EP3672284A2 - Otoplastic and use of an otoplastic - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a one-piece, flexible or semi-flexible earmold (1) as an ear insert for hearing aids. The otoplastic (1) has a hollow, tubular base body (2) that tapers from a connection side (3) to an auditory canal side (4). A first opening (5) for connecting a hearing aid accessory is provided on the connection side (3) and a second opening (6) for sound exit and / or as a receptacle for the end of a sound tube (17) is provided on the auditory canal side (4). The first opening (5) on the connection side (3) has an oval contour. In addition, a connection section (7) of the base body (2) assigned to the connection side (3) merges via a concave curvature section (9) into an auditory canal section (8) of the base body (2) assigned to the auditory canal side (4). The otoplastic (1) according to the invention is a universal otoplastic that is anatomically shaped so that it can be used by a large number of people with a high degree of accuracy and comfort. At the same time, it is a universal earmold that is made in one piece and can be connected to a variety of device types and models without any adapters, since its special shape in the connection section (7) enables it to be coupled with different hearing aid accessories. The invention also relates to the use of such an otoplastic (1) as a trial otoplastic for testing different types of hearing aids and hearing aid models.

Description

The invention relates to a one-piece, flexible or semi-flexible earmold as an ear insert for hearing aids with a hollow, tubular body that tapers from a connection side to an auditory canal side, with a first opening on the connection side for connecting hearing aid accessories and a second opening on the auditory canal side is provided for a sound outlet and / or as a receptacle for the end of a sound tube.

Such otoplastics form the part of a hearing aid or a hearing aid inserted into the ear of a hearing aid wearer and serve to pass on sound signals generated or amplified with the hearing aid to the inner ear of the hearing aid wearer. For this purpose, the earmold is connected directly to a loudspeaker or a so-called sound tube, which is coupled to the hearing aid on the other side and in turn is used for sound transmission. Usually, for long-term use of an otoplastic, it is manufactured precisely and individually by imaging a negative contour via an ear and auditory canal impression.

However, since not only the ear shapes and sizes of the hearing device wearers vary greatly, but also the types and models of hearing devices available, efforts are being made to increase the compatibility of earmolds with different devices.

The EP 2 866 473 B1 describes a custom-made earmold for use with a behind-the-ear hearing device or an ex-hearing device, which has a sound tube inserted therein or a handset inserted therein with a hearing line extending from the handset, with the sound tube extending in the radial direction or a horn tube is provided to the listener and the earmold as an expandable adapter. Here the outside and inside diameter of the Horn hose over the entire length to enable the use of different sound hoses or earphones as an adaptable adapter. To create a flush finish, the horn tube must be cut off at the sound outlet opening after insertion into the earmold.

In the US 2005/0190940 A1 describes an otoplastic in which a receiver is inserted by means of an adapter. The adapter makes it easy to replace the handset without having to make a new earmold every time.

The US 2013/0056295 A1 discloses an earpiece with a rigid and a flexible section and a channel leading through the rigid section. A damping element can be inserted into the channel in order to reduce the passage of sound at least for certain frequencies. The flexible section can have an oval cross section and merges with the rigid section. The earpiece tapers from the flexible section side toward the rigid section side.

Of the US 2015/0049896 A1 an earpiece can be seen which has an annular flange, the first end of which tapers downward towards a second end and whose lateral cross section is oval. The ring flange has a varying wall thickness. The earpiece is intended to seal the ear canal against ambient noise as much as possible, but allow sound transmission via an internal channel.

In the WO 01/69973 A1 describes a modular hearing aid with an exchangeable otoplastic. A battery, an otoplastic tip and a receiver can be integrated into the otoplastic. The otoplastic can also contain a replaceable module, which contains a sleeve, an electronics, a receiver or a microphone. The earmold tip is designed as a flexible tip with sound connection and ventilation.

Proceeding from this, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved otoplastic with an increased ease of use and wearing while being compatible with different ear shapes and hearing aids.

The object is achieved by the otoplastic with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

Accordingly, a one-piece, flexible or semi-flexible earmold is provided as an ear insert for hearing aids. A flexible otoplastic is understood to be an otoplastic which is clearly noticeably flexible and elastic, but which returns to its previous shape when an applied force is withdrawn. With a semi-flexible earmold, this haptic impression of elasticity is significantly less, but is still there, and the earmold material offers a noticeable resistance to elastic deformation, but still allows it. The flexibility can also vary along the otoplastic, for example it can have a flexible connection section for easier connection of a sound tube or loudspeaker and a semi-flexible ear canal section for an improved hold of the otoplastic in the ear.

