EP1315401A2 - Prothèse auditive modulaire - Google Patents

Prothèse auditive modulaire Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1315401A2
EP1315401A2 EP02079878A EP02079878A EP1315401A2 EP 1315401 A2 EP1315401 A2 EP 1315401A2 EP 02079878 A EP02079878 A EP 02079878A EP 02079878 A EP02079878 A EP 02079878A EP 1315401 A2 EP1315401 A2 EP 1315401A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
faceplate
shell
assembly
hearing device
complementary
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP02079878A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1315401B1 (fr
EP1315401A3 (fr
Inventor
Hardy L. Petrick
Gregory Prutnikov
Paul R. Stonika
Manolo J. Blancaflor
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GN Hearing AS
Original Assignee
GN Resound AS
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GN Resound AS filed Critical GN Resound AS
Publication of EP1315401A2 publication Critical patent/EP1315401A2/fr
Publication of EP1315401A3 publication Critical patent/EP1315401A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1315401B1 publication Critical patent/EP1315401B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • 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
    • 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
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/609—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of circuitry
    • 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
    • H04R25/658—Manufacture of housing parts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/025—In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2499/00—Aspects covered by H04R or H04S not otherwise provided for in their subgroups
    • H04R2499/10—General applications
    • H04R2499/11—Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
    • 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
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/603—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements

Definitions

  • Hearing aids utilize a variety of designs, reflecting not only the hearing deficiencies for which they are designed, but just as importantly the fashion, comfort and cost requirements of the user.
  • BTE behind-the-ear
  • some users may be unwilling to use this style hearing aid because they find it uncomfortable for extended use or because they find the design too conspicuous.
  • ITE in-the-ear
  • ITE hearing aids are comprised of a rigid mounting plate, commonly called a faceplate, and a contoured shell designed to fit within the user's ear canal.
  • the electronics associated with the hearing aid including the input transducer or microphone, signal processor, output transducer or speaker and battery compartment, are attached to the faceplate.
  • the faceplate may also include a programming port, volume control, on/off switch and/or other desirable feature.
  • the electronics are first attached to an over-sized faceplate and then the shell is bonded to the faceplate. After the adhesive has cured, excess faceplate material is trimmed and sanded away.
  • Compliant or "soft" ITE hearing aids may overcome many, if not all, of the deficiencies associated with conventional ITE hearing aids. These hearing aids are often similar to conventional ITE hearing aids in design except that the shell comprises a flexible material, thus providing a much more comfortable fit within the user's ear canal.
  • the use of a shell comprising a material different from that used to manufacture the faceplate, and in particular a shell comprising a silicone or other soft material presents unique fabrication problems.
  • attaching the soft shell to the faceplate is difficult using the conventional approach as most adhesives, especially quick setting or "instant" adhesives, do not bond well to many soft shell materials (e.g., silicones).
  • the adhesive may form an initially sound bond, but then the bond strength will weaken after exposure to moisture. If a slower setting adhesive is used in order to achieve better bond strength, more complex holding fixtures are required to hold the components in place during the curing cycle. Thus slower setting adhesives add to fabrication complexity and cost while slowing down the fabrication process. In addition, once the shell is bonded to the faceplate, it is extremely difficult to detach the shell from the faceplate, for example to allow routine maintenance, without tearing the shell material or otherwise damaging the device.
  • ITE hearing aid that is simple to fabricate and that allows detachment of the shell from the faceplate without damaging one or both components.
  • the present invention provides such an ITE hearing aid.
  • the present invention provides a method of fabricating a modular hearing aid as well as the resultant hearing aid.
  • the hearing aid of the invention comprises a shell and a faceplate assembly.
  • the shell may be formed of a soft, flexible material or a rigid or semi-rigid material.
  • the faceplate assembly comprises at least a pair of pieces, preferably an upper faceplate piece and a lower faceplate piece. During assembly, a portion of the shell is captured within the faceplate assembly, for example between the upper and lower faceplate pieces.
  • the upper and lower pieces of the faceplate can be attached to one another using any of a variety of techniques, including miniature screws, interlocking and complementary members, fastening clips or other means.
  • the upper and lower faceplate pieces are releasably coupled to one another, thus allowing easy disassembly of the device for maintenance or internal calibration.
  • the upper and lower pieces can also be attached to one another using a permanent or semi-permanent means, although using permanent means limits the ease with which the device can be disassembled.
  • Figs. 2-4 illustrate a few of the basic steps required to fabricate the conventional ITE hearing aid 100 illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 2 is a top view of a faceplate 201 to which several components are shown attached, including a battery compartment 203, a microphone 205 and a volume control 207. Several additional components are shown that are not attached to faceplate 201, but further comprise the electronics associated with the hearing aid, including amplifier 209 and speaker 211.
  • Fig. 3 is a second view of faceplate 201 showing, via shadow line 301, the intended point of attachment of the shell.
  • shell 401 attaches to faceplate 201 at a juncture 403.
  • the attachment of shell 401 to faceplate 201 is accomplished with a quick-set bonding agent.
  • a portion of faceplate 201 is trimmed away by cutting along a line 303.
  • the remaining portion of faceplate 201 that extends past shell 401 is then removed, typically by a process of hand buffing and polishing the edge of faceplate 201 until its edge is smooth and in-line with the edge of shell 401 (i.e., faceplate edge 405).
  • the hearing aid faceplate assembly comprises at least two pieces such as a first (e.g., upper) faceplate piece 501 and a second (e.g., lower) faceplate piece 503 which, when joined together, capture an edge or end portion 505 of a shell 507.
  • shell 507 is a compliant or soft shell fabricated from any suitable, flexible material such as an elastomer, silicone, latex, polyurethane, polyvinyl, or polymer.
  • shell 507 comprises a compliant or soft material
  • it can be fabricated in a variety of ways known to those of skill in the manufacturing arts, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,393,130 or U.S. Patent Application Nos. US2001/0008560 or US2002/0025055, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety for any and all purposes, or by any other means known by those of skill in the art.
  • the individual pieces that comprise the faceplate assembly are preferably fabricated from a rigid or semi-rigid material, for example a metal, plastic or ceramic. It is understood that the individual pieces that comprise the faceplate assembly can be fabricated from different materials, for example, the lower faceplate piece can be fabricated from a metal while the upper faceplate piece can be fabricated from a plastic.
  • Figs. 5 and 6 Attached to the faceplate assembly are the various elements that may comprise hearing aid 500, preferably in a design layout that is acoustically stable when the hearing aid is assembled. Shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are a battery compartment 509 (with a battery 511 shown), a microphone 513, and a processor/amplifier 515. Fig. 5 also shows a speaker 517 coupled to the end portion of shell 507 via a sound tube 519. Figs. 5 and 6 also show a microphone port 521 and a battery compartment door 523 attached to upper faceplate portion 501. It will be appreciated that the components shown in Fig. 5 and, in part, in Fig.
  • the system could also include a push-button on/off switch (not shown), a volume control (not shown), programming switch (not shown), telecoil (not shown) and/or a vent tube (not shown).
  • a push-button on/off switch not shown
  • a volume control not shown
  • programming switch not shown
  • telecoil not shown
  • a vent tube not shown
  • all of the electronic components comprising the hearing device can be attached to the upper faceplate piece and, during assembly, can pass through an open portion of the lower faceplate piece.
  • faceplate assemblies are fabricated in advance of need, with the locations of the various components being independent of the shell that is to be eventually mated to a particular faceplate assembly.
  • faceplate assemblies can be pre-fabricated with various component combinations (e.g., with/without on/off switch, with/without volume control, etc.), thus allowing an inventory of likely configurations to be accumulated.
  • the faceplate assemblies can be pre-fabricated in more than one size, thus providing the installer more flexibility in fitting a particular sized shell to the faceplate assembly.
  • a few lower faceplate assemblies along with a variety of cosmetically different upper faceplates and shells can be used to fabricate any of a large variety of individualized hearing aids from a relatively small inventory.
  • Figs. 7-16 illustrate a variety of techniques that may be used to capture a shell with a faceplate assembly.
  • a portion of the shell is captured between a pair of faceplate pieces, i.e., first and second faceplate pieces, the pair of faceplate pieces comprising the faceplate assembly.
  • the faceplate assembly can comprise more than a pair of pieces (e.g., the configuration shown in Fig. 15) or that the faceplate assembly can attach to an intermediary member that then, in turn, attaches to the shell (e.g., the configuration shown in Fig. 16).
