, but other port arrangements also work including arrangements with fewer and greater numbers of ports and arrangements in which two or more rings of ports surround the sound tube at different locations along the sound tube 40.
- the size of the ports 73 and their location along the sound tube 40 influences the pumping efficiency as a function of the sound frequencies produced by the transducer 20.
- By altering the location of the ports 73 for a given sound frequency or by altering the sound frequency for a given location of the ports 73 it is also possible to reverse the pumping action of the device and to actively deflate the polymer bubble 32 for removal from the ear.
- the transducer 20 can produce one tone (frequency of sound) when inflation of the bubble 32 is desired and another tone when deflation is desired.
- the device uses a single transducer 20 to produce the sound for inflation of the bubble 32 and maintenance of the bubble pressure as well as for the program material to which the person is listening.
- the device 10 has the advantage of allowing an unobstructed path from the transducer 20 to the user's tympanic membrane, while still harvesting energy to inflate the polymer bubble 32.
- FIGURE 44 shows a device 10 similar to that shown in FIGURE 44, but with two separate transducers (discussed in further detail herein), one to produce the tone to inflate the bubble 31 (or 32) and another to produce the program material for the user.
- the two transducers can both feed their respective acoustical outputs into a common sound tube 40, which functions as both the pumping mechanism for the bubble 31 and the sound path for the program material to the tympanic membrane.
- FIGURE 45 shows a refinement of the coaxial structure, shown in FIGURE 44, which increases the air pumping efficiency of the device 10.
- a tight fitting sleeve 33 of thin polymer film covers a section of the sound tube 40, which includes the region containing the ports 73.
- the sleeve 33 is attached to the outside of the sound tube 40 with an airtight seal at position A.
- the sleeve 33 ends at position B, but is not attached (sealed) at this point.
- the device 10 will also work if the sealed and open ends of the polymer sleeve 33 are reversed, i.e. the sleeve 33 is sealed at B and open at A.
- the device 10 will also work if both ends of the sleeve 33, A and B, are open.
- both ends, A and B, of the sleeve 33 are sealed.
- the polymer sleeve 33 has one or more small holes or ports 74. These holes 74 in the polymer sleeve 33 do not line up with the orifices or ports 73 in the sound tube 40 and they do not line up with any air ingress tube (discussed further herein) openings.
- an embodiment where the sleeve 33 is sealed at A and open at B is considered.
- the polymer sleeve 33 now covers the ports 73 in the wall of the sound tube 40.
- the embodiment of FIGURE 45 draws the air needed to inflate the polymer bubble 32 from the sound tube 40. Thus, when inserted into the ear, this embodiment draws air from the ear canal into the bubble 32,
- FIGURE 46 shows another embodiment of a coaxial device in which an air ingress tube 37 is added to allow air to be drawn from outside of the ear canal, for the purpose of inflating the polymer bubble 31.
- the air ingress tube 37 has one end outside of the bubble 31 and outside of the ear canal.
- the air ingress tube 37 runs into the bubble 31 and makes its way to the side of one of the ports 73 in the wall of the sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 47 shows an embodiment where air ingress tube 37 connects into the sides of all six ports 73 in the wall of the sound tube 40.
- ports 73 are illustrative, but not limiting for the invention. There may be more or less ports 73 and they may be arranged in a different pattern.
- FIGURE 47 shows an air ingress tube 37 which uses a circular manifold 75 at the base of the sound tube 40 to connect individual air ingress tube sections 76 for each port 73 to the main air ingress tube 37 that leads outside of the bubble 31 and outside of the ear canal.
- FIGURES 46 and 47 illustrate ingress tubes 76 that run inside the walls of the sound tube 40 to the points where they intersect the ports 73 in the sound tube wall.
- the tubes 76 may also be small tubes attached to the outside or inside surfaces of the sound tube 40.
- the air ingress tubes 76 do not necessarily need to intersect the ports in the wall of the sound tube 40.
- an air ingress tube 37 may have its own outlet on the outer surface of the sound tube 4Q. Fn this case ; the air ingress tube outlet 77 is under the polymer sleeve 33, which surrounds the sound tube 40, and it is located between the ports
- 77 may be located in the surface of the sound tube 40 between the ports 73 and the open end of the polymer sleeve 33.
- FIGURE 49 shows another embodiment of the coaxial device in which the air ingress tube 37 has its outlet 77 in the outer sleeve 33 of the sound tube 40, beneath the polymer sleeve 33, between the ports 73 and the open end of the polymer sleeve 33.
- the circular manifold 75 which distributes the ingress air, is located at the position of the air ingress tube outlet 77.
- One particular embodiment of the manifold 75 at the air ingress tube outlet 77 is a channel in the surface of the sound tube 40 which runs around the circumference of the sound tube 40. This channel is fed by the air ingress tube 37 and it remains a closed circular manifold when the polymer sleeve 33 is covering it.
- the design features of the ingress air tube system (length and diameter of tubing, size, location and number of ingress air inlets and outlets, etc.) control the amount of resistance or impedance to the flow of ingress air. Air is pulled through the ingress air tubing system under a pressure differential created by the acoustical pumping of the present device. This pump-generated pressure must be sufficient to overcome the line-resistance in the ingress air tube system.
- the source of air used to inflate the polymer bubble (or to maintain inflation) can be appropriately balance between air from the ear canal (coming down the sound tube 40) and ingress air.
- air from the ear canal coming down the sound tube 40
- Embodiments of all the designs shown in FIGURES 44 - 49 can also be produced with the transducer 20 not enclosed in the bubble 31 (see FIGURE 50) or with the transducer 20 only partially enclosed in the bubble 31 (see FIGURE 51).
- These two figures illustrate one particular air ingress tube configuration combined with a bubble 31 which does not enclose the transducer 20 or combined with a bubble 31 which partially encloses the transducer 20.
- all possible air ingress tube designs and all possible sound tube port designs can be combined with either a bubble that does not enclose the transducer or only partially encloses the transducer.
- FIGURE 52 through FIGURE 59 air ingress along the outside of the sound tube 40 proceeds via a groove or grooves 78 in the outer surface of the sound tube 40.
- the groove 78 is covered by the polymer sleeve 33 on the outer surface of the sound tube 40.
- the groove(s) 78 covered by the polymer sleeve 33 forms an effective air ingress tube 37 along the outside of the sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 52 illustrates an embodiment in which an air ingress tube 37 of the same type shown in previous embodiments routes the air to the base of the sound tube 40. There the air ingress tube 37 connects to the groove 78 in the outside of the sound tube 40 at point
- FIGURE 53 shows an embodiment in which the bubble 31 does enclose the transducer 20 and the air ingress tube 37 routes air to position A, where the groove 78 in the in the outside of the sound tube 40 begins.
- FIGUEtE 54 shows an embodiment similar to that in FIGURE 52, except that there is no air ingress tube 37 leading to the start of the groove 78 at position A on the outside of the sound tube 40. Because, in this embodiment, the bubble 31 only covers the sound tube
- FIGURE 55 shows an embodiment similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 54 except there are six (6) grooves 78 in the outside of the sound tube 40 providing air ingress from just beyond position A.
- Other embodiments similar to that of FIGURE 55 can have fewer or more such grooves 78.
- FIGURE 56 shows an embodiment in which there are multiple grooves 78 in the outside of the sound tube 40 which are providing air ingress.
- the multiple grooves 78 are fed air from a circular manifold 75 at the base of the sound tube 40, which in turn is fed by an air ingress tube 37.
