AU2005202320C1 - Bone conduction hearing assistance device - Google Patents
Bone conduction hearing assistance device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU2005202320C1 AU2005202320C1 AU2005202320A AU2005202320A AU2005202320C1 AU 2005202320 C1 AU2005202320 C1 AU 2005202320C1 AU 2005202320 A AU2005202320 A AU 2005202320A AU 2005202320 A AU2005202320 A AU 2005202320A AU 2005202320 C1 AU2005202320 C1 AU 2005202320C1
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- insertion portion
- ear
- user
- hearing aid
- acoustic vibration
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
Description
S&F Ref: 645546D1
AUSTRALIA
PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Daniel R. Schumaier, of 1548 Blue Springs Road, Elizabethton, Tennessee, 37643, United States of America Daniel R. Schumaier Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Bone conduction hearing assistance device The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845c BONE CONDUCTION HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to hearing aids. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bone conduction hearing assistance device having a vibrator which is placed in the concha of the ear.
BACKGROUND
For many hearing loss patients, bone conduction hearing aids offer a better solution than more conventional acoustic/air transmitting hearing aids. Indeed, for some patients bone conduction hearing aids offer the only solution. Bone conduction hearing assistance generally involves vibration of the patient's mastoid bone to improve hearing perception. In a typical bone to conduction hearing aid, sound sensed by a microphone is converted to an electrical signal and amplified. The amplified signal is then received by a small vibrator which vibrates the mastoid bone. Strategic placement of the vibrator on the user is essential in order to achieve optimal results. For example, some bone conduction hearing aids teach that the vibrator should be placed against the skin behind the ear, while others teach placing the vibrator on the forehead. Still others teach surgical implantation of the vibrator directly into the mastoid bone for better transmission of vibration. However, all of these approaches have significant disadvantages.
One particularly effective approach has been to mount the vibrator on an in-the-ear structural member. The structural member is inserted in the patient's ear canal so that the vibrator is positioned adjacent the mastoid bone. While this approach has been shown to provide excellent vibration transfer characteristics, it is unavailable for patients with ear canals too small R:\LIBQ\645546D1spec. DOC to receive the vibrator, such as patients who suffer from congenital atresia a condition where the ear canal is narrowed or, in some cases, entirely closed off from the ear drum.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved bone conduction hearing aid for hearing loss patients with limited treatment options.
R:\LIBQ\645546D l_spec.DOC
SUMMARY
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a bone conduction hearing aid comprising: an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations; electronics for receiving and amplifying the acoustic vibration signal to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal; a power source for supplying electrical power to the electronics; and an in-the-ear member having: an insertion portion for being inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone; a non-insertion portion connected to said insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when said insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal; and a vibrator carried by said non-insertion portion and in vibrational communication with said insertion portion, said vibrator being configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration signal and produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid bone of the user.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a bone conduction hearing aid comprising: a behind-the-ear member for being worn behind the ear of a user, said behind-theear member having: an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations; electronics for receiving and amplifying the acoustic vibration signal to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal; and a power source for supplying electrical power to the electronics; and an in-the-ear member for being partially inserted into the ear canal of a user, said in-the-ear member having: R:\LIBQ\645546D lspec.DOC an insertion portion for being removably inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone; a non-insertion portion connected to said insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when said insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal; and a vibrator carried by said non-insertion portion and in vibrational communication with said insertion portion, said vibrator being configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration signal and produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid bone of the user.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a bone conduction hearing aid comprising: a behind-the-ear member for being worn behind the ear of a user, said behind-theear member having: an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and.producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations; electronics for receiving and amplifying the acoustic vibration signal to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal; and a power source for supplying electrical power to the electronics; and an in-the-ear member for being partially inserted into the ear canal of a user, said in-the-ear member having: an insertion portion for being removably inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone; a non-insertion portion connected to said insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when said insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal, said non-insertion portion being fabricated from a vibration attenuating material; and a vibrator carried by said non-insertion portion and in vibrational communication with said insertion portion, said vibrator being configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration RL \I BQ\645546D Ispec. DOC signal and produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid bone of the user.