  • Fig. 7 provides a close-up of the capture technique shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
  • a "T" retention member 701 of shell 703 is captured within the faceplate assembly cavity that is formed by the assembly of faceplate pieces 705 and 707, retention member 701 holding shell 703 in place.
  • shell retention can be augmented by gripping or compressing edge portion 709 between complementary faceplate surfaces 711 and 713, the amount of holding force being proportional to the force applied by complementary surfaces 711 and 713 and thus dependent upon the means used to couple the faceplate assembly.
  • edge compression and a retention member are used.
  • shell 703 could utilize a single lip 801 ("L" shaped) as shown in Fig. 8.
  • the shell is held not only by capturing retention member 801 within the faceplate assembly, but also by clamping or compressing an edge portion of the shell between the two faceplate pieces.
  • shell 703 does not include a retention member and relies solely on the clamping feature of the faceplate assembly to hold the shell in place.
  • shell edge portion 709 is held by compressing the edge portion between complementary faceplate surfaces 711 and 713.
  • Fig. 10 illustrates an alternate shell capture technique in which a shaped portion 1001 of shell 1003 is completely captured between adjacent and complementary surfaces 1005 and 1007 of first faceplate piece 1009 and second faceplate piece 1011, respectively.
  • portion 1001 is spherically shaped, it will be appreciated that other shapes could also be used (e.g., T-shaped, L-shaped, irregularly shaped, etc.).
  • the capture mechanism can solely rely on the shaped portion 1001 being held in a similarly shaped cavity formed by the combination of surfaces 1005 and 1007.
  • the capture mechanism can rely both on the shaped portion 1001 fitting within the complementary cavity formed by the faceplate assembly and on the compressive forces applied by surfaces 1005 and 1007 to shaped portion 1001 and to any other shell material that is captured by the complementary faceplate surfaces.
  • Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate yet another alternate shell capture technique.
  • one or more of the complementary surfaces of the faceplate pieces and the shell are textured, treated or formed to enhance the ability of the faceplate assembly to seize and retain the shell.
  • Surface treatment can either take place after the component is fabricated (e.g., coating a fabricated surface, roughening a surface, etc.) or during fabrication (e.g., moulding a roughened surface on the complementary surfaces of the faceplate pieces, etc.).
  • surfaces 1101 of upper faceplate 1103 and lower faceplate 1105 are serrated, thus allowing them to better grip surfaces 1107 of shell portion 1109.
  • Fig. 11 illustrate yet another alternate shell capture technique.
  • surfaces 1201 of shell portion 1203 have been treated (e.g., serrated) while surfaces 1205 of upper faceplate 1207 and lower faceplate 1209 are untreated. It will be appreciated that the mating surfaces of the shell and the faceplate pieces can both be treated. It will also be appreciated that the surface treatment can include serrations or other forms of surface roughening or texturing, surface coatings (e.g., application of an elastomeric material on the gripping surfaces), adhesives or any other type of surface treatment that improves the retention characteristics of the faceplate assembly. It will also be appreciated that the surface treatments disclosed above could be used with any of the disclosed shell capture techniques (e.g., those illustrated in Figs. 7-10 and Figs. 13-14), thereby enhancing the ability of the faceplate surfaces to grip the shell.
  • Figs. 13-14 illustrate embodiments in which a portion of the shell is captured between an exterior side surface of one faceplate and an interior side surface of a second faceplate.
  • a portion 1302 of shell 1301 is located, after assembly, between side 1303 of first faceplate 1305 and side 1307 of second faceplate 1309.
  • a portion of shell 1301, for example end portion 1311 is shaped to enhance the ability of the separate pieces of the faceplate to capture and retain the shell.
  • any of a variety of shapes can be utilized (e.g., portion 1401 of Fig. 14) and that one or more of the surfaces can be treated as disclosed above to enhance the ability of the surfaces to grip the shell.
  • the faceplate assembly comprises more than two faceplate pieces. Additional faceplate pieces can be used to improve shell retention and/or shell to faceplate sealing, reduce fabrication and assembly complexity, or to simply provide cosmetic improvements (e.g., different coloured exterior faceplate caps).
  • Fig. 15 illustrates one such faceplate assembly 1500.
  • assembly 1500 includes a first faceplate piece 1501 and a second faceplate piece 1503 which are used to capture a portion of a shell 1505.
  • This assembly also includes a third faceplate member 1507 that is interposed between one surface of shell 1505 and first faceplate piece 1501.
  • member 1507 could also be interposed between shell 1505 and the second faceplate piece 1503 or that a pair of members 1507 could be used, one interposed between a first side of shell 1505 and faceplate piece 1501 and the second interposed between a second side of shell 1505 and faceplate piece 1503.
  • member 1505 comprises a material that is suitable for sealing the shell to the faceplate assembly (e.g., elastomers, silicones, latex, polyurethanes, or polyvinyls).
  • shell 1501 is a rigid or semi-rigid shell and member 1505 is formed to fit tightly onto the edge of faceplate piece 1501 (or alternately, faceplate piece 1503), typically through the inclusion of mounting surfaces 1509 and 1511 in addition to sealing surface 1513.
  • the faceplate assembly captures an intermediary member which then, in turn, is coupled to the shell.
  • a pair of faceplate pieces 1601 and 1603 capture an intermediary member 1605.
  • Any of the previously disclosed capture techniques can be used, including the use of shaped retention members, compression techniques, etc.
  • shell 1607 comprises a flexible material (e.g., elastomers, silicones, latex, polyurethanes, polyvinyls or polymers) and is preferably bonded to member 1605 along a bond line 1609.
  • FIG. 5 Another aspect of the invention is the means by which the first and second faceplate pieces (e.g., upper and lower pieces) are coupled together, thereby capturing the shell or intermediary member.
  • the upper and lower faceplate pieces are held together with one or more screws 525.
  • the upper and lower faceplate pieces are held together with one or more complementary, interlocking members 601. If such interlocking members are used, preferably during assembly the upper and lower faceplate pieces are aligned and pressed together, causing the complementary members to lock together, thereby capturing the shell as previously disclosed.
  • Figs. 17-19 show three pairs, respectively, of interlocking members. Specifically, Fig.
  • FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment using interlocking barbs 1701 and 1703
  • Fig. 18 illustrates an embodiment using a barb 1801 on one of the faceplate pieces with a lockable portion 1803 on the opposing faceplate piece
  • Fig. 19 illustrates an embodiment using complementary grooves 1901 and ridges 1903.
  • the upper and lower faceplate members can also be joined together using adhesives, welding techniques (e.g., ultra-sonic welding), heat sealing, staking techniques (e.g., heat staking) or rivets.
  • the invention can also be used to fabricate hearing devices in which the shell is rigid or semi-rigid.
  • one of the advantages of the modular approach of the present invention over conventional assembly techniques is the ability to easily disassemble a device for repair, adjustment or component updating.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Casings For Electric Apparatus (AREA)
  • Adornments (AREA)
  • Measurement And Recording Of Electrical Phenomena And Electrical Characteristics Of The Living Body (AREA)
  • Measuring Pulse, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure Or Blood Flow (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
  • Absorbent Articles And Supports Therefor (AREA)
  • Telephone Set Structure (AREA)
  • Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)
EP02079878A 2001-11-27 2002-11-21 Prothèse auditive modulaire Expired - Lifetime EP1315401B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US33359001P 2001-11-27 2001-11-27
US333590P 2001-11-27