- FIGURE 57 shows an embodiment similar to that of FIGURE 56, with multiple grooves 78 in the outside of the sound tube 40 providing air ingress from just beyond position
- the grooves 78 are curved rather than straight. In this example the grooves spiral around the sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 58 shows an embodiment similar to that of FIGURE 57, except that there are now two sets of helical grooves 78 spiraling around the sound tube 40.
- One set of helical grooves turns clockwise (right handed helix) and the other set of helical grooves turns counterclockwise (left handed helix).
- the two sets of helical grooves cross one another.
- the air ingress grooves 78 in the outside of the sound tube 40 are shown intersecting the orifices (ports) 73 in the sound tube 40.
- Other embodiments have these air ingress grooves 78 in the outside of the sound o tube 40 terminating beyond the orifices (ports) 73, analogous to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 48, or terminating in a groove around the circumference of the sound rube 40, analogous to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 49.
- FIGURE 59 shows an embodiment of the coaxial device 10 in which the sound tube 40 has an open end (position C) within the bubble 31.
- the bubble 31 acts to transport the sound further down the ear canal toward the tympanic membrane.
- Any embodiment in which the sound tube 40 terminates with an open end within the bubble 31 must have an air ingress system. All the types of air ingress systems shown in FIGURES 52 through 58 are possible with a sound tube 40 terminating with an open end in the bubble 31, as in FIGURE 59.
- embodiments with the sound tube 40 terminating in at an open end (position C) within the bubble 31 can have bubbles which only enclose the sound tube 40 (as shown in FIGURE 50) or can have bubbles which also fully or partially enclose the transducer 20 (see FIGURES 49 and 51).
- the type of wave form shown in FIGURE 60 is particularly efficient for pumping in the acoustically actuated pump 27,
- the rise time is about five percent of the cycle and the fall time is about 95% of the cycle.
- this wave form produces approximately 30% more pressure from the resulting pump. This allows a relatively fast diaphragm motion for the exhaust cycle and a much slower motion for the intake cycle. This is much like one would use a hand operated fireplace bellows.
- the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 When using the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 to pressurize an inflatable member (such as the inflatable bubble 31) it may be desirable to be able to sense the pressure achieved and the regulate pumping through a feedback mechanism. This can prevent over- or under- inflation of the system.
- a backpressure on the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 increases the pressure loading on the transducer 20, which is driving the pumping system.
- the degree of pressure loading on the transducer 20 alters the electrical impedance of the transducer 20. Measurement of this transducer impedance, therefore, provides a measure of the speaker loading and thus of back pressure in the system.
- Feedback circuitry can then be used to monitor and control transducer operation, as sensed by transducer electrical impedance, for the purpose of maintaining control of system pressurization.
- pressure sensing devices within or external to the audio or pressurizing transducers may be coupled to appropriate feedback-servo circuitry to achieve pump/pressure regulation which can be programmable.
- the utility of being able to reverse the pumping direction of the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 is of some value. It allows control of pressure levels in the inflatable member 30 and also allows active deflation as well as active inflation of the bubble 31 (or 32). Two methods of achieving a reversal of pumping direction are disclosed herein, including a routing manifold 46 (FIGS. 15 and 16), and alteration of the waveform sent to trie driving transducer.
- a third method of reversing the pumning direction of the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 is to mechanically alter the acoustic and static pressure impedance of the ingress port and tube to achieve a reverse flow operation of the valve.
- Appropriate restriction of the ingress flow and or changing the acoustic impedance of the ingress port orifice and tube to the audio frequencies used within the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 results in a reversal of flow within the device 10. This allows the diaphonic valve 22 or 50 to be variably switched between inflation and deflation modes without the use of the routing manifold or similar device.
- flow restriction methods can include devices which mechanically reduce the inside diameter of malleable tubing attached to the diaphonic valve ingress tube 37, or in the case of a port which employs no ingress tube a cone tip may be variably advanced into the ingress port orifice to achieve flow reversal.
- application of a flow spoiler of some sort to the ingress port or ingress tube can be used to reverse the flow of the diaphonic valve 22 or 50.
- FIGURE 61 shows an orifice 61 in a moving diaphragm 28.
- the diaphragm 28 can be either a rigid or a flexible material.
- the diaphragm 28 oscillates perpendicular to its own surface.
- the oscillations are symmetric and are represented in the figure by a saw-tooth waveform.
- a symmetric sine wave would produce similar results.
- FIGURE 61 represents a symmetrical arrangement in which the flow effects of the two opposed jets cancel one another out. Thus, this symmetric arrangement is not useful for pumping fluid.
- FIGURE 62 illustrates that one way to break the symmetry and thus to pump fluid is to apply an asymmetric waveform to an otherwise symmetric device.
- FIGURE 64 the waveform driving the oscillations of the diaphragm 28 is symmetric but the orifice 61 is not.
- the cone which narrows and concentrates the fluid flow from left to right, produces a larger synthetic jet to the right than to the left.
- the examples described and shown here have each had one ingress port 52, one pressure equalization port 56 and one port 61 in the diaphragm 28.
- embodiments in accordance with the invention can include multiple ingress ports, multiple pressure equalization ports and multiple ports in the diaphragm.
- other embodiments in accordance with the invention can combine pressure equalization port(s) with port(s) in the diaphragm.
- the location of the orifice 61 in the diaphragm 28 may be varied in different embodiments to produce different pumping effects. For example, a location of the port 61 near the center of the diaphragm 28, where excursions are greater, produces a larger pumping effect than locations of the port near the edge of the diaphragm 28.
- FIGURE 65 shows an example in which the moving orifice 61 described in the previous section is utilized to transform a balanced armature sound transducer 20 into a sound actuated pump 27.
- the balanced armature 21 is coupled to a diaphragm 28 covering a chamber 80, and connected to an egress port 59.
- electrical signals corresponding to sound actuate the balanced armature 21, which oscillates the diaphragm 28, thus producing sound from the egress port 59.
- the diaphragm 28 has a small hole or orifice 61.
- the orifice 61 functions as a moving orifice and produces synthetic jets. If one of the two asymmetric conditions shown in FIGURES 63 (asymmetric wave form supplied to the transducer) or 64 (conical orifice) or both are present the oscillation of the diaphragm 28 will produce asymmetric synthetic jets. If the symmetry is pointed in the correct direction then a net flow of fluid will exit the egress port 59.
- An ingress port 52 in the wall of the device is desired to allow a conservation of mass as fluid flows into the device and then is pumped out the egress port 59.
- the device 10 can be made to pump in reverse. In this case the ingress will become the egress and vice versa.
- a device of the type in FIGURE 65 that uses waveform to create the symmetry of the moving orifice 61 is therefore a sound actuated pump 27 which can work in either direction depending upon the waveform of the signal sent to the transducer 20. This produces efficient reversal of pumping direction for inflation and deflation of an inflatable bubble 31.
- the pumping efficiency of the device 10 in FIGURE 65 can be increased by adding a membrane check valve 81 having an orifice 82 to either the ingress port 52 or the egress port 59 or both. This arrangement with the valve 81 on the ingress port 52 is shown in
- FIGURE 66 The valve 81 is similar in design to those used in some embodiments of the diaphonic valve previously described which utilizes a flexible membrane covering an orifice
- the membrane 83 has a pore or orifice 82 which is off-center and does not line up with the ingress port 52. Flow in through the ingress port 52 flexes the membrane 83 and allows fluid to flow through both orifices 82, 52. Back pressure seals the membrane 83 against the ingress port 52 shutting off back flow.