The otoplastic has a hollow, tubular base body and thus forms an essentially round hollow body, preferably without sharp corners or edges on the outside. Depending on the degree of flexibility (flexible or semi-flexible), the shell of the base body surrounding the cavity can be elastically deformed to a greater or lesser extent.

The base body tapers from a connection side to an auditory canal side, the tapering being conical, at least in sections. The taper reduces the diameter of the otoplastic and its cross-section is seen smaller from a connection side in the direction of the ear canal side.

The connection side is the side of the otoplastic to which a hearing aid accessory is connected, for example a loudspeaker, sound tube, plug or cable is inserted into the otoplastic. In the case of a sound tube, this is passed from the connection side further through the otoplastic and finally ends on the auditory canal side, where it is inserted, for example, into a sound outlet opening of the otoplastic on the auditory canal side and emits sound signals from here into the inside of the hearing aid wearer. In the case of, for example, a loudspeaker which is arranged on the connection side of the earmold, the sound signals emitted via this can spread inside the earmold towards the ear canal side and finally exit there from a sound outlet opening of the earmold on the ear canal side. Sound emerging on the auditory canal side can thus enter the auditory canal of the hearing device wearer and from there reach the further hearing organs, such as the inner ear.

Thus, a first opening for connecting a sound tube or loudspeaker is provided on the connection side, while a second opening for a sound outlet is provided on the auditory canal side, which is designed as a universal receptacle for the end of a sound tube.

The first opening on the connection side has an oval contour. An oval contour is understood to mean a contour that deviates from a circular contour. In particular, an oval contour is understood to mean a rather elongated, for example elliptical and thus symmetrical, or also a tapering shape on one or two sides.

The connection side of the otoplastic is assigned a connection section of the base body, which extends from the first opening in the direction of the auditory canal side and merges via a concave curvature section into an auditory canal section which is assigned to the auditory canal side. The base body thus has a concave curvature section between the connection section and the auditory canal section. This can be partially provided on the earmold or a concave curvature section can be formed between the connection section and the auditory canal section over the entire circumference of the base body.

A concave curvature section is understood to mean an arcuate contour with an optically perceptible radius. The curve of the curvature section can be seen with the naked eye. The connecting section thus merges into the auditory canal section under a round shoulder with an inner radius. In the case of a partially circumferential curvature section, this can be perceived as a “kink” from side views of the otoplastic, since the main extension direction of the base body changes slightly due to the curvature section. This means that the connecting section and the auditory canal section do not merge into one another, but rather are at an angle to one another.

Such shaped earmold offers a universal connection option for a variety of different hearing aid connections such as plugs, speakers, sound tubes and cables in various shapes and sizes. Due to its (semi) flexibility, the base body, in particular the connecting section of the base body, is sufficiently elastic to deform and to fit on the accessory when it is inserted, in accordance with the shape and size of the accessory. Here, the elongated oval shape of the first opening is particularly advantageous, since it forms higher spring-back and contact forces on the longer oval sides and can therefore fix the inserted accessories better regardless of their shape and size than a circular opening with a force effect evenly distributed around the circumference, which requires a similar shape and size of the inserted accessories.

The concave curvature section defines and limits the insertion depth and the insertion angle of the hearing aid accessories inserted into the otoplastic. In the case of a partially concave section of curvature, visually comparable to the "kink" described above in the otoplastic, there is also improved wearing comfort and retention of the otoplastic in the ear of the hearing device wearer, since otoplastics in particular can slide out of the ear more easily.

The otoplastic according to the invention is a universal otoplastic that is anatomically shaped so that it can be used by a large number of people with a high degree of accuracy and comfort. At the same time it is a universal earmold, which is made in one piece and can be connected to a variety of device types and models without any adapters, since it can be coupled with different hearing aid accessories due to its special shape in the connection area.

