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
  • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
  • H04R25/604—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R2460/00—Details of hearing devices, i.e. of ear- or headphones covered by H04R1/10 or H04R5/033 but not provided for in any of their subgroups, or of hearing aids covered by H04R25/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • H04R2460/09—Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips
• • 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
  • H04R25/75—Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Definitions

• a wide variety of hearing aid units are known in the art. Insertion of hearing aid receivers in the ear produces an insertion loss, which reflects a distortion or elimination of the patient's natural or original concha and ear canal resonant characteristics.
• the presently described hearing aid is configured to eliminate or significantly reduce such insertion losses.
• the receiver is also positioned within the ear canal in such a way that it creates an occlusion effect. In most cases, whether the hearing aid is fitted in the ear, as with a custom made instrument, or is placed behind the ear, an occlusion problem exists.
• Placing an earmold or a shell of a custom made hearing aid within the ear canal can produce a low frequency amplification of the patient's voice of between about 20 and 30 decibels. This can relate to a perceived loudness increase in the patient's own voice of about four times the actual loudness of the patient's voice. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an ear canal receiver that avoids the insertion loss and occlusion effect problems described above.
• One aspect of the present disclosure also relates to an improved system for treating tinnitus.
• the presently described hearing aid system including a receiver configured so as to create an insertion loss over the audible range of hearing below about three decibels as compared to the unaided ear.
• a micro-receiver positioned in an open-ear configuration within the ear canal of a user, and a sound processing unit provided remote from the micro-receiver.
• the described hearing aid advantageously reduces the insertion and occlusion effects.
• the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension
• the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than half the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal, hi another embodiment, the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than twenty percent of the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal, i another embodiment, the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than ten percent of the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal, i another embodiment, the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than five percent of the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal.
• the hearing aid comprises a sound processing unit, a receiver, and an intermediate connecting portion between the sound processing unit and the receiver, wherein the intermediate connecting portion comprises an electrical conducting component and a stiffening wire, provided on at least a portion of the intermediate connecting portion.
• the stiffening wire comprises a stainless steel wire.
• the stiffening wire comprises a metal or alloy of metals having memory such that the wire may deflect and return to an original orientation. Such may be stainless steel, among others. Such may also be a shape memory alloy.
• the stiffening wire is provided within or on a portion of the intermediate connecting portion and extends within or on at least a portion of the receiver.
• the receiver is positioned on the intermediate connecting portion with greater stability and resiliency.
• the intermediate connecting portion and receiver may be custom manufactured or custom molded to optimize positiomng of the receiver within the ear canal and/or to optimize positioning of the intermediate connecting portion.
• a retaining wire extends from one of the stiffening wire and the receiver. The retaining wire is configured to position within a portion of the concha of the ear. hi such embodiment, the retaining wire maybe configured to prevent excessive insertion of the hearing aid receiver into the ear canal. Also, the retaining wire may be configured to cause the hearing aid receiver to be suspended within a portion of the ear canal, such that no portion of the receiver touches the sides of the ear canal.
• the electrical conducting component comprises two wires within distinct channels or otherwise isolated from one another within the intermediate connecting portion.
• a stiffening element is provided within or on the intermediate connecting portion within a distinct chaimel or otherwise isolated from the wires.
• the receiver comprises a speaker, at least partially enclosed within a casing having first and second end portions, the first end portion commm icating with the intermediate connecting portion, the spealcer communicating with a port provided at the second end portion of the casing
• the casing is sealed to fluids at the first end portion and along a length of the casing extending from the first end portion to the port provided at the second end portion.
• the port may also be sealed to fluids by a membrane or mesh material.
• FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary receiver, intermediate connecting portion and sound processing component connector for a hearing aid system
• FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary receiver and intermediate connecting portion
• FIGURE 3 is an expanded plan view of an exemplary receiver, intermediate connecting portion and sound processing component connector for a hearing aid system
• FIGURE 4 is a plan view of an exemplary assembled hearing aid system including a retaining wire
• FIGURE 5 is a cutaway view of a user's ear with the hearing aid system installed
• FIGURE 6 is a plan view of an exemplary sound processing unit
• FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another exemplary sound processing unit.
• the hearing aid system is configured as a completely open canal (COC) system.
• the illustrated exemplary receiver portion shown generally at 12, includes a spealcer 14 that is at least partially surrounded by a casing 16.
• the receiver portion 12 is attached to a connection portion, shown generally at 18, which includes an intermediate connecting portion 20 and a sound processing component connector 22.
• the sound processing unit connector 22 includes an electrical interface 24 configured to mate with a corresponding electrical interface (not illustrated) on the sound processing unit.
• the iUusfrated electrical interface 24 is a three-pin female interface, surrounded by a connector shell 26.
• shell 26 is illustrated as a two part shell joined by lock pin 28, it should be recognized that shell 26 may take any convenient configuration, or the interface 24 may simply comprise the electrical interface 24 such that the shell 26 is of minimal profile or is eliminated.
• a microphone 27 may be provided in the shell 26.
• the microphone 27 may be connected to the sound-processing unit through an additional electrical connection (not shown) or through the electrical interface 24.
• FIGURE 2 the exemplary receiver 12 and intermediate connecting portion 20 are illustrated in greater detail.
• the speaker 14 is illustrated as being at least partially enclosed within the casing 16.
• the illustrated exemplary intermediate connecting portion 20 comprises an electrical conducting component 30 and a stiffening wire 32, provided along at least a portion of the intermediate connecting portion 20.
• the stiffening wire 32 comprises a stainless steel wire.
• the stiffening wire 32 comprises a metal or alloy of metals having memory such that the wire may deflect and return to an original orientation.
• the stiffening wire 32 may be a shape memory alloy.
• the illustrated exemplary stiffening wire 32 is provided within or on a portion of the intermediate connecting portion 20 and extends within or on at least a portion of the receiver 12.
• the stiffening wire 32 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment extends through a channel 34 in the intermediate connecting portion 20, into a proximal portion 36 of the receiver 12 and alongside the spealcer 14.
• the receiver 12 maybe positioned relative to the intermediate connecting portion 20 with greater stability and resiliency.
• the intermediate connecting portion 20 and receiver 12 may be custom manufactured or custom molded to optimize positioning of the receiver 12 within the ear canal and/or to optimize positioning of the intermediate connecting portion 20.
• the illustrated electrical conducting component 30 is provided within a channel 38 within the intermediate connecting portion 20.
• the electrical conducting component 30 extends from the speaker 14 through the intermediate connecting component 20 to the electrical interface 24 to provide electrical connection between the sound processing unit and the spealcer 14.
• the electrical conducting component 30 comprises two wires 40, 42 provided within channel 38. While this embodiment illustrates both wires 40, 42 provided within the same chaimel 38, it is to be recognized that alternative configurations are contemplated. For example, both wires 40, 42 may share the same channel as the stiffening wire 32.
• each wire 40, 42 may be provided within distinct channels or may be otherwise isolated from one another within the connection.
• the illustrated exemplary receiver casing has first (proximal) 36 and second (distal) 44 end portions, the first end portion communicating with the intermediate connecting portion 20, the speaker 14 communicating with a port 46 provided at the second end portion 44 of the casing 16.
• the casing is provided around the speaker from the intermediate connecting portion 20 to the port 46.
• the casing 16 is sealed to fluids at the first end portion 36 and along a length of the casingl ⁇ extending from the first end portion 36 to the port 46 provided at the second end portion 44.
• the port 46 may itself be sealed to fluids by a membrane or mesh material 48.
• the materials used for the casing may be formed in any number of manners, including as a two shell assembly, as an overmold, or as a shrinkwrap. Any material may be used. In one exemplary embodiment, the material is a polypropylene. In another embodiment, the material is a nylon or polyethylene.
• the port may also be provided with a permanent or removable cerumen collection device.
• the receiver has a maximum lateral dimension 0.
• Such dimension describes the maximum overall dimension or diameter (though it is not to be implied that the cross section of the receiver must be circular or oval) of the receiver 16.
• the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than half the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal.
• the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than twenty percent of the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal, i another embodiment, the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than ten percent of the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user s ear canal.
• the receiver has a dimension 0 that is less than five percent of the maximum lateral dimension or diameter of the user's ear canal.
• FIGURE 4 a second exemplary hearing aid system is illustrated generally at 50.
• the receiver 16, intermediate connecting portion 20 and sound processing unit 52 are illustrated in assembled form.
• Sound processing component connector 22 is illustrated as joined with the sound processing unit 52.
• an exemplary retaining wire 54 extends from the receiver 16.
• the retaining wire 54 is configured to position within a portion of the concha 56 of the ear, shown generally at 58.
• the retaining wire 54 may be configured to define an exemplary maximum insertion of the hearing aid receiver 16 into the ear canal 60.