The present invention provides a bone conduction hearing aid having an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations. The acoustic vibration signal is received and amplified by electronics to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal. A power supply supplies electrical power to the electronics. Preferably, the acoustic vibration sensor, electronics, and power supply are carried by a behind-the-ear member. The invention further includes an inthe-ear (ITE) member having an insertion portion for being inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone. A non-insertion portion of the ITE member is connected to the insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when the insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal. A vibrator is carried by and in vibrational communication with the insertion portion. The vibrator is configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration signal and to produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid is bone of the user.
The insertion portion of the ITE member may be fabricated from a variety of vibrationally conductive materials, including hard plastic, hard lucite, and acrylic. If needed or desired, the non-insertion portion of the ITE member may be fabricated from a vibration attenuating material, such as rubber, to reduce or eliminate feedback from the vibrator. The ITE member may be vented to assist patients with certain conductive pathologies involving drainage of the ear.
The hearing aid may further include a volume control interface electrically connected to the electronics to control amplification of the acoustic vibration signal. In addition, feedback R:\LIBQ\645546D I_spec.DOC reduction circuitry and an associate feedback control interface may be provided as needed to control feedback from the vibrator.
R:\LIBQ\645546D1Ispec.DOC BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings (which are not to scale) where: FIG. 1 is a side view of a bone conduction hearing aid according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a patient wearing the hearing aid of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a side view of a vented in-the-ear member according to the invention; and FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a hearing aid according to the invention.
R:\LIBQ\645 546D I spec. DOC DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or similar parts throughout, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a bone conduction hearing aid 10 in accordance with the invention. The hearing aid 10 preferably includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) member 12 for carrying elements needed to receive and process acoustic vibrations, and an in-the-ear (ITE) s member 14 configured to receive signals processed by the BTE member 12 and convert those signals to corresponding vibrations that are conducted by the mastoid bone to a cochlea of the patient or user. BTE member 12 is in electronic communication with ITE- member 16. In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the two members 12, 16 are connected by an electrically conductive line 17. Alternatively, transmitter transmits processed signals to ITE 1o member 16 wirelessly, such as by radio frequency.
With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, ITE member 14 includes an insertion portion 16 for being inserted into the user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone 18. Insertion portion 16 is preferably custom formed to closely fit the ear canal of the user, and FIG. 2 shows the hearing aid 10 fully inserted in the patient's ear canal 20. A non-insertion portion 22 adjacent to and connected with the insertion portion 16 is positioned in the concha 26 of the ear when the hearing aid 10 is in use. A non-surgically implanted vibrator 24 carried by mounted on or in) the non-insertion portion 22 is in vibrational communication with the insertion portion 16.
Vibrations produced by vibrator 24 are conducted by the insertion portion 16 to the mastoid bone 18. Thus, when insertion portion 16 is inserted in the ear canal 20, the vibrator 24 is positioned in the concha 26. This configuration is particularly advantageous for patients with ear canals that are too small to receive the vibrator 24, including patients with congenital atresia where the ear canal is extremely narrow or completely closed off from the tympanic membrane 28. For R:\LIBQ\645546D Ispec.DOC example, aural atresia occurs where there is an absence of the opening to the ear canal. Bony atresia occurs where there is a congenital blockage of the ear canal due to a wall of bone separating the ear canal from the middle ear space. For atresia patients, the concha 26 provides a location with sufficient space to receive the vibrator 24.
As mentioned above, BTE member 12 is configured to receive and process acoustic vibration signals and to provide the processed signals to ITE member 14 for operation of vibrator 24. External features of BTE member 12 shown in FIG. 1 include an acoustic vibration sensor, or microphone 30, for receiving acoustic vibration, a volume control 32 for controlling the level of amplification provided by the hearing aid 10, and an optional feedback control 34 for to adjusting electronic parameters to reduce or eliminate feedback from the vibrator 24. Access to the hearing aid battery 36 is also provided.
