WO2011033134A2

WO2011033134A2 - Cros retention

Info

Publication number: WO2011033134A2
Application number: PCT/EP2010/069507
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oliver Frank; Marcel Frutschi; Hans Georg Meier; Jana Schimmelpfennig; Jonas Meyer
Original assignee: Phonak Ag
Priority date: 2010-12-13
Filing date: 2010-12-13
Publication date: 2011-03-24
Also published as: WO2011033134A3

Abstract

Holding means for arranging and fixing a component such as e.g. a hearing aid or hearing aid related component (7) at or behind the ear, is characterized by a bow-like element (21) attached to the component (7) comprising a holding tip-like member (25) provided to be placed within the concha.

Description

CROS Retention

The present invention refers to a holding means for

arranging and fixing component such as e.g. a hearing aid or hearing aid related component according to the

introduction of claim 1.

Treatment of hearing impaired patients with an "unaidable" unilateral hearing loss is a challenging task. Localisation and speech intelligibility in noise is a big concern. But even more, the patients are faced with the problem of adverse head shadow effect for sound originating from the side of the poorer ear. One method commonly chosen to address this issue is a CROS (contralateral routing of signals) or BiCROS (bilateral CROS) system. Several

products exist on the market. These products have in common, that the poorer ear side has a device attached without an acoustical receiver which transmits the audio signal to the better ear side. Therefore, a retention can be used which differs from standard hearing aid retentions.

The present invention focuses on the problem of placing a device behind the ear. Conventional retentions use the help of placing something into the bowl of the patient's ear which allows for maintaining its position. For the

conventional hearing aids with an acoustical receiver, this is necessary anyway because the audio signal somehow has to enter the ear canal. Solutions exist based on routing the sound through some tubing or by having an external receiver placed into the ear. As ear pieces, a variety of solutions are available on the market with individual earmolds, custom shells, domes, and slim tips. All of these solutions have the disadvantage of discomfort by plugging up the ear. As for a retention for a CROS device that has no receiver attached, the desire for a cheaper, more comfortable and cosmetically more appealing solution can be approached differently.

As for now, different CROS based solutions are proposed. Except special adapters for attaching the device to the frame of glasses, there are basically different solutions available. The standard hearing aid solutions based on tubing or x-receiver can be combined with earmolds, custom shells, domes and slim tips respectively.

All solutions that are based on ear peaces have the

disadvantage of discomfort by plugging up the ear. They are relatively easily visible and cosmetically not appealing. Custom shell based products take up to 5 days for delivery and are expensive to produce. The customer has to come back when the shell is available and does not have a fit-and-go solution. The adapters to attach the devices to the frame of glasses assume that the patient has glasses and is wearing them whenever he/she would want to wear the CROS system. Solutions that were designed without using an ear peace do not offer safe and firm placement or look

obtrusive. If they are based on a standard hook but without an ear-peace the compromise that was taken to combine an existing solution with a more use-case specific design is obvious and allows for design improvement. All solutions offer room for improvement both in cost, as well as in being unobtrusive and cosmetically more appealing.

One object of the present invention is to provide a

solution for arranging and fixing any kind of a component and in particular a hearing aid or hearing aid related component almost invisible at or behind the ear without an element extending to the area near or at the entrance of the ear canal. In particular with the present invention the problem of offering a cost effective economical

cosmetically attractive fit and go solution dedicated e.g. for a CROS device shall be solved.

According to the present invention, a holding means for arranging and fixing a component such as e.g. a hearing aid or hearing aid related component at or behind the ear is proposed according to the wording of claim 1.

Proposed is a holding means for arranging and fixing a component, such as e.g. a hearing aid component at or behind the ear, comprising a bow-like element, attached to the component, further comprising a holding tip-like member provided to be placed within the concha. According to an embodiment of the present invention the member is provided to be placed at the cymba conchae.

According to a further embodiment a bow with a pretension is attached to the component such as e.g. the hearing aid component such as e.g. a CROS device. The placement of the device is like with any standard hearing aid component such as e.g. a behind the ear hearing aid. The retention of the bow-like element may be made of a soft comfortable and hypoallergenic material such as an elastomeric

thermoplastic material, like silicon rubber or a polyether block amide, such as Pebax® (Arkema) . Of course any other elastomeric material could be used, which is suitable in contact with human skin. For the tip-like end cup even softer material may be used as for the bow-like element.