- FIGURE 66 increases pumping efficiency by preventing back flow, but also prevents the switching of the pumping direction by changing the wave form supplied to the transducer 20.
- FIGURE 67 shows another embodiment of a sound actuated pressure pump 27, which uses two transducers 20.
- the sound waves produced by the two transducers interfere with one another across a membrane 84 (which may be either rigid or flexible) and through an orifice 85 in the membrane 84.
- a membrane 84 which may be either rigid or flexible
- the device can be made to produce a pressure differential driving fluid flow from Port 1 to Port 2 or from Port 2 to Port 1.
- the device 10 of FIGURE 67 represents yet another means to reverse the flow direction of a sound actuated pump 27. In this case the reversal is achieved by electronically altering (switching) the wave forms supplied to the two transducers 20.
- the effect can also be achieved through the use of a single transducer which employs the use of so ⁇ nd delivery tubes constructed so as to optimize the phase and attack differential at the membrane orifices between two sound waves emanating from the same transducer diaphragm, either from one side of the transducer diaphragm or from both.
- FIGURE 69 shows the same general embodiment, but with the addition of a tubular extension 79 of the transducer back volume to accommodate the diaphonic valve 22.
- FIGURES 68 and 69 which combine the co-axial diaphonic valve 22 with the moving orifice 61 in the diaphragm 28, provide a double acoustically generated pumping action.
- the co-axial diaphonic valve 22 always pumps in the forward direction (inflation of the bubble 31).
- the orifice 61 in the diaphragm 28 requires an asymmetric wave form to pump in the forward direction and, thus, augments the pumping action of the co-axial diaphonic valve 22.
- the orifice 61 in the diaphragm 28 may also have a conical shape (discussed herein in further detail) to further augment pumping in the forward direction.
- a combination of all these effects can be combined to produce the highest pumping efficiency.
- FIGURE 99 shows an embodiment which employs a diaphonic valve 22 in the transducer back volume and an output tube 86 inflates a donut-shaped bubble 32.
- the embodiment in FIGURE 99 may or may not also include either a pressure equalization port 56, a port 61 in the diaphragm 28, or both.
- the transducer back volume acts like a pressure ballast tank. It must be pressurized before pressure can be transferred to the inflatable member 30.
- approaches to reduce the back volume of the transducer 20 result in a more responsive and efficient pumping device. This applies to all the embodiments disclosed herein.
- FIGURE 100 shows an example where space in the back volume of the transducer is reduced by filling empty space with a space filling material 87. Of course, this must be done so as to not interfere with the working (moving parts, electric or magnetic fields) of the
- FIGURE 101 shows another approach to reducing the back volume of the transducer, namely adding a partition 88 to the back volume. This is illustrated with the relatively simple case of a pump based on a port in the diaphragm 28.
- the partition 88 creates a smaller subsection of the back volume, which is used in the pressure/pumping function of the transducer 20. The remainder of the back volume is not involved in pumping. If the balanced armature 21 is outside of the partitioned off subsection of the back volume used for pressure generation, then the drive pin must feed through the back volume partition with a gasket or seal that allows freedom of motion, but resists the leakage of pressure.
- the approach of adding a partition to the back volume can be applied to any of the embodiments presented in this disclosure. When this is done, it is necessary that these valves connect to or reside in the smaller partitioned off part of the back volume used for pressure generation.
- pressurizing mechanisms such as an acoustically driven diaphonic valve
- the pressure is employed to pressurize a linear actuator 89 which moves the inflatable bubble 31 from within a protective cowl 90 or covering and gently inserts it into the ear canal, whereupon it is variably inflated.
- the inflatable bubble 31 is automatically deflated and then withdrawn back into its protective housing 91.
- electromechanical or manually operated means may be used to achieve this utility.
- the actuator 89 can include a staged inflation and deflation needle valve 92.
- the actuator 89 has a cylinder 93 with a piston 94 that reciprocates therein.
- a collapsible and inflatable cylindrical skirt 95 can be made from a nonporous ePTFE fabric or another polymer film material that is attached to the bottom of the cylinder 93 and the bottom of the piston 94 for sealing the space there between during actuation.
- a graduated diameter needle 92 provides for controlling the passage of fluid (e.g., air) through the cylinder 93 and into a passage extending through the piston 94.
- the passage through the piston 94 includes a port 96 for receiving the needle 92, wherein the needle 92 has a distal portion 97 and a proximal portion 98, the distal portion 97 being smaller in diameter than the proximal portion 98.
- the present invention preferably uses two transducers in a device 10.
- An embodiment of this invention includes a balanced armature transducer, as previously described, paired with a second transducer.
- the device generates pressure from sound pressure oscillations in the back volume of one of the transducers, and this pressure is used to inflate the bubble 31 (closed or donut-shaped) in the user's ear.
- the other transducer is used to produce a sound output which is matched (to the degree possible) in frequency and amplitude and is 180 degrees out of phase with the output of the first transducer. This arrangement quiets the device during bubble inflation.
- one of the two transducers can be turned off and the other transducer can provide the audio material to the user.
- Another example is a two transducer device, in which the audio output of the two transducers may be run out of phase during bubble inflation to quiet the device, but in which both transducers are incorporated into pumps working from their back volumes. With two pumps working to inflate the bubble 31, device 10 will inflate the bubble 31 more quickly. It is desirable to the application for the bubble inflation process to be quick (less than 20 seconds and preferably less than 10 seconds), as well as quiet.
- a device providing active sound cancellation using two transducers can inflate a bubble 31 in the user's ear and can pump air to maintain inflation while continuing to play audio program material (hearing aid function, communications, MP3 audio, etc.). This can be achieved by superimposing the audio material signal on the inflation tone in one of the two transducers. The other transducer plays only the inflation tone, but 180 degrees out of phase. The net effect is that the inflation tone is fully or partially cancelled and the audio signal remains intact.
- both transducers can play audio material, which may be the same or different, but which is not out of phase and which does not cancel itself out.
- audio material which may be the same or different, but which is not out of phase and which does not cancel itself out.
- superimposed on this audio material, in each transducer is the inflation tone.
- the two transducers play the same inflation tone 180 degrees out of phase with one another, producing a cancellation or partial cancellation of the inflation tone, while the audio material from both transducers is heard by the user.
- FIGURE 72 shows a schematic of a particular embodiment of the two transducer device 10. This example was constructed using the S ⁇ ">nion 44A0300 dual transrfucer. which provides the two transducers needed for the device in a single package. The particular example shown in FIGURE 72 uses the device to inflate a donut-shaped bubble 32, but the application of the same dual transducer approach to a closed (driven) bubble is evident. [00329] As shown in FIGURE 73, a Sonion 44A0300 dual transducer, was wired so that the polarity of one of the transducers could be switched relative to the other. To inflate the sealed bubble 31, the two component receivers of the Sonion 4400 are driven in series with opposite polarity.
- FIGURE 73 shows that the difference in sound pressure level (SPL) measured in a Zwislocki Coupler (approximates the signal at the user's ear drum) is 30 dB lower for the Series Subtraction arrangement, corresponding to the transducers running 180 degrees out of phase, as opposed to Series Addition, where the transducers run in phase. Additionally, the back volume SPL, in either of the two transducers, which is available to create pumping pressure, is 80 dB higher than the SPL experienced by the user with the active cancellation of the inflation tone.