Thus, with a universal otoplastic solution, various hearing impaired people can be offered various hearing solutions, for example in a trial phase. In addition, a hearing solution can be made available to a prospective customer immediately, for example during initial consultation, since the customary preparation of an individual earmould is no longer required. This also eliminates the time-consuming individual adaptation of the otoplastic or at least speeds it up. These advantages apply not only to prospective customers or customers, but also to companies that offer and manufacture hearing aids, for which the cost and effort involved in manufacturing individual earmoulds is eliminated, at least during the trial phase.

The otoplastic has an oval cross section along its entire base body. This means that not only is the connection opening oval, but the entire earmold from the connection side to the ear canal side. Due to this shape and the elastic deformability, the earmold adapts better to the ear canal, especially along its longer oval sides, and offers more stability than circular earmold cross sections.

The otoplastic preferably does not simply have a cross section or outer circumference that tapers from the connection opening via the connection section and the auditory canal section to the auditory canal side. It is advantageous if the concave curvature section is followed by a convex curvature section in the auditory canal section towards the auditory canal side. Thus, two opposite curvatures follow one another below the connection section. In a side view, this results in an S contour of the otoplastic over part of the otoplastic. Such an otoplastic is characterized by a better fit in the auditory canal because the convex curvature section in the auditory canal section lies softly against the auditory canal of the hearing device wearer. The course of the outer circumference of the otoplastic from the connection opening via the connection section and the auditory canal section to the auditory canal side, a large number of users are adapted to the averaged anatomy of the auditory canals. As a result, the otoplastic provides sufficient support for the majority of patients, even if the otoplastic is not exactly adapted to the individual patient's ear canal anatomy.

The radius of curvature of the concave curvature section can be between 1 and 5 mm. It is preferred if the radius of curvature is between 2 and 4 mm. Connected hearing aid accessories are reliably fixed in this particularly favorable radius range without the heel creating an uncomfortable wearing comfort or a material-weakening notch effect.

The connection section merges with the concave curved section on a front side of the otoplastic and the auditory canal section under the convex curved section on an opposite rear side, the radius of curvature of the concave curved section on the front being smaller than the radius of curvature of the convex curved section on the rear side. The area of the otoplastic, which would point inwards towards the center of the head of the hearing aid wearer when the otoplastic is inserted, is regarded as the front. Correspondingly, the back of the side of the earmold opposite the front should be viewed, which in an inserted state would point outwards and away from the head. The front and the back each extend from the longer long sides of the oval of the first opening towards the ear canal side. In the embodiment with a more curved concave curvature section on the front and a less curved convex curvature section on the back, the transition of the connection section into the auditory canal section on the back is flatter and less bent than on the opposite "kink" side. As a result, the insertion depth and the insertion angle of the inserted hearing aid accessories can be varied slightly within limits, so that the compatibility with different types of accessories is increased. In addition, the flatter curvature section on the back is easier to deform elastically, so that the insertion of hearing aid accessories is made easier. The convex curvature section on the back can, for example, have a radius of curvature between 10 and 20 in the initial state, that is to say without any accessories being introduced mm. In this radius area there is an improved flexibility of the connection section on the back of the otoplastic.

It has proven to be advantageous if a collar protruding into the first opening is formed on the connection side of the otoplastic. This is a slightly inwardly bent or inverted edge of the earmold on the connection side. Such a collar forms a material reinforcement on the circumference of the first opening and supports the pressing of the connection section against an inserted accessory.

In an advantageous embodiment, the second opening of the otoplastic on the ear canal side is designed as a receptacle for receiver-in-canal or thin tube systems. In this sense, the second opening is designed as a bore in the otoplastic jacket with a predefined length and a predefined diameter in order to be able to accommodate the sound tubes of a receiver-in-canal or thin tube system, which are significantly smaller than, for example, those of standard sound tubes. In addition, the base body on the circumference of the second opening can be reinforced with retaining ribs (for example in the form of circumferential lamellae on the inner wall of the second opening) in order to reliably insert the accessories inserted, in particular in the case of the particularly narrow connections of receiver-in-canal and thin hose systems and fix it securely. The bore diameter in this example can be between 0.5 and 1.5 mm. The bore for standard sound hoses, on the other hand, is wider and is, for example, between 1.5 and 2.5 mm. The length of the hole can preferably be between 2 and 4 mm in both cases.