The tip-like end cap may be bow-like, tip-like, conus-like, drum-like etc.

Further embodiments of the present invention are

characterised within the dependent claims.

Further proposed is a process for arranging and fixing a component such as e.g. a hearing aid component at or behind the ear, characterised in that the component is fix by means of a bow-like element attached to the component, of which element a holding tip like member or end cap is placed within the concha as e.g. within the cymba conchae. The invention is now further described by means of an example and with reference to the attached figures.

Within the figures, figure 1 shows in principal the use of a so called CROS device at the head of a user person and,

figure 2 shows in principal the arrangement and fixation of a hearing aid component at the user' s ear according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows schematically the head 1 of a user person with his two ears 3 and 5, arranged at the opposite sides of the head.

Due to the unilateral hearing loss, it means the two ears 3 and 5, a so called CROS (contralateral routing of signals) system is used. At the poor ear side 3 e.g. only a device 7 is attached without an acoustical receiver, which transmits the audio signals to the better ear side 5. There, in addition, to a microphone 9, a receiver or even more a behind the ear hearing aid 11 is arranged, to which signals of the device 7 have been transferred.

As at the ear side 3 no hearing aid or receiver is

arranged, the entrance of the ear canal should be kept open . The respective situation at the ear side 3 is shown

schematically in plan view in figure 2. At the ear side 3 a bow 21 with a pretension is attached to the CROS device 7. The placement of the device is like with any standard hearing aid, such as e.g. a BTE hearing aid. This is necessary in order to provide best audiological

performance. In order to offer a firm fit and a safe placement, the bow 21 is locked in the concha as depicted in figure 2 in the area of the cymba conchae 23. A light pressure assures that the bow 21 is trapped and fixes the CROS device 7 to the ear. The retention is made of a soft comfortable and hypoallergenic material, such as an

elastomeric thermoplastic material like a silicon material or e.g. Pebax® (polyether block amide). An even softer material can be used for the end cap 25 to overcome the problem of pressure point. The end cap 25 could be spherelike, bow-like, tip-like, conus-like, drum-like etc. The sphere 25, which is clipped on the end of the bow 21, can be offered in different positions to allow for an

adaptation for deeper conchas. According to the present invention, the placement at the cymba conchae is proposed. A left and a right bow may be offered to guarantee a comfortable safe and firm fit, in case that the CROS device has to be placed at the opposite ear.

As well visible in figure 2, the opening 13 of the ear canal remains unaffected by the holding element, as

proposed according to the present invention. It has to be outlined that with the term "component" any kind of a device is noted, which should be placed and fixed behind the ear without fixation or connecting means

extending to the entrance of or into an ear canal, which at the same time should be almost invisible. A component could be e.g. also a device in combination with an implanted hearing aid such as a cochlear implant, where no connection is existing into the ear canal. In other words, any kind of a device is meant and the present invention is not at all limited to hearing aid components as described with respect to figures 1 and 2.

The great advantage of the holding element as proposed according to the present invention is that a dedicated fit and go solution for e.g. CROS devices can be offered, which is cosmetically appealing and cost effective.

Claims

Holding means, for arranging and fixing a component such as e.g. a hearing aid or hearing aid related component (7) at or behind the ear, characterized by a bow-like element (21) attached to the component (7) comprising a holding tip-like member (25) provided to be placed within the concha.

Holding means, according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip-like member (25) is provided to be placed at the cymba conchae (23) .

Holding means, according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the bow (21) comprising a pretension for the accurate placement of the component (7) .

Holding means, according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bow-like element is made out of an elastomeric polymer material, such as e.g. a silicon material or a polyether block amide, such as e.g. Pebax®.

Holding means, according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tip-like member (25) is made of a softer material than the bow-like element.

Holding means, according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the tip-like member (25) is sphere-like, bow-like, tip-like, conus-like, drumlike etc.

7. Holding means, according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bow-like element is

clipable at the ear concha as e.g. the tuberculum auriculae .

8. Use of the holding means, according to one of the

claims 1 to 7, for arranging and fixing a CROS device, a microphone and/or a transmitter of sound signals .

9. Process for arranging and fixing a component such as e.g. a hearing aid or hearing aid related component at or behind the ear, characterized in that the device is arranged by means of a bow-like element, attached to the component, which bow-like element is holded with a tip-like member or end cap at the cymba conchae .