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1315401A2 true EP1315401A2 (fr) 2003-05-28
EP1315401A3 EP1315401A3 (fr) 2003-06-25
EP1315401B1 EP1315401B1 (fr) 2006-02-22

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02079878A Expired - Lifetime EP1315401B1 (fr) 2001-11-27 2002-11-21 Prothèse auditive modulaire

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1315401B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE318497T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE60209300T2 (fr)
DK (1) DK1315401T3 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1858294A2 (fr) * 2006-05-19 2007-11-21 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Dispositif auditif avec dispositif de fermeture filetée
EP1587344A3 (fr) * 2004-04-15 2009-02-11 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Procédé et dispositif pour prothèse auditive modulaire

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19636800A1 (de) * 1996-09-11 1998-03-12 Audio Service Gmbh As Im-Ohr-Hörgerät
DE19706306C1 (de) * 1997-02-18 1998-10-08 Siemens Audiologische Technik Im Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät
WO1999027755A1 (fr) * 1997-11-24 1999-06-03 Nhas National Hearing Aids Systems Prothese auditive
US20010008560A1 (en) * 1998-10-26 2001-07-19 Stonikas Paul R. Deformable, multi-material hearing aid housing
US20020025055A1 (en) * 2000-06-29 2002-02-28 Stonikas Paul R. Compressible hearing aid

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19636800A1 (de) * 1996-09-11 1998-03-12 Audio Service Gmbh As Im-Ohr-Hörgerät
DE19706306C1 (de) * 1997-02-18 1998-10-08 Siemens Audiologische Technik Im Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät
WO1999027755A1 (fr) * 1997-11-24 1999-06-03 Nhas National Hearing Aids Systems Prothese auditive
US20010008560A1 (en) * 1998-10-26 2001-07-19 Stonikas Paul R. Deformable, multi-material hearing aid housing
US6393130B1 (en) * 1998-10-26 2002-05-21 Beltone Electronics Corporation Deformable, multi-material hearing aid housing
US20020025055A1 (en) * 2000-06-29 2002-02-28 Stonikas Paul R. Compressible hearing aid

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1587344A3 (fr) * 2004-04-15 2009-02-11 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Procédé et dispositif pour prothèse auditive modulaire
US8055002B2 (en) 2004-04-15 2011-11-08 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Method and apparatus for modular hearing aid
US8428282B2 (en) 2004-04-15 2013-04-23 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Method and apparatus for modular hearing aid
EP1858294A2 (fr) * 2006-05-19 2007-11-21 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Dispositif auditif avec dispositif de fermeture filetée
EP1858294A3 (fr) * 2006-05-19 2010-08-11 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Dispositif auditif avec dispositif de fermeture filetée

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE60209300T2 (de) 2006-10-12
DE60209300D1 (de) 2006-04-27
ATE318497T1 (de) 2006-03-15
EP1315401B1 (fr) 2006-02-22
DK1315401T3 (da) 2006-07-03
EP1315401A3 (fr) 2003-06-25

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