The insertion portion 16 of the hearing aid 10 is preferably formed from a vibrationally conductive material suitable for transferring vibration produced by the vibrator 24 into the ear canal 20 and then to the mastoid bone 18. Suitable materials include hard plastic, hard lucite and acrylic. In a preferred embodiment, vibrator 24 is an electromechanical vibrator, such as a "moving coil" type. Piezoelectric and other vibrator types may also be employed in accordance with the invention.
Vibration produced by the vibrator 24 may be transferred through the hearing aid 10 and picked up by the microphone 30, producing undesirable feedback particularly at higher amplifications. Feedback may be controlled by coating or otherwise fabricating non-insertion portion 22 with a vibration attenuating material 23, such as rubber. If electronic feedback reduction is desired, a feedback control 34 is provided to enable user adjustment of feedback control circuitry carried by BTE member 12.
R:\LIBQ\645546DI spec.DOC In operation, sound waves are received by the microphone 30 and the microphone outputs a corresponding microphone signal. The microphone signal is amplified and the amplified microphone signal is provided to the vibrator 24. Vibrations produced by the vibrator 24 are conducted by insertion portion 16 into the ear canal 20 and on to the mastoid bone 18, which in turn transfers the vibration to a cochlea of the user to enhance hearing perception.
Thus, sound perception in patients with hearing loss is improved. Conducting vibration into the ear canal 20 in close proximity to the mastoid bone 18 provides excellent transfer of vibration to a cochlea by way of the mastoid bone 18.
The hearing aid 10 can function to improve hearing in either ear. For example, patients with conductive pathology in one ear can experience improved hearing perception by placing the hearing aid 10 in the ear with the conductive loss. Vibrations produced by the vibrator 24 are transferred by way of the mastoid bone 18 to the cochlea of the affected ear. The hearing aid can also be used by patients with total loss of hearing in one ear. For such patients, the hearing aid 10 operates to transmit vibration output by vibrator 24 transcranially through the mastoid bone 18 from the bad ear to the good ear. Transcranial conduction of the vibrator output in this manner overcomes problems associated with the "head shadow" effect where sounds coming from the direction of the deaf ear are attenuated by the patient's head.
The hearing aid 10 can also be used to help patients that have certain conductive pathologies involving drainage from the ear. To enable the ear to properly drain, an ITE type hearing aid should be vented. Due to space constraints, it is very difficult to fabricate a bone conducting ITE hearing aid with a vent and a vibrator positioned in the ear canal. FIG. 3 shows how ITE member 16 can be configured to assist patients with such conductive pathologies. A vent 50 is provided to enable air to enter the ear canal for proper drainage of the ear. Vibrator 24 R:\LIBQ\645 546D Ispec.DOC is located on or in non-insertion portion 22 where space is not as limited as in insertion portion 16. This configuration of ITE member 14 provides a treatment solution that was previously unavailable to patients with conductive pathologies that involve drainage of the ear.
The hearing aid 10 can even be used to improve hearing perception in individuals with no s hearing loss in either ear. In extremely noisy environments, the hearing aid 10 can function both as a plug and as a filter which electronically filters the noise while allowing desired sound to be perceived. For example, aircraft maintenance personnel are commonly required to work in close proximity to aircraft while the engines are turning. Good communication among the maintenance crew is essential from a safety standpoint as well as to ensure the aircraft is in proper working condition. A hearing aid in accordance with the invention would be particularly useful in this type of noisy environment since it would block aircraft noise by acting as a plug, electronically filter the engines' higher frequency noise components, and still allow the lower frequency human voice to be sensed and perceived by the user.
A functional block diagram of a hearing aid 10 according to the invention is shown in Is FIG. 4. Sound waves are received by the microphone 30 which outputs a microphone signal to the signal amplification circuitry 40. The microphone signal is amplified by an amplifier within the signal amplification circuitry 40 and the amplified signal is sent to the vibrator 24 which produces vibrations corresponding to the amplified microphone signal. Electrical power is provided by a battery 42. The level of amplification can be adjusted with the volume control 32.