It is expedient if the wall thickness of the otoplastic is increased in an area assigned to the auditory canal side compared to the further base body. Thus, the otoplastic at its end assigned to the side of the ear canal is thicker than in other areas of the otoplastic, the material thickening being carried out inwards into the cavity. In this way, a sound tube received by the second opening can be reliably fixed and better secured against slipping out.

A further ventilation opening is preferably provided on the ear canal side of the otoplastic in addition to the second opening. This is not closed by an introduced accessory, but remains open even when the earmold is worn. This ventilation opening allows pressure equalization of the inside of the ear and thus increases the comfort of the earmold.

The earmold can be made from a silicone material. This offers favorable elastic properties that provide the necessary contact pressure of the earmold on a hearing aid accessory and on the ear of the hearing aid wearer. In addition, silicone materials are hygienic and comfortable to wear due to their surface structure. This means that a prospective customer can immediately be provided with a spontaneously compatible universal otoplastic, for example during an initial consultation.

In a preferred embodiment, the otoplastic is made from a transparent material. This enables a simplified visual check of the correct fit of the inserted hearing aid accessories and a visual check for internal damage or contamination of the otoplastic.

The invention also relates to the use of an otoplastic according to the features described above as a trial otoplastic for testing different types of hearing aids and hearing aid models. Such a testotoplastic can be connected to different accessories, for example different sound tubes or loudspeakers, without further adapters and is therefore particularly suitable in particular for test phases. At the same time, the trial otoplastic is anatomically shaped in such a way that it can be used as a finished otoplastic by a large number of different people without individual adaptation. This makes the test phase much more comfortable for the hearing aid wearer, who can start testing immediately and can also switch flexibly between different hearing solutions during the test phase, and more economical for the hearing aid provider or manufacturer, since the creation of individual earmolds for the trial period can be dispensed with. .

Irrespective of the above-described optimized fit due to the outer contour, a generic earmold for the universal reception of different sound tubes can be improved in such a way that the second opening the auditory canal side is designed as a universal receptacle for the end of a sound tube, in that the base body (2) is reinforced on the circumference of the second opening (6) with retaining ribs (19), which are used to fix the sound tube (17) inserted into the second opening (6) ) are trained. The holding ribs can be designed, for example, as lamellae, which are integrally formed on the inner wall of the second opening. The second opening can have a plurality of retaining ribs or lamellae arranged one behind the other. These holding ribs in the interior of the second opening partially reduce the inside diameter in order to fix a sound tube to the otoplastic by means of the elastic deformation of the holding ribs in the second opening. A sound tube end or receiver end (" receiver -in channel"), which has circumferential grooves or lamellae, can also be held on the otoplastic not only by frictional engagement, but also by a form shot.

A generic otoplastic is made in one piece, flexible or semi-flexible and is designed as an ear insert for hearing aids with a hollow, tubular base body that tapers from a connection side to an auditory canal side. A first opening for connecting a hearing aid accessory is provided on the connection side and a second opening for a sound outlet and as a receptacle for the end of a sound tube is provided on the auditory canal side, a receiver end of a receiver-in channel also being understood as a type of sound tube end. The sound tube can thus be designed to transport sound signals via sound air waves or by means of electrical signals via an electrical line.

The second opening can have a plurality of sections arranged one behind the other, each of which forms a section with a conically tapering diameter of the second opening, the diameter of the section subsequent to the mouth of a previous section of the preceding section being larger than the diameter of the mouth of the previous section Section is. In this way, elastic retaining ribs or lamellae which are sufficiently dimensionally stable for fixing different sound hoses are formed.

Figur 1

- eine Seitenansicht einer Otoplastik;

Figur 2

- eine Draufsicht auf die Anschlussseite der Otoplastik;

Figur 3

- eine Draufsicht auf eine Vorderseite der Otoplastik;

Figur 4

- eine Draufsicht auf eine Vorderseite der Otoplastik mit einem Kragen;

Figur 5

- eine Draufsicht auf die Gehörgangsseite der Otoplastik;

Figur 6

- eine Draufsicht auf eine Rückseite der Otoplastik;

Figur 7

- eine Seitenansicht der Otoplastik mit eingestecktem Schallschlauch;

Figur 8

- eine Schnittansicht durch eine Ausführungsform einer Otoplastik mit Halterippen in der zweiten Öffnung an der Gehörgangsseite.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with the accompanying drawings. They show in a schematic way:

Figure 1

- A side view of an otoplastic;

Figure 2

- A plan view of the connection side of the otoplastic;

Figure 3

- A plan view of a front of the earmold;

Figure 4

- A plan view of a front of the earmold with a collar;

Figure 5

- A plan view of the ear canal side of the otoplastic;

Figure 6

- A top view of a back of the earmold;

Figure 7

- A side view of the earmold with inserted sound tube;

Figure 8

- A sectional view through an embodiment of an otoplastic with holding ribs in the second opening on the auditory canal side.