• the configuration of the retaining wire 54, receiver 16 and intermediate connecting portion 20 may be such that the receiver extends into the ear canal, but not into the bony regions 62 of the ear canal 60.
• the retaining wire 54 may be configured to cause the hearing aid receiver 16 to be suspended within a portion of the ear canal 60, such that no portion of the receiver touches the sides of the ear canal 60. While the retaining wire 54 is illustrated as extending from the receiver 16, it should be recognized that the retaining wire 54 may also or alternatively extend from the intermediate connecting portion 20.
• the illustrated SPU 52 generally includes: a housing 64; an SPU electrical interface 66, which is illustrated as a male three-pin electrical connection, connected to an amplifier and sound processing component 68; a microphone 70 connected to the amplifier and sound processing component 68; a battery component 72 providing power to the amplifier and sound processing component 68; a switch component 74, illustrated with a push button 76 for providing a user interface with the amplifier and sound processing component 68 and/or the battery component 72; and a programming connector 78 configured to permit external programming and reprogramming of the SPU and/or to permit expansion of the hearing aid device with additional internal components.
• SPU electrical interface 66 which is illustrated as a male three-pin electrical connection, connected to an amplifier and sound processing component 68
• a microphone 70 connected to the amplifier and sound processing component 68
• a battery component 72 providing power to the amplifier and sound processing component 68
• a switch component 74 illustrated with a push button 76 for providing a user interface with the amplifier and sound processing component 68 and/or the battery component
• a programming correction switch 79 may be provided to permit a physician or user to control programming or reprogramming of the amplifier and sound processing component 68. Additionally, an input port (not shown) may be provided proximate thereto (or indeed, anywhere on the device) to effect programming or reprogramming of the device from an external source. Memory storage may be provided within the amplifier and sound processing component 68 and/or anywhere within the device to permit such programming and reprogramming of the SPU and/or to permit a user to select various programs via the user interface.
• FIGURE 7 illustrates a second exemplary SPU configuration, wherein the amplifier and sound processing component 68 is provided as a circuit board interconnecting each of the battery component 72, the switch component 74, the microphone 70 and the SPU electrical interface 66.
• the behind the ear unit may comprise, or may additionally include, a noise generator, which may be used to generate one or more sounds.
• the sounds may be generated in specific frequency ranges useful to treat tinnitus.
• the noise generator passes such signals to the receiver for treatment.
• G General Hearing Instruments
• O Oticon
• S Sebotek
• V Vivatone
• the tested General Hearing Instruments was a canal-open-ear Auriscoe TM hearing aid.
• the tested Oticon Device was a low profile, Open Ear Acoustics TM configuration.
• the tested Sebotek Device was the PAC (Post Auricular Canal) hearing aid also described by U.S. Patent No. 5,606,621 to Reiter, the entire contents of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference.
• the data analyzed are the values of the Probe Real Ear Insertion Response Curve, which consisted of differences between the Probe Real Ear Unaided Response Curve and the Probe Real Ear Aided Response Curve and the corresponding values repeated while the subject vocalized the letter "EE". The two differences may be called the Insertion Effect and the Occlusion Effect. Values were given at 79 frequencies (200 Hz to 8000 Hz at increments of 100 Hz).
• the following table summarizes the comparisons at each frequency. Table values are positive or negative decibel differences. As may be seen from the tables, the Vivatone Device exhibits lower Insertion Effect across the range of frequencies as compared with the comparison devices. Indeed, it has been found that the Vivatone Device exhibits less than three decibels of insertion loss across the audible spectrum. Also, with exception of the Oticon Device in the 500Hz to 1300Hz range, the Vivatone device exhibits lower Occlusion Effect across the range of frequencies as compared with the comparison devices.

Landscapes

• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Neurosurgery (AREA)
• Otolaryngology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Stereo-Broadcasting Methods (AREA)
• Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)
• Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=32869306

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Family Applications Before (1)

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Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2004
  • 2004-02-05 JP JP2006503375A patent/JP4006470B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-02-05 DK DK04708638T patent/DK1590988T3/da active
  • 2004-02-05 RU RU2005127574/28A patent/RU2348122C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-02-05 WO PCT/US2004/003449 patent/WO2004073349A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2004-02-05 AT AT04708638T patent/ATE415069T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-02-05 DE DE602004017835T patent/DE602004017835D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-02-05 EP EP08010893A patent/EP1988743A3/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-02-05 BR BR0407290-1A patent/BRPI0407290A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-02-05 EP EP04708638A patent/EP1590988B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-02-05 CN CN200480005563.4A patent/CN1757262B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-02-05 TW TW093102667A patent/TW200503572A/zh unknown

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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