- SPL sound pressure level
- FIGURE 75 shows a coaxial embodiment of device 10 in which the bubble 32 and sound tube 40 are connected to the transducer 20 via a coupling 100. As shown in FIGURE
- this coupling 100 allows the separation of the bubble 31 and sound tube 40 from the rest of the device 10, which includes the transducer 20.
- the bubble 32 and the sound tube 40 may become soiled and may need to be cleaned-
- the separable coupling 100 allows the bubble 31 and sound tube 40 to be removed from the rest of the device 10 for easier cleaning.
- the bubble 31 and sound tube 40 may become worn out due to usage or may be damaged in handling by the user.
- the separable coupling 100 allows a damaged, worn or soiled bubble and sound tube assembly to removed and replaced by a clean and/or new one. Due to the relatively delicate nature of the bubble 31 and the polymer sleeve 33 covering the sound tube 40, the bubble 31 and sound tube assembly is by design a disposable part of the device 10. It is designed to be periodically removed and replaced with a new bubble and sound tube assembly.
- a separable bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40 can also be coupled with other pumping mechanisms besides the coaxial device 10. For instance, it can be coupled with a synthetic jet acoustical pumping device based on orifices in plates or with other diaphonic valve embodiments, each as described herein.
- the separable coupling 100 between the replaceable bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40 and the transducer 20 will necessarily include connections for the air ingress routes, in embodiments that employ such air ingress routes.
- FIGURE 75 uses a groove 78 in the outer surface of the sound tube 40 for air ingress.
- This groove 78 has access to outside air in the gap between the separable coupling 100 and position A, where the polymer sleeve 33 begins. In this embodiment, therefore, air ingress is achieved without the need for an air ingress connection through the separable coupling 100.
- FIGURE 77 shows and embodiment in which the removable/replaceable bubble 32 and sound tube assembly 40 includes a sound tube which terminates in an open end, within the bubble 32,
- the bubble 31 (or 32) and sound tube assembly 40 can be made in different sizes to accommodate the natural variation in ear canal dimensions among users. Additionally, by tailoring the properties of the bubble material (strength, stiffness, elasticity, density, air permeability) different bubbles types can be produced, for example, to suit hearing aid patients with different hearing or ear related issues.
- the bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40 can be considered a prescription analogous to prescription contact lenses for the eyes.
- the simplest embodiment of the separable coupling is a friction fitting, smooth pair of concentric rings or short cylinders.
- a first, outer cylinder 101 fits into a second, inner cylinder 102 creating the coupling.
- the outer cylinder 101 may be connected to the removable bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40, while the inner cylinder 102 may be connected to the transducer 20 and the body of the device 10.
- the outer cylinder 101 may be attached to the transducer 20 and the body of the device 10 and the inner cylinder 102 attached to the removable bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40.
- the type of coupling 100 illustrated in the ligures may be achieved by constructing the inner cylinder 102 of a rigid material (such as a rigid plastic) and the outer cylinder 101 of a flexible or rubbery material (such as a rubbery plastic).
- the coupling illustrated may also be achieved in which the outer cylinder 101 is constructed of a rigid material and the inner cylinder 102 is of a flexible or rubbery material.
- both the inner and outer cylinders 101, 102 can be a rigid material or both can be a flexible or rubbery material.
- the coupling 100 connecting the removable bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40 to the transducer 20 and the body of the device 10 may be color coded to help the user choose the correct prescription bubble.
- the audiologist when prescribing the device will fit the body of the device 10 with a coupling of a specific color, which matches the color of the coupling on the prescription bubble appropriate for the particular patient.
- FIGURE 78b shows an example of a "lock and key" recognition system for the separable coupling by which the bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40 are connected to the transducer 20. A pattern of markings on the mating surfaces of the separable coupling must match for the coupling to be made.
- Different prescription bubble and sound tube assemblies will have different patterns in their half of the separable coupling. These will need to match the markings in the other half of the coupling on the fixed body of the device, by the transducer.
- the half of the coupling fixed onto the device will be determined by the prescribing doctor and will make sure the patient is only using the appropriate bubble and sound tube assemblies.
- Lock and key matching of the appropriate prescription bubble and sound tube assembly with the body of a user's device can also be combined with color coding of the coupling previously described. This provides a convenient method for the user to select the correct bubbles based on color of the coupling combined with a failsafe mechanism, based on lock and key matching to prevent the attachment of the wrong bubble.
- the lock and key aspect of the separable coupling can be achieved with the shape, spacing and depth of grooves in concentric cylindrical surfaces, as shown in FIGURE 78b.
- Other ways to achieve this lock and key mechanism include variations in the size and shape of the concentric fitting parts.
- the coupling 100 can consist of concentric tubes of rectangular, square, triangular, rhombohedra, oval or star shaped cross section. These different cross sectional shapes can be combined with patterns of grooves or other markings of the type shown in FIGURE 78b.
- the lock and key coupling 100 may be held together by friction as shown in FIGURE 78b or it may include an additional locking mechanism.
- the outer tube may be twisted around its circumference relative to the inner tube to lock the coupling.
- the coupling may be screwed together with threads on the mating surfaces of the concentric tubes, in which the arrangement of the threads (size, spacing, depth, etc.) provides the recognition (i.e. lock and key mechanism).
- FIGURE 79 shows such an air ingress tube 37 built into the wall of the outer concentric cylinder 101 of the separable coupling 100.
- the air ingress tube 37 runs in the wall of cylindrical coupling 100 parallel to the cylindrical axis of the coupling 100.
- the air ingress tube 37 can also be placed in the wall of the inner cylinder 102 of the separable coupling (not shown) and also transporting air parallel to the cylindrical axis of the coupling 100.
- FIGURE 80 shows that the air ingress tube 37 passing through the outer cylinder 101 of the separable coupling 100 can be combined with the lock and key matching built into the concentric parts of the separable coupling 100. Placement of the air ingress tube feed-through in the inner cylinder of the separable coupling 100 is likewise possible to combine with a lock and key matching code on the coupling.
- FIGURE 81 shows an air ingress feed-through in the separable coupling 100 which is achieved by a slot or groove in the outer surface of the inner member of the coupling being covered by the inner surface of the outer member of the coupling.
- an air ingress feed-through may be achieved by a slot or groove in the inner surface of the outer member of the coupling covered by the outer surface of the inner member of the coupling.
- FIGURE 82 shows an air ingress feed-through in the separable coupling 100 which is achieved by matching grooves in the outer surface of the inner part of the separable coupling and in the inner surface of the outer part of the coupling.
- FIGURE 83 shows an air ingress feed-through in the separable coupling 100 which is achieved with a tube in the wall of the outer member 101 of the coupling crossing over to a tube in the inner member of the coupling. This requires matching holes in the inner surface of the outer member 101 and in the outer surface of the inner member 102. Achieving the matching of the holes in the coupling surfaces requires that this type of coupling needs to be combined with the lock and key matching which ensures that the members of the coupling always meet in the same orientation.
- Another embodiment is an air ingress feed through, analogous to that of FIGURE 83, but which crosses over from the inner member to the outer member 101 of the coupling 100.
- the air ingress tube 37 through embodiments shown in FIGURES 77 - 83 are all illustrated with separable couplings 100 of cylindrical cross section. Concentric couplings of other cross sectional shape (rectangular, square, triangular, rhombohedra, oval or star shaped) are possible.
- the air ingress tube 37 through embodiments shown in FIGURE 77 - 83 can, by analogy be extended to these other cross sectional shapes for the separable coupling 100.
- the air ingress tube 37 through embodiments in FIGURES 77 - 83 show a single feed-through route (tube or channel). Multiple, parallel feed-through of this type are also possible and these embodiments are particularly useful with air ingress systems of the type shown other figures.
- the inflation of the polymer bubble 31 may be supplemented mechanically by external devices located outside the ear canal, either directly outside the ear or on a cord connecting the device 10 to an external electronic device, such as a digital music player.
- Air is injected into the polymer bubble 31 through the air ingress tube 37 as illustrated in, for example,
- An example of supplemental pumping methods for the device 10 include a syringe pump (not shown) or variations of the syringe pump concept.
- a plunger which may be a rod or sphere, is moved through a tube to compress the air in front of it.
- the tube containing the compressed air of the syringe pump is connecter* to the inside of the bubble, and thus the syringe pump may be used to inflate or deflate the bubble by pushing or pulling the plunger in the tube.
- supplemental pumping methods for the device 10 include diaphragm pumps (not shown) in which a flexible diaphragm is mechanically depressed to squeeze air out of a chamber enclosed by the diaphragm,
- the chamber has two check valves, where one valve opens when the chamber is pressurized to allow air to flow from the chamber toward the polymer bubble and the other check valve closes under pressure, but opens under partial vacuum and thus allows the chamber to refill when the diaphragm is released.
- a supplemental pumping method for the device 10 includes squeezing the tube itself that connects the bubble to the outside air.
- the tube containing appropriate check valves then functions in similar manner to the diaphragm pump described herein.
- Still another example of a supplemental pumping method is to perform a peristaltic pumping motion on the tube connecting the bubble to the outside air. This peristaltic action may be performed manually or via a power driven peristaltic pump.
- Inflation of the polymer bubble 31 , deflation of the bubble 31 , and maintenance of pressure during use of the device 10 can be achieved either by the external methods described herein, by the pumping action of the device pump 27, or by a combination of external methods and device pumping.
- an external method may be used to supplement the pumping of the device 10 for quick inflation and deflation, while the pumping action of the device pump maintains bubble pressuring during use.
- Embodiments of the present device 10 preferably include a control mechanism (not shown), which may be either hardware (electronics) or software based.
- a control mechanism (not shown), which may be either hardware (electronics) or software based.
- the feedback control When the feedback control is activated the gain of the electronic device is temporarily reduced.
- the device 10 In response to this action, the device 10 is directed to increase its pumping action, thereby increasing the inflation in the polymer bubble 31 and improving the ear canal seal. This pressure increase, triggered by the onset of feedback, then reduces the feedback coupling path between the device receiver and microphone.
- FIGURE 84 shows an alternative design for the polymer bubble 31.
- the bubble 31 is double-walled and only the space between the inner wall 103 and the outer wall 104 is pressurized by the pumping action of the sound actuated pump 27, an external pump or a combination of the two.
- Connecting ribs 105 between the inner wall 103 and outer wall 104 of the bubble 31 allow the double-walled bubble 31 to keep its shape.
- the ribs 105 are shown running longitudinally along the length of the bubble 31. However, other rib arrangements are possible including lateral ribs running around the circumference of the bubble, a spiraling pattern of ribs, or the like.
- the ribs 105 may or may not be permeable to air. They function to set the distance between the inner wall 103 and outer wall 104 of the bubble 31 when inflated and they do not need to be impermeable to air to achieve this purpose.
- the ribs 105 may be made of an air permeable material or they may have holes in them.
- the ribs 105 may also be replaced by an arrangement of discrete posts that fix the distance between the inner and outer surfaces of the double-walled bubble 31. l
- This embodiment of the device 10 has less stringent pumping requirements to inflate the bubble than the embodiments shown in, for example, FIGURE 36, because of the greatly reduced inflated volume in the double-walled ribbed bubble 31.
- the interior space of the bubble 31 which contains the transducer 20 does not need to be pressurized.
- FIGURE 85 shows an example of a bubble design produced by bundling together inflatable polymer tubes 106.
- FIGURE 85 shows that usirg fewer, larger diameter tubes gives a thicker bubble wall, while FIGURE 86 shows that using a larger number of smaller diameter tubes produces a thinner bubble wall.
- FIGURES 85 and 86 This design requires a circular pressure manifold, whereby pressure generated by the diaphonic valve is distributed to each of the tubular bubble wall sections.
- the example shown in FIGURES 85 and 86 is that of a bubble which encloses the transducer 20.
- the same bubble can also be incorporated into any of the previously described devices in which the transducer is outside the bubble or is partially enclosed by the bubble.
- the inflatable, tubular sections 106 of the device in FIGURES 85 and 86 may be adhered together laterally by an adhesive or melt or solvent bonding process. Alternatively, the tubular sections 106 may be left un-bonded laterally along their lengths. In this case, the tubes 106 are only joined together at or near their two ends. The inflation of the un-joined tubes rigidities the structure and gives the bubble 31 its shape.
- the bubble 31 can be formed from as few as six tubes 106 and as many as twenty or more tubes 106.
- the number of tubes 106 is eventually limited by the need to distribute air flow and pressure to all of them via a pressure manifold.
- a two tone ear seal test has been described for conventional ear tips including foam, silicone, or rubber inserts: hUp://wwvv .sensaphonics.com/lest/index.limil.
- This approach can be applied to evaluate the ear seal obtained with the present device 10.
- the user inserts the device and then listens to a lower frequency tone (50 Hz as an example) and a higher frequency tone (500 Hz as an example) played in succession and then together at the same volume level.
- a lower frequency tone 50 Hz as an example
- a higher frequency tone 500 Hz as an example
- FIGURES 87 - 90 provide details for an embodiment of a bubble assembly used with a Receiver In the Canal or RIC type hearing aid, referenced previously herein,
- the outputs of a signal processing circuit 111 and a pump 109 located in the hearing aid body 120 are coupled to a receiver 122 (FIG. 88) and the bubble 31 (FIG. 87) through a connection tube 1 13 carrying both electrical and pressure signals.
- the receiver 122 and bubble 31 are both inserted into the user's ear canal.
- FIGURE 102 shows an alternative sound tube 40 to that shown in previous figures.
- the sound tube 40 is divided into two sections, a larger diameter section 107 which is attached to the transducer 20 and the body of the device and a smaller diameter section 108 that extends out the end of the bubble 31 toward the tympanic membrane.
- the two tubes overlap one another tX their junction.
- the smaller diameter tube 108 fits inside the larger diameter tube 107 leaving a gap 110 between the inner wall of the outer tube 107 and the outer wall of the inner tube 108.
- the gap 110 performs the same function in the embodiment of FIGURE 102 as the circle of orifices or ports in the previous sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 103 shows the addition of a polymer sleeve 33, of the type first shown in FIGURE 45, to the embodiment of FIGURE 102.
- the polymer sleeve 33 is closed (sealed to the outside of the sound tube) at position A and open at position B. Addition of the polymer sleeve 33 improves the pumping efficiency of the device in FIGURE 103 over that in FIGURE 102.
- FIGURE 104 shows the addition of an air ingress tube 37 to this embodiment as well.
- any of the air ingress tubing designs previously discussed can be used with this alternative sound tube 40.
- the exit point of the air ingress tube in the sound tube may be varied from the position shown in FIGURE 104 (in the rim of the outer, larger section of the sound tube) to just about any other position in the gap between the two tubes or on the outer surface of either section of the sound tubes but under the polymer sleeve (between positions A and B).
- FIGURE 105 illustrates that the alternative sound tube 40 can be used with a bubble 31 that does not enclose the transducer 20.
- the alternative sound tube 40 can also be used with a bubble 31 that partially encloses the transducer (not shown).
- FIGURE 106 shows that this alternative sound tube 40 can be used with a separable coupling 100 between the bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40 and the body of the device 10 including the transducer 20.
- the alternative embodiment of the sound tube 40 can be incorporated into a removable bubble 31 and sound tube assembly 40.
- the alternative embodiment of the sound tube 40 can be used in replaceable bubble and sound tube assemblies for listening devices and hearing aids.
- the alternative embodiment of the sound tube 40 can be used in prescription replaceable bubble and sound tube assemblies for listening devices and hearing aids and can have a color coded or key coded coupling to prevent use of the wrong bubble in the device.
- any of a number of methods for venting the pressure in the bubble, either slowly for removal by the user, or rapidly (for example, via a rupture disk-like pressure release valve) as a safety feature to prevent over pressurization of the bubble and potential bursting in the ear are preferably employed for the embodiments of the present invention.
- Other safety features include a tether on the bubble or bubble and sound tube assembly that allows them to be removed from the ear should they become separated from the in-ear audio device. All of these previously disclosed methods and devices can be applied with the new embodiments described in the present disclosure.
- Embodiments of the flat diaphonic valve 50 shown in FIGURES 17-19 of this filing includes parts which were machined from stainless steel as well as layers of plastic film that are bonded to some of the stainless steel layers. For the purpose of producing diaphonic valves in large numbers at a reduced cost, it is desirable to have an embodiment of the flat diaphonic valve 50 which is made from parts that are easily and rapidly fabricated and assembled.
- FIGURE 107 shows the layer structures of an eight layer assembly, which forms a diaphonic valve 50 when stacked, as shown in FIGURE 108 over a chamber or volume in which sound is produced.
- the chamber is the back volume of a balanced armature transducer (Sonion 4000 series) and the hole in the first layer of the diaphonic valve fits over a 0.25 mm assembly hole or port in the transducer case (hole 57 in transducer housing 45 of FIGS. 17 and 18).
- the layers of this structure can be made out of a wide range of materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, other metals, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 5 polyether ketone (PEK), polyether etherketone (PEEK), polyamide (nylon), polyester, polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE), expanded polytetrafluorothylene (ePTFE), fluoropolymer, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polysulphone (PSU), polyimides, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyolefins, plastics, engineering plastics, thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, Kratons®,
- the layers can also be composed of blends or composites of these materials or versions of these materials to which have been added fillers, modifiers, colorants, and the like. Different layers of the structures may be composed of the same material or of different materials. [00377] As an example, the version of the device shown in FIGURE 108 may be made out of PET plastic. The characteristics of the layers shown in FIGURE 107 are as follows:
- Layer 1 material PET; Ingress Chamber/Channel Cover; overall dimensions
- Layer2 material PET; Ingress Channel with Ingress Valve Flap Chamber; overall dimensions 0.04 x 2.5 x 5.0 mm Plate; 0.3 mm Chamber; 0,1 mm Channel; 0.2 mm Orifice.
- Layer3 material PET. Valve Seat/Synthetic jet/Ingress Flap Chamber; overall dimensions 0.04 x 2.5 x 5.0 mm; 3 mm Chamber; 0.14 mm Synthetic jet orifice.
- Layer4 material PET; Valve Flap Membrane; overall dimensions 0.0009 x 2.5 x 5 mm, two 0.2 x 0.2 mm Flaps.
- Flap Chamber overall dimensions 0.04 x 2.5 x 5.0 mm; 0.3 x .3 mm Flap Chamber.
- Layer 6 material PET; Ingress/Egress Tubing Ports & Main Egress Flap
- Layer 7 PET; Egress Channel; 0.04 x 2.5 x 5 mm; 0.2 mm Channel.
- layer 8 PET; Egress Channel Cover; 0.01 x 2.5 x 5.0 mm.
- FIGURE 109 traces the flow of air through the various layers and channels of the diaphonic valve of FIGURE 108. This is shown on the unassembled layers for clarity. Of course the flow can only takes place when the layers are stacked as in FIGURE 107. Solid, single headed, arrows indicate the direction of air flow. Dashed, double headed arrows indicate the directions of acoustical vibrations (sound).
- the structure of FIGURES 108 and 109 is actually a double diaphonic valve, it contains two diaphonic valves in a series arrangement. The first valve (top of layers 3-5) encountered by the air from the ingress tube operates in reverse with the sound pressure sucking air through the orifice.
- the second (middle of layers 3-5) operates in the normal way with the sound pressure pushing air though the orifice.
- the output of the first diaphonic valve becomes the input for the second diaphonic valve.
- This series arrangement boosts the pressure output of the device over a single diaphonic valve
- the length and cross section of the channels in the layers of FIGURES 108 and 109, as well as the orifice and flap sizes are selected to optimize performance of the device.
- these choices control the acoustical impedance, the impedance to air flow, and the phase relationships of sound waves following different paths through the structure.
- this double diaphonic valve can be optimized for higher air flow or higher pressure generation or some combination of the two.
- These design parameters also influence how the double diaphonic valve performs as a function of sound frequency.
- the device is optimized to produce adequate pressure and air flow in the sound frequency range typically encountered in the intended use, for instance hearing aids, or listening to music.
- the layered diaphonic valve structure of FIGURES 108 and 109 is designed to allow highly efficient, large scale manufacture.
- the 2.5x.5.0mm rectangular layers can be placed in a rectangular array on a sheet of material, for instance PET or PEEK plastic.
- a 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of material will hold up to 4730 such substrates.
- Other size sheets of material will hold different numbers of these substrates arranged in an array.
- a whole array of substrates, as illustrated in FIGURE 110 can be produced by a range of highly efficient processes.
- polymer material can be silk screen printed or ink jet printed to form these patterns on a release layer.
- the patterns can be produced by lithographic processes followed by chemical etching.
- the patterns can also be produced by laser micromachining with an excimer (ultraviolet) laser or other laser cutting process.
- Laser micromachining can be done very efficiency on a commercial scale and forms the bases by which arrays of diaphonic valve layers can be produced in PET, PEEK or other materials, including plastics and metals.
- FIGURES 111-113 An example of a manufacturing process to produce many assembled copies of the diaphonic valve of FIGURES 108 and 109 is illustrated in FIGURES 111-113.
- the internal structures of a given layer of the 8 layer structure (FIGURE 108) but not the 2.5x5.0mm frame around each substrate, is cut in a rectangular array on a sheet (film) of PEEK plastic.
- Sheets of different layers of the diaphonic valve are produced on different plastic sheet thicknesses depending on the layer thickness required.
- the array pattern and dimensions are the same for sheets of all the different layers of the diaphonic valve structure (FIGURE 108) so that when sheets of all 8 layers are stacked in the correct order and properly aligned (FIGURE 111), the functional structures align among the sheets.
- the stacked sheets of substrates are bonded to one another by heat, solvent welding, laser welding, an adhesive, or some other means to yield the structure of FIGURE 112.
- Of particular utility is UV curing adhesives or plastic sheeting which is pre-coated with adhesive that is activated by heat, radiation, or the removal of a backing layer.
- the laser is used to cut out the frames around each diaphonic valve, cutting through all the layers of sheets simultaneously. This produces the completed diaphonic valves (FIGURE 113).
- the laser may be used to score or perforate but not completely cut through the frames surrounding each diaphonic valve, leaving the diaphonic valves connected in a sheet for ease of handling.
- These sheets of diaphonic valves can, however, be easily separated into individual diaphonic valves by breaking along the laser cut scores or perforations. This process can also be done on rolls of material, which are laser machined and bonded in a continuous process, rather than the batch processing of sheets just described.
- the underside of Layer 1 of this diaphonic valve structure which rests on the sound source, such as the casing of a balanced armature transducer may be produced with a coating of adhesive.
- This adhesive remains inactive throughout the manufacturing process of the multilayered diaphonic valve structure as described above.
- This adhesive on the underside of Layer 1 may be activated by heat, radiation, or the removal of a backing layer, and once activated allows the bonding of the entire, assembled diaphonic valve to the sound source.
- Multiple diaphonic valves may be fabricated in the same layered, stacked, substrate arrangement. They may be arranged either in parallel or in series or in a combination of parallel and series connections.
- FIGURE 114 shows an eight layered system of substrates that when stacked as in FIGURE 108 produce a double-double diaphonic valve with four diaphonic valves arranged in two pairs. Each of these pairs is a series arrangement of a reverse valve followed by a forward valve of the type in FIGURE 108. The acoustical pressure and air flow through this double-double diaphonic valve are illustrated in FIGURES 117 and 118 respectively. These two reverse-forward pairs are arranged in a way that can be either predominantly series or predominantly parallel depending upon the tuning of the air flow impedances in the structure. This is because both reverse-forward valve pairs in FIGURES 114 and 117 are over separate holes in the transducer case, connected to a common transducer back volume.
- FIGURE 115 shows an eight layered system of substrates that when stacked as in FIGURE 108 produce a triple-double diaphonic valve with the six valves in series.
- FIGURES 119 and 120 The acoustical pressure and air flow through this triple-double diaphonic valve are illustrated in FIGURES 119 and 120 respectively.
- impedances are adjusted to restrict air flow through the transducer back volume, the airflow and pressure output of each alternating reverse and forward valves feed each other in series. Placing diaphonic valves in series as in FIGURE 117, boosts the pressure output of the system.
- Embodiments exist in which Layer 4, containing one flap for each synthetic jet orifice, is absent and the synthetic jets operate without a flap. Embodiments also exist in which a flap is present on the downstream side of the orifice for the reversed synthetic jet diaphonic valves, but there is no flap present on the forward operating synthetic jet diaphonic valves. Embodiments also exist in which a flap is present on the downstream side of the orifice for the forward operating synthetic jet diaphonic valves, but there is no flap present on the reverse operating synthetic jet diaphonic valves.
- FIGURE 116 shows an embodiment which allows a multiple diaphonic valve system (a Triple-Double in this case) to operate from a single sound source (single hole in the O back volume of a balanced armature transducer).
- the first Layer of the embodiment in FIGURE 1 15 is replaced by two layers, resulting in an overall structure with 9 layers.
- the first of these layers contains a single hole positioned over the single sound source.
- the second layer is a slot manifold that distributes this sound source to three reverse-forward double diaphonic valves. To the extent that the impedance to air flow in the slot manifold of the second layer is high, this embodiment maintains a predominantly series connection of the three reverse-forward diaphonic valve pairs.
- cerumen exists in the ear canal both as a waxy solid and also as a vapor phase. This cerumen vapor can permeate parts of an in-ear device (for instance a receiver in canal, RIC, hearing aid) such as the inside of sound tubes and the internal structure of balanced armature transducers, which are not in direct contact with the inner surface of the ear canal. The cerumen vapor can then condense to a solid, thereby fouling the internal structures of in-ear devices. Cerumen vapor fouling is also a problem for electronics and other structures placed within the ear. This fouling with cerumen is a major cause of the failure of hearing instruments and other in-ear devices.
- the diaphonic valve in any of the embodiments disclosed in this patent can be used to reduce or eliminate the cerumen fouling of in-ear devices by creating a positive pressure in the front volume of the transducer and in the sound tube, which prevent the infiltration of cerumen vapor.
- a slow flow of air, pumped by a diaphonic valve or valves, through the in-ear device, which can include the body of a hearing aid, and ultimately out through the ear also can flush this vapor out of the ear canal and reduce cerumen in the ear canal an on the outside of the in-ear device. This flushing also mitigates heat and the effects of sudden atmospheric pressure changes which can be uncomfortable for the wearer.
- This flushing process requires the use of an ear tip or ear seal which allows for the escape of small amounts of flowing air.
- the various in-ear bubbles described herein provide an example of such a gentle ear seal which can allow the escape of small amounts of air.
- this positive pressure, cerumen flushing system based on diaphonic valves generating pressure from sound is applicable to open architecture receiver in canal (RIC) listening devices, since the flowing air can escape the ear canal.
- RIC receiver in canal
- a small vent can be placed in closed architecture ear tips for the expulsion of pressure, cerumen vapor, humidity and heated air.
- a positive pressure and a slow flow of air to reduce cerumen build up can be achieved using a range of diaphonic valve embodiments.
- FIGURE 121 shows a balanced armature transducer 20 with a diaphonic valve 50 operating in reverse to pump air into the front volume thus creating a positive pressure in the front volume and the sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 122 shows a diaphonic valve 50 operating in reverse to pump air into the back volume of a balanced armature transducer 20. This pressure passes through the compensation port 56 separating the back from the front volume and thus pressurizes the front volume and the sound tube 40 to prevent infiltration of cerumen vapor.
- FIGURE 123 shows a diaphonic valve 50 attached to the back volume of a balanced armature transducer 20, which is using acoustical pumping energy to move air from an ingress tube 37, through the diaphonic valve 50, through an egress tube 38 and into the sound tube 40 where it creates a positive pressure, to prevent infiltration of cerumen vapor.
- FIGURE 124 shows a transducer 20 with a reversed diaphonic valve 50 on its front volume and another diaphonic valve 50 on its back volume with its egress 59 connected to the sound tube 40.
- Both of these diaphonic valves 50 work to create a positive pressure in the front volume and in the sound tube 40 to prevent the infiltration of cerumen vapor.
- Numerous other single and multiple diaphonic valve configurations are possible, which use acoustical energy to pump air into the transducer front volume and sound tube in order to create a positive air pressure, which keeps out cerumen vapor.
- the source of ingress air must be outside the ear canal or must be connected to outside air via a tube or other conveyance.
- FIGURE 125 shows an embodiment in which the sound tube 40.
- FIGURE 125 shows only one possible diaphonic valve 50 arrangement; any of the arrangements in FIGURES 121-124 and many others can be produced to inflate a porous bubble for the purpose of creating a positive pressure and an outward air flow to prevent the infiltration of cerumen vapor, FIGURE 125 shows the porous bubble 31 attached to the end of the sound tube 40.
- This porous bubble can also partially or fully enclose the body of the transducer 20 and still have a positive pressure and positive air flow generated by the operation of one or more diaphonic valves 50. Additionally, the bubble in FIGURE 125 could be replaced by a smaller, perhaps flat cover on the end of the sound tube 40 which is transparent or largely transparent to sound and which is porous to air flow.
- An example of a material which would be suitable for this purpose is expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).