Figure 1 shows a side view of an otoplastic 1 for hearing aids. Due to the schematic view, only the outer contours of the otoplastic 1, which is hollow per se and is made of a flexible or semi-flexible silicone material, are shown. The otoplastic 1 consists in one piece of a base body 2 which tapers from a connection side 3 to an auditory canal side 4. On the connection side 3, a first opening 5 is provided, which is used to connect a hearing aid accessory such as one in Figure 7 shown sound tube 17 is used. On the auditory canal side 4 there is a second opening 6, which allows sound to exit in the direction of the auditory canal of the hearing aid wearer and additionally or alternatively forms a receptacle for the end of a sound tube 17 inserted into the otoplastic 1. The base body 2 has a connection section 7 toward the connection side 3, which is intended for insertion of the hearing aid accessories. Towards the auditory canal side 4, the base body has an auditory canal section 8, which is used, for example, for sound transmission or for protecting a sound tube 17 guided through the otoplastic 1 to a second opening 6, the sound outlet opening.

A concave curvature section 9 is provided between the connection section 7 and the auditory canal section 8 at least on part of the circumference of the otoplastic 1. This transition between the connection section 7 and the auditory canal section 8 creates a kind of "kink" in which the main direction of extension extends of the base body 2 changes at least slightly. The concave curvature section 9 defines the insertion depth and the insertion angle of a hearing aid accessory inserted into the otoplastic 1 and prevents it from protruding too far into the auditory canal section 8. At the same time, it is not a sharp, but gradual change of direction that significantly reduces the notch effect of the transition.

In this exemplary embodiment, the concave curvature section 9 is located on a front side 11 of the otoplastic 1, which would point towards the center of the head of the hearing device wearer when the otoplastic 1 is inserted into an ear. On the side opposite the front 11, the rear 12, the connection section 7 merges into the auditory canal section 8 via a convex curved section 13. The radius of curvature r _{2 of} the convex curvature section 13 on the rear side 12 is preferably greater than the radius of curvature r _{1 of} the concave curvature section 9 on the front side 11 of the base body 2. This flatter, softer transition means that the connection section 7 on the rear side 12 is more easily deformable elastically, making it easier to insert hearing aid accessories. The radius of curvature r ₂ can, for example, have a radius of curvature of 15 mm in the initial state, that is to say without any accessories being introduced. The radius of curvature r ₁ , however, is significantly smaller and is, for example, 3 mm.

The earmold 1 in Figure 1 has in the auditory canal section 8 towards the auditory canal side 4 a convex curvature section 10 which adjoins the concave curvature section 9. The convex curvature section 10 can be made just as wide as the concave curvature section 9, but it can also be wider or narrower, and in particular can also be made over the entire circumference of the base body 2 in the auditory canal section 8. The convex curvature section 10 enables an improved hold of the otoplastic 1 in the ear of the hearing device wearer, since the bulge can contact adjacent inner ear structures.

Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of the connection side 3 of the otoplastic 1. In Figure 2 the oval contour of the first opening 5 is clearly shown; of the "kink" or change of direction of the base body 2 in the concave curvature section 9, a part of the auditory canal section 8 can still be seen. In the exemplary embodiments of the figures, the base body 2 has an oval cross section over its entire longitudinal extent, in which the front side 11 and the rear side 12 form the longer oval long sides and the intermediate side areas can be assigned to the shorter oval broad sides. Due to the oval contour of the first opening 5 and, in addition, the basically oval cross section of the base body 2, an inserted sound tube 17 or other hearing aid accessories can be held reliably regardless of its size or shape, because there are strong resilience and therefore contact forces on one side of the oval Form elastic deformation through the hearing aid accessories.