The foregoing description details certain preferred embodiments of the present invention and describes the best mode contemplated. It will be appreciated, however, that changes may be made in the details of construction and the configuration of components without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the description provided herein is to be R:\LIBQ\645546D I_spec.DOC considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined by the following claims and the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.
The published specification of International Patent Application No. PCT/US02/01186 entitled "Bone Conduction Hearing Aid" and filed on 14 January, 2002 (International Publication No. WO 02/071798, published 12 September, 2002) is incorporated herein by reference.
R:\LIBQ\645546D I spec.DOC
Claims (13)
1. A bone conduction hearing aid comprising: an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations; electronics for receiving and amplifying the acoustic vibration signal to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal; a power source for supplying electrical power to the electronics; and an in-the-ear member having: an insertion portion for being inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone; a non-insertion portion connected to said insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when said insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal; and a vibrator carried by said non-insertion portion and in vibrational communication with said insertion portion, said vibrator being configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration signal and produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid bone of the user.
2. The hearing aid of claim 1, further comprising a behind-the-ear member for carrying said acoustic vibration sensor, electronics, and power source.
3. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the insertion portion of said in-the-ear member is fabricated from acrylic.
4. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the insertion portion of said in-the-ear member is fabricated from hard plastic. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein the non-insertion portion of said in-the-ear member is fabricated from a vibration attenuating material. R:\LIBQ\645546DIspec.DOC
6. The hearing aid of claim 1, further comprising a volume control interface electrically connected to said electronics for controlling amplification of the acoustic vibration signal.
7. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein said electronics include feedback reduction circuitry for reducing feedback from the vibrator to the acoustic vibration sensor.
8. The hearing aid of claim 7, further comprising a feedback control interface electrically connected to said electronics for controlling feedback reduction.
9. The hearing aid of claim 1 wherein said in-the-ear member further includes a vent for venting air through the in-the-ear member to the ear canal of the user. A bone conduction hearing aid comprising: a behind-the-ear member for being worn behind the ear of a user, said behind-the- ear member having: an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations; electronics for receiving and amplifying the acoustic vibration signal to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal; and a power source for supplying electrical power to the electronics; and an in-the-ear member for being partially inserted into the ear canal of a user, said in-the-ear member having: an insertion portion for being removably inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone; a non-insertion portion connected to said insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when said insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal; and a vibrator carried by said non-insertion portion and in vibrational communication with said insertion portion, said vibrator being configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration signal and produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid bone of the user. R:\LIBQ\645546D I_spec. DOC S11. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein the insertion portion of said in-the-ear member is fabricated from acrylic.
12. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein the insertion portion of said in-the-ear member is fabricated from hard plastic.
13. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein the non-insertion portion of said in-the-ear member is fabricated from a vibration attenuating material. io 14. The hearing aid of claim 10, further comprising a volume control interface electrically connected to said electronics for controlling amplification of the acoustic vibration signal. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein said electronics include feedback reduction circuitry for reducing feedback from the vibrator to the acoustic vibration sensor.
16. The hearing aid of claim 15, further comprising a feedback control interface electrically connected to said electronics for controlling feedback reduction.
17. The hearing aid of claim 10 wherein said in-the-ear member further includes a vent for venting air through the in-the-ear member to the ear canal of the user.