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Abstract
Description
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Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CA2761585A CA2761585A1 (en) | 2009-05-09 | 2010-05-10 | Inflatable ear device |
AU2010247865A AU2010247865A1 (en) | 2009-05-09 | 2010-05-10 | Inflatable ear device |
EP10775332A EP2514220A2 (en) | 2009-05-09 | 2010-05-10 | Inflatable ear device |
CN2010800307039A CN102484761A (en) | 2009-05-09 | 2010-05-10 | Inflatable ear device |
JP2012510044A JP2012526498A (en) | 2009-05-09 | 2010-05-10 | Inflatable ear device |
Applications Claiming Priority (11)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US17688609P | 2009-05-09 | 2009-05-09 | |
US61/176,886 | 2009-05-09 | ||
US23346509P | 2009-08-12 | 2009-08-12 | |
US61/233,465 | 2009-08-12 | ||
US24231509P | 2009-09-14 | 2009-09-14 | |
US61/242,315 | 2009-09-14 | ||
US25384309P | 2009-10-21 | 2009-10-21 | |
US61/253,843 | 2009-10-21 | ||
US29797610P | 2010-01-25 | 2010-01-25 | |
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US61/287,976 | 2010-01-25 |
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WO2010132359A2 true WO2010132359A2 (en) | 2010-11-18 |
WO2010132359A3 WO2010132359A3 (en) | 2011-02-24 |
WO2010132359A8 WO2010132359A8 (en) | 2012-01-26 |
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PCT/US2010/034237 WO2010132359A2 (en) | 2009-05-09 | 2010-05-10 | Inflatable ear device |
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EP (1) | EP2514220A2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2012526498A (en) |
KR (1) | KR20120068767A (en) |
CN (1) | CN102484761A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2010247865A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2761585A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010132359A2 (en) |
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WO2012019636A1 (en) * | 2010-08-09 | 2012-02-16 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. | Method for operating a hearing aid and corresponding hearing aid |
WO2012076061A1 (en) * | 2010-12-09 | 2012-06-14 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. | Inflatable ear mold connection system |
WO2012007508A3 (en) * | 2010-07-13 | 2013-03-28 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. | Inflatable ear mold connection system |
WO2016036309A1 (en) * | 2014-09-05 | 2016-03-10 | Epickal AB | Longitudinal arranged wireless earbuds and the charging thereof |
US20160183850A1 (en) * | 2014-12-30 | 2016-06-30 | Gn Otometrics A/S | Audiologic test probe with locking mechanism, and a component for the test probe |
EP3041271A1 (en) * | 2014-12-30 | 2016-07-06 | GN Otometrics A/S | An audiologic test probe with locking mechanism and a component for the test probe |
US9402120B2 (en) | 2014-09-05 | 2016-07-26 | Epickal AB | Wireless earbuds |
WO2016145169A1 (en) * | 2015-03-11 | 2016-09-15 | Turtle Beach Corporation | Parametric in-ear impedance matching device |
EP3073765A1 (en) * | 2015-03-25 | 2016-09-28 | Sonion Nederland B.V. | A receiver-in-canal assembly comprising a diaphragm and a cable connection |
US9532128B2 (en) | 2014-09-05 | 2016-12-27 | Earin Ab | Charging of wireless earbuds |
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WO2018157143A1 (en) * | 2017-02-27 | 2018-08-30 | Nocira, Llc | Ear pumps |
WO2019117966A1 (en) * | 2017-12-15 | 2019-06-20 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Noninvasive blood monitoring ear bud |
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US10251790B2 (en) * | 2013-06-28 | 2019-04-09 | Nocira, Llc | Method for external ear canal pressure regulation to alleviate disorder symptoms |
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- 2010-05-10 EP EP10775332A patent/EP2514220A2/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2010-05-10 JP JP2012510044A patent/JP2012526498A/en active Pending
- 2010-05-10 CN CN2010800307039A patent/CN102484761A/en active Pending
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US8548181B2 (en) | 2010-07-13 | 2013-10-01 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. | Inflatable ear mold connection system |
WO2012019636A1 (en) * | 2010-08-09 | 2012-02-16 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. | Method for operating a hearing aid and corresponding hearing aid |
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US9247352B2 (en) | 2010-08-09 | 2016-01-26 | Sivantos Pte. Ltd. | Method for operating a hearing aid and corresponding hearing aid |
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WO2016036309A1 (en) * | 2014-09-05 | 2016-03-10 | Epickal AB | Longitudinal arranged wireless earbuds and the charging thereof |
US9532128B2 (en) | 2014-09-05 | 2016-12-27 | Earin Ab | Charging of wireless earbuds |
US9402120B2 (en) | 2014-09-05 | 2016-07-26 | Epickal AB | Wireless earbuds |
US10356503B2 (en) | 2014-09-05 | 2019-07-16 | Earin Ab | Charging of wireless earbuds |
US9967645B2 (en) | 2014-09-05 | 2018-05-08 | Earin Ab | Charging of wireless earbuds |
US20160183850A1 (en) * | 2014-12-30 | 2016-06-30 | Gn Otometrics A/S | Audiologic test probe with locking mechanism, and a component for the test probe |
US10842417B2 (en) | 2014-12-30 | 2020-11-24 | Natus Medical Incorporated | Audiologic test probe with locking mechanism, and a component for the test probe |
CN105726040A (en) * | 2014-12-30 | 2016-07-06 | Gn尔听美公司 | Audiologic test probe with locking mechanism, and a component for the test probe |
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CN105726040B (en) * | 2014-12-30 | 2020-10-20 | 纳特斯医疗有限公司 | Hearing test probe with locking mechanism and component for such a test probe |
US9794694B2 (en) | 2015-03-11 | 2017-10-17 | Turtle Beach Corporation | Parametric in-ear impedance matching device |
US9635466B2 (en) | 2015-03-11 | 2017-04-25 | Turtle Beach Corporation | Parametric in-ear impedance matching device |
WO2016145169A1 (en) * | 2015-03-11 | 2016-09-15 | Turtle Beach Corporation | Parametric in-ear impedance matching device |
EP3073765A1 (en) * | 2015-03-25 | 2016-09-28 | Sonion Nederland B.V. | A receiver-in-canal assembly comprising a diaphragm and a cable connection |
US9980029B2 (en) | 2015-03-25 | 2018-05-22 | Sonion Nederland B.V. | Receiver-in-canal assembly comprising a diaphragm and a cable connection |
US10674246B2 (en) | 2015-03-25 | 2020-06-02 | Sonion Nederland B.V. | Receiver-in-canal assembly comprising a diaphragm and a cable connection |
WO2018157143A1 (en) * | 2017-02-27 | 2018-08-30 | Nocira, Llc | Ear pumps |
EP3585335A4 (en) * | 2017-02-27 | 2020-12-30 | Nocira, LLC | Ear pumps |
US11246793B2 (en) | 2017-02-27 | 2022-02-15 | Nocira, Llc | Ear pumps |
WO2019117966A1 (en) * | 2017-12-15 | 2019-06-20 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Noninvasive blood monitoring ear bud |
CN112788462A (en) * | 2021-01-14 | 2021-05-11 | 大余县鑫发电子有限公司 | In-ear earphone capable of avoiding ear ache |
CN112788462B (en) * | 2021-01-14 | 2022-08-26 | 深圳市弘毅佳科技有限公司 | In-ear earphone capable of avoiding ear ache |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2010132359A8 (en) | 2012-01-26 |
EP2514220A2 (en) | 2012-10-24 |
JP2012526498A (en) | 2012-10-25 |
AU2010247865A1 (en) | 2012-01-12 |
WO2010132359A3 (en) | 2011-02-24 |
CN102484761A (en) | 2012-05-30 |
CA2761585A1 (en) | 2010-11-18 |
KR20120068767A (en) | 2012-06-27 |
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