In the Figures 3 and 4 top views of the front sides 11 of two different embodiments of the otoplastic 1 are shown schematically. Here, the otoplastic 1 in Figure 4 a collar 14 protruding inward into the first opening 5, which represents a material reinforcement of the base body 2 at the first opening 5 and thus improves the fixation of an inserted hearing aid accessory. Also in the Figures 3 and 4 The connection section 7 and the auditory canal section 8 can again be seen, which merge into one another at least on a part of the circumference of the base body 2 via the concave curvature region 9 shown with hatching.

Figure 5 shows a schematic top view of the auditory canal side 4 of the otoplastic 1. In this view, the second opening 6 can be clearly seen, which can serve as a sound outlet opening and / or for receiving a sound tube 17. The diameter of the second opening 6, if it is intended as a receptacle for a sound tube 17, can either be designed for standard sound tubes and be, for example, 3 mm, or also be designed for receiver-in-canal or thin tube systems and thus be, for example, 2 mm.

Adjacent to the second opening 6 is a ventilation opening 16, which allows ventilation of the inside of the hearing aid wearer through the otoplastic 1 and thus pressure equalization, so that the wearing comfort of the otoplastic 1 is significantly increased.

Figure 6 shows a top view of the back 12 of the otoplastic 1 and, in particular, in a transparent section on the auditory canal side 4, the bores for the second opening 6 and the ventilation opening 16 The ear canal section 8 is provided by increasing the wall thickness of the base body 2 in this area compared to the wall thickness of the further base body 2. The material reinforcement 15 takes place inwards into the cavity of the otoplastic 1. In this material reinforcement 15, the second opening 6 and the ventilation opening 16 are drilled, the length of which corresponds to the wall thickness of the material reinforcement 15 and can be, for example, 3 mm. A sound tube 17 received by the second opening 6 is held particularly securely by the material reinforcement 15 and is stabilized against external forces and moments.

Figure 7 shows a transparent side view of the otoplastic 1 with an inserted sound tube 17. Here, the connector 18 is inserted through the first opening 5 into the connector section 7 of the base body 2, the otoplastic 1 elastically expanding around the connector 18 and at least at the connector 18 the long sides of the oval. The connection 18 is connected to a hearing device (not shown) and forwards sound signals generated by it via the sound tube 17. The sound tube 17 is guided through the otoplastic 1 to the second opening 6, which forms a receptacle for the end of the sound tube 17. The transmitted sound emerges from this end of the sound tube 17, so that the opening 6 also represents a sound outlet opening.

According to the invention, other hearing aid accessories can also be connected to the otoplastic 1 shown, since, owing to the oval first opening 5 in connection with the concave curvature section 9, they accommodate and securely accommodate a large number of connector, cable, receiver, speaker or tube shapes and sizes can hold.

Figure 8 shows a sectional view through an embodiment of an otoplastic 1 with retaining ribs 19 in the second opening 6 on the auditory canal side 4. Through this The earmold 1 is adapted for universal reception of different sound tubes by a plurality of holding ribs 19 arranged one behind the other in the insertion direction of a sound tube or in the longitudinal direction of the second opening 6. These holding ribs 19 in the interior of the second opening 6 partially reduce the inside diameter of the second opening 6 in order to thereby fix a sound tube to the otoplastic 1 by means of the elastic deformation of the holding ribs 17 in the second opening 6. It becomes clear that the retaining ribs 19 are formed on the end region of the earmold 1 on the auditory canal side 4 which is less elastic than the connection side 3 and is formed by a material reinforcement 15.

If the end of the sound tube, which may also be a receiver end (" receiver -in channel"), also has circumferential grooves or retaining ribs or lamellae, the end of the sound tube can be held on the earmold 1 not only by frictional engagement, but also by a form shot become.

The second opening 6 can have a plurality of conical sections 20 arranged one behind the other, each of which forms a section with a conically tapering diameter of the second opening 6, the diameter of the conical section 20 following the opening of a previous section 20 following each of the preceding section 20 is larger than the diameter of the mouth of the preceding section 20. In this way, elastic retaining ribs 19 which are sufficiently dimensionally stable for fixing different sound hoses 17 are formed.

Reference symbol list:

1

Earmold

2nd

Basic body

3rd

Connection side

4th

Ear canal side

5

First opening

6

Second opening

7

Connection section

8th

Ear canal section

9

Concave section of curvature

10th

Convex curvature section (ear canal side)

11

Front of the otoplastic

12

Back of the earmold

13

Convex curvature section (back)

14

collar

15

Material reinforcement

16

Ventilation opening

17th

Sound tube

18th

connection

19th

Holding ribs

20th

Conical sections

r ₁

Radius of curvature of concave curvature

r ₂

Radius of curvature convex section of curvature

Claims (16)

One-piece, flexible or semi-flexible earmold (1) as an ear insert for hearing aids with a hollow, tube-like base body (2) that tapers from a connection side (3) to an auditory canal side (4), with a first opening on the connection side (3) (5) for connecting a hearing aid accessory and on the auditory canal side (4) a second opening (6) for sound exit and / or as a receptacle for the end of a sound tube (17) is provided, the first opening (5) on the connection side ( 3) has an oval contour and that a connection section (7) of the base body (2) assigned to the connection side (3) merges via a concave curvature section (9) into an auditory canal section (8) of the base body (2) assigned to the auditory canal side (4), characterized in that the otoplastic (1) has an oval cross section along the entire base body (2), that the connection section (7) on a front side (11) of the otoplastic (1) under a concave ven curvature section (9) and on an opposite rear side (12) under a convex curvature section (13) into the auditory canal section (8), wherein the radius of curvature (r ₁ ) of the concave curvature section (9) on the front (11) is smaller than the radius of curvature (r ₂ ) of the convex curvature section (13) on the rear (12), and that a convex curvature section (10) in the auditory canal section (8) with a material thickening (15) to the auditory canal side (4 ) connects. Otoplastic (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the radius of curvature (r ₁ ) of the concave curvature section (9) is between 1 and 5 mm, preferably between 2 and 4 mm. Otoplastic (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the radius of curvature (r ₂ ) of the convex curvature section (13) is between 10 and 20 mm. Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a collar (14) protruding into the first opening (5) is integrally formed on the connection side (3) of the connection section (7). Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second opening (6) of the otoplastic (1) on the auditory canal side (4) is designed as a receptacle for receiver-in-canal or thin tube systems. Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall thickness of the base body (2) is increased in an area assigned to the auditory canal side (4) compared to the wall thickness of the further base body (2). Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further ventilation opening (16) is provided on the auditory canal side (4) in addition to the second opening (6). Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the otoplastic (1) is made of a silicone material. Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the otoplastic (1) is made of a transparent material. Otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base body (2) is reinforced on the circumference of the second opening (6) with holding ribs (19) which are used to fix the sound tube (17) inserted into the second opening (6) ) are trained. Otoplastic (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the second opening (6) on the auditory canal side (4) is designed as a universal receptacle for the end of a sound tube (17) and has a plurality of retaining ribs (19) arranged one behind the other. Otoplastic (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the second opening (6) has a plurality of sections (20) arranged one behind the other, each of which forms a section (20a, 20b) with a conically tapering diameter of the second opening (2) The diameter of the section (20b) following this section (20a) following the opening of a previous section (20a) is larger than the diameter of the opening of the previous section (20a). One-piece, flexible or semi-flexible earmold (1) as an ear insert for hearing aids with a hollow, tube-like base body (2) that tapers from a connection side (3) to an auditory canal side (4), with a first opening on the connection side (3) (5) for connecting a hearing aid accessory and on the auditory canal side (4) a second opening (6) for sound exit and as a receptacle for the end of a sound tube (17) is provided, characterized in that the base body (2) on the circumference of the second Opening (6) is reinforced with retaining ribs (19) which are designed to fix the sound tube (17) inserted into the second opening (6). Otoplastic (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the second opening (6) on the auditory canal side (4) is designed as a universal receptacle for the end of a sound tube (17) and has a plurality of retaining ribs (19) arranged one behind the other. Otoplasty (1) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the second opening (6) has a plurality of sections (20) arranged one behind the other, each of which forms a section (20a, 20b) with a conically tapering diameter of the second opening (2) , wherein the diameter of the. following the mouth of a preceding section (20a) section (20b) following this previous section (20a) is in each case larger than the diameter of the mouth of the previous section (20a) Use of an otoplastic (1) according to one of the preceding claims as a trial otoplastic for testing different types of hearing aids or hearing aid models.

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