18. A bone conduction hearing aid comprising: a behind-the-ear member for being worn behind the ear of a user, said behind-the- ear member having: an acoustic vibration sensor for sensing acoustic vibrations and producing an acoustic vibration signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vibrations; electronics for receiving and amplifying the acoustic vibration signal to produce an amplified acoustic vibration signal; and a power source for supplying electrical power to the electronics; and an in-the-ear member for being partially inserted into the ear canal of a user, said in-the-ear member having: R:\LIBQ\645546D1_spec.DOC an insertion portion for being removably inserted into a user's ear canal adjacent the mastoid bone; a non-insertion portion connected to said insertion portion and positioned in the concha of the user's ear when said insertion portion is positioned in the user's ear canal, said non-insertion portion being fabricated from a vibration attenuating material; and a vibrator carried by said non-insertion portion and in vibrational communication with said insertion portion, said vibrator being configured to receive the amplified acoustic vibration signal and produce vibrations which are conducted by the insertion portion to the mastoid bone of the user. DATED this Twenty-seventh Day of May, 2005 Daniel R, Schumaier Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON R:\LIBQ\645546D1_spec.DOC
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2005202320A AU2005202320B2 (en) | 2001-03-02 | 2005-05-27 | Bone conduction hearing assistance device |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US09/798,560 | 2001-03-02 | ||
| AU2002237841A AU2002237841C1 (en) | 2001-03-02 | 2002-01-14 | Bone conduction hearing aid |
| PCT/US2002/001186 WO2002071798A1 (en) | 2001-03-02 | 2002-01-14 | Bone conduction hearing aid |
| AU2005202320A AU2005202320B2 (en) | 2001-03-02 | 2005-05-27 | Bone conduction hearing assistance device |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2002237841A Division AU2002237841C1 (en) | 2001-03-02 | 2002-01-14 | Bone conduction hearing aid |
Publications (4)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2005202320A1 AU2005202320A1 (en) | 2005-06-16 |
| AU2005202320C1 true AU2005202320C1 (en) | 2005-06-16 |
| AU2005202320A2 AU2005202320A2 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
| AU2005202320B2 AU2005202320B2 (en) | 2005-12-15 |
Family
ID=34891607
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2005202320A Ceased AU2005202320B2 (en) | 2001-03-02 | 2005-05-27 | Bone conduction hearing assistance device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2005202320B2 (en) |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2938083A (en) * | 1957-12-30 | 1960-05-24 | Sonotone Corp | Transistor amplifier hearing aid unit with receiver vibration feedback suppression |
| US5091952A (en) * | 1988-11-10 | 1992-02-25 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Feedback suppression in digital signal processing hearing aids |
| US5606621A (en) * | 1995-06-14 | 1997-02-25 | Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. | Hybrid behind-the-ear and completely-in-canal hearing aid |
-
2005
- 2005-05-27 AU AU2005202320A patent/AU2005202320B2/en not_active Ceased
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU2005202320B2 (en) | 2005-12-15 |
| AU2005202320A2 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
| AU2005202320A1 (en) | 2005-06-16 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US7302071B2 (en) | Bone conduction hearing assistance device | |
| AU2002237841B2 (en) | Bone conduction hearing aid | |
| US6491722B1 (en) | Dual path implantable hearing assistance device | |
| AU2002237841A1 (en) | Bone conduction hearing aid | |
| EP1483937B1 (en) | Bone-anchored hearing aid apparatus | |
| CA2697268C (en) | Bone conduction hearing device with open-ear microphone | |
| US8831260B2 (en) | Bone conduction hearing device having acoustic feedback reduction system | |
| US11412334B2 (en) | Contralateral sound capture with respect to stimulation energy source | |
| EP3001700B1 (en) | Positioned hearing system | |
| US20090259090A1 (en) | Bone conduction hearing device having acoustic feedback reduction system | |
| EP1535489A1 (en) | Canal hearing device with tubular insert | |
| EP2572519A1 (en) | Partially implantable hearing assistance system | |
| AU2005202320C1 (en) | Bone conduction hearing assistance device |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DA3 | Amendments made section 104 |
Free format text: THE NATURE OF THE AMENDMENT IS AS SHOWN IN THE STATEMENT(S) FILED 24 JUN 2005 |
|
| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) | ||
| DA2 | Applications for amendment section 104 |
Free format text: THE NATURE OF THE AMENDMENT IS AS SHOWN IN THE STATEMENT(S) FILED 13 JUN 2006. |
|
| DA3 | Amendments made section 104 |
Free format text: THE NATURE OF THE AMENDMENT IS AS SHOWN IN THE STATEMENT(S) FILED 13 JUN 2006 |
|
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |