WO2012112148A1 - Module amplificateur pour un instrument auditif - Google Patents

Module amplificateur pour un instrument auditif Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2012112148A1
WO2012112148A1 PCT/US2011/025027 US2011025027W WO2012112148A1 WO 2012112148 A1 WO2012112148 A1 WO 2012112148A1 US 2011025027 W US2011025027 W US 2011025027W WO 2012112148 A1 WO2012112148 A1 WO 2012112148A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
amplifier module
hearing instrument
set forth
receiver
shell
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2011/025027
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
James Edward De Finis
Edmund J. FAIELLA
Ravi Eric PERKASH
Original Assignee
Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc.
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 Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. filed Critical Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc.
Priority to PCT/US2011/025027 priority Critical patent/WO2012112148A1/fr
Publication of WO2012112148A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012112148A1/fr

Links

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
    • H04R25/602—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of batteries
    • 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
    • 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
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/57—Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
    • 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
    • H04R25/40—Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic
    • H04R25/405—Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic by combining a plurality of transducers
    • 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
    • H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
    • H04R25/654—Ear wax retarders

Definitions

  • Figs. 1-4 are perspective, elevation, and internal schematic drawings, respectively, of an amplifier module
  • Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a hearing instrument
  • Fig. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional, schematic view of an amplifier module and mating electrical contacts
  • Figs. 7-14 are cross-sectional views of hearing instruments incorporating an amplifier module; Figs. 15-18 illustrate a complementary groove and pin arrangement for a hearing instrument shell and a releasably attachable canal tip. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
  • the amplifier module 10 for an in-the-ear canal or partially in-the-ear canal hearing instrument is shown in Figs. 1-4.
  • the amplifier module comprises a cylindrical housing 20 having an outer wall 22 and a top face 30.
  • the top face 30 has a hinged battery door 32, providing access to the battery (not shown in this figure), and one or more microphone ports 34. Hinged battery doors are well known in the art. If dual microphone ports 34 are provided, the amplifier module 10 could then offer directional microphone
  • connections to those controls can be provided by a segmented electrical contact ring 24 comprising a plurality of contacts on the outer wall 22 of the amplifier module 10.
  • FIG. 2 Another view of the amplifier module 10 is shown in Fig. 2. There, a bottom face 40 is visible, along with an audio output connector 42 and female contacts 44 (or with male contacts that mate with a female connector). The amplifier module 10 is shown again the elevation view of Fig. 3.
  • a battery 102 Internal features contained within the interior 100 of the amplifier module 10 are shown in the internal schematic drawing of Fig. 4. These features may include a battery 102, one or more microphones 104, and an amplifier circuit module 106. Appropriate electrical connections are provided between the amplifier circuit module 106 and the
  • the battery would not be located within the
  • the amplifier module 10 but rather within the hearing instrument housing the amplifier module 10, and power can be supplied to the amplifier module 10 through the segmented electrical contact ring 24.
  • the top face 30 of the amplifier module 10 would then not have a battery door 32.
  • the amplifier module 10 is shown within a hearing instrument shell 300 in Fig. 5.
  • the shell 300 is positioned in an ear canal 200;
  • the shell 300 comprises an interior cavity 302, a canal tip 304, and a faceplate 310.
  • the interior cavity 302 holds a receiver 340, which has a receiver tube 342 that carries sound to the tip 304 of the shell 300.
  • the receiver 340 also has a receiver input connector 344 that mates with the audio output connector 42 on the amplifier module 10, the receiver input connector 344 being connected to the receiver 340 being by a receiver signal cable 346.
  • the receiver can be configured without a receiver signal cable 346, where the connector is mounted directly on the receiver. Electrical contacts 350, one shown
  • the electrical connections between the components of the hearing instrument can be solderless.
  • the electrical contacts 350 that mate with the segmented electrical contact ring 24 can be fashioned from spring metal or another suitable material to provide an electrical connection when the amplifier module 10 is inserted into the shell 300.
  • the other connections may employ male and female connector pairs.
  • the top face 30 of the amplifier module 10 has a curved shaped conforming to the curved shape of the shells faceplate 302, although the top face 30 could be planar or assume some other contour.
  • the faceplate 310 has a circular opening 312 having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical housing 20 of the amplifier module 10, such that the amplifier module 10 can rotate within the opening 312.
  • a registration device such as a key, pin, or tab could be provided on the amplifier module 10 or on the inside wall of the shell 300 to ensure the correct orientation of the module and alignment with the corresponding contacts of the hearing instrument.
  • the partial, cross- sectional, schematic drawing in Fig. 6 shows the amplifier module 10 and adjacent electrical contacts 350.
  • the outer wall 22 of the cylindrical housing 20 has a tab or key 360, which can be fabricated as a ridge running a portion or the entire the length of the cylindrical housing 20.
  • Limit pins 362 anchored within the hearing instrument, restrict the rotational travel of the amplifier housing 10, as indicated by the adjacent arrow.
  • the amplifier module 10 may be rotated over the range
  • the amplifier module 10 could be rotated such that the ports 34 define a line parallel to the ground.
  • the hearing instrument could have a shell 400 with a removable canal tip 420, as illustrated in Fig. 7.
  • the receiver input connector 344 can be attached to the audio output connector 42 after the amplifier module 10 has been placed in the circular opening 412 in the shell 400.
  • the top face 30 of the amplifier module 10 in Fig. 7 has a flange 12 having a diameter greater than the outer wall 22 of the amplifier module 10.
  • the faceplate 410 would have an opening 412 with a recess 414 that conforms to and accepts the flange 12.
  • the hearing instrument of Fig. 7 is shown again in Fig. 8.
  • the shell 500 is not open on the bottom 504, i.e., the portion of the shell oriented towards the inner ear, but rather comprises a barrier 506.
  • Male-female connector pairs 560 on opposite sides of the barrier 506 are interconnected by an internal connection 562. Cables 570 and 572 complete the electrical path between the amplifier modulelO and the receiver 340.
  • the amplifier module 10 is releasably held within a sleeve 580 that descends from the inside surface 514 of the faceplate 510.
  • the contacts 350 for the segmented electrical contact ring 24 could be integrated into the sleeve 580 and the sleeve may also have a bottom segment 582 adjacent the bottom face 40 of the amplifier module 10.
  • the bottom segment 582 would have an opening 584 for the audio output connector 42 to permit mating with the receiver input connector 586.
  • the shell 600 in Fig. 9 has an open canal tip 610 having a canal tip opening 612 at the end 614 of the shell 600 towards the ear canal, i.e., the portion of the canal tip 610 oriented towards the inner ear.
  • the canal opening 612 is closed by a detachable cover plate 620.
  • the cover plate 620 would permit one to connect the receiver input connector 344 after the amplifier module 10 has been inserted into the shell 600.
  • FIGs. 10 and 11 A further variation is shown in Figs. 10 and 11, where the shells 700 and 800 do not have tips.
  • the receiver 340 lies outside of the shell 700 or 800 in the ear canal 200.
  • a wax guard, well know in the art, or a dome-shaped element 710 having a passage that allows sound to pass may be attached to the end of the receiver tube 342.
  • the shell 800 is enclosed on the bottom 804 by a barrier 806 in the same fashion as the hearing instrument of Fig. 8.
  • Connector pairs 860, interconnected by an interconnection 862, and cables 870 and 872 connect the receiver 340 to the amplifier module 10.
  • the receiver 900 has an integral connector 902 that mates with the
  • an assembly comprising a removable plug 1010, connectors 1020 and 1030, and interconnecting cables 1040 and 1050, provides a connection between the amplifier module 10 and the receiver 340, instead of the connector pairs 560 of Figs. 8, 11, and 12.
  • the removable plug 1010 can be held in place by a force fit, a glue or epoxy, or a mechanical detent.
  • the amplifier module 10 may be connected to the receiver with an assembly comprising the removable plug 1010, connectors 1020 and 1030, and interconnecting cable 1040.
  • a complementary groove and pin or protrusion may be provided at the vertical junction 1090 of the shell 400 and the canal tip 420, i.e., where the top 1092 of the canal tip 420 mates with the bottom 1094 of the shell 400.
  • FIG. 15-18 cross-sectional portions of the shell 400 and the canal tip 420 are shown in Fig. 15.
  • the shell 400 has a vertical groove 450 adjacent the vertical face 422 of the canal tip 420.
  • a rounded pin or protrusion 460 near the top 424 of the canal tip 420 engages with a depression or recess 452 in the shell 400 at the top 454 of the groove 450 (Figs. 15 and 16).
  • the pin or protrusion 460 rides up the groove 450 until it drops into and engages the recess 452.
  • the relative dimensions may be selected to permit the pin or protrusion 460 to exert a downward force on the lower edge of the recess 452.
  • a spiral groove 470 i.e., a groove comprising a spiral path, may be created on the vertical inside surface 472 of the shell 400.
  • the spiral groove 470 has a recess 474 that engages the pin or protrusion 460 on the canal tip 420.
  • the pin or protrusion 460 is aligned with the spiral groove 470, and then the canal tip 420 is twisted until it seats against the shell 400.
  • the top 1092 of the canal tip 420 and the bottom 1094 of the shell 400 would have cylindrical cross-sections.
  • the spiral groove 470 may have a taper 476, where the width 478 of the groove 470 narrows towards the top 478.
  • the taper 476 will create a force fit with the pin or protrusion 460 at it reaches the top of the spiral groove 470.
  • the force fit may be enhanced by providing the pin or protrusion 460 with a
  • the foregoing devices find industrial applicability in the field of hearing instruments.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)

Abstract

Selon la présente invention, des composants sélectionnés d'un instrument auditif à insérer dans le canal peuvent être placés dans un module amplificateur cylindrique. Le module amplificateur est inséré dans une ouverture adaptée dans la façade de l'instrument. Lorsque le module amplificateur comprend deux microphones, le module peut être tourné pour améliorer le comportement directionnel des microphones.
PCT/US2011/025027 2011-02-16 2011-02-16 Module amplificateur pour un instrument auditif WO2012112148A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2011/025027 WO2012112148A1 (fr) 2011-02-16 2011-02-16 Module amplificateur pour un instrument auditif

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2011/025027 WO2012112148A1 (fr) 2011-02-16 2011-02-16 Module amplificateur pour un instrument auditif

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012112148A1 true WO2012112148A1 (fr) 2012-08-23

Family

ID=44276107

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2011/025027 WO2012112148A1 (fr) 2011-02-16 2011-02-16 Module amplificateur pour un instrument auditif

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2012112148A1 (fr)

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2477698A (en) * 1948-04-05 1949-08-02 Maico Company Inc Microphone mounting for hearing aids
US5185802A (en) 1990-04-12 1993-02-09 Beltone Electronics Corporation Modular hearing aid system
DE20022231U1 (de) * 2000-03-10 2001-05-23 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh, 91058 Erlangen Im Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät mit modularem Aufbau
US20030198359A1 (en) * 1996-12-31 2003-10-23 Killion Mead C. Directional microphone assembly
US7003127B1 (en) * 1999-01-07 2006-02-21 Sarnoff Corporation Hearing aid with large diaphragm microphone element including a printed circuit board
US7024012B2 (en) 1997-04-15 2006-04-04 Widex A/S Compact modular in-the-ear hearing aid
US7151839B2 (en) 2002-06-27 2006-12-19 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Modular hearing aid device
US7227968B2 (en) 2001-06-25 2007-06-05 Sonion Roskilde A/S Expandsible Receiver Module
US7400738B2 (en) 2002-06-27 2008-07-15 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Acoustic module for a hearing aid device
US7443992B2 (en) 2004-04-15 2008-10-28 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Method and apparatus for modular hearing aid

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2477698A (en) * 1948-04-05 1949-08-02 Maico Company Inc Microphone mounting for hearing aids
US5185802A (en) 1990-04-12 1993-02-09 Beltone Electronics Corporation Modular hearing aid system
US20030198359A1 (en) * 1996-12-31 2003-10-23 Killion Mead C. Directional microphone assembly
US7024012B2 (en) 1997-04-15 2006-04-04 Widex A/S Compact modular in-the-ear hearing aid
US7003127B1 (en) * 1999-01-07 2006-02-21 Sarnoff Corporation Hearing aid with large diaphragm microphone element including a printed circuit board
DE20022231U1 (de) * 2000-03-10 2001-05-23 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh, 91058 Erlangen Im Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät mit modularem Aufbau
US7227968B2 (en) 2001-06-25 2007-06-05 Sonion Roskilde A/S Expandsible Receiver Module
US7151839B2 (en) 2002-06-27 2006-12-19 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Modular hearing aid device
US7400738B2 (en) 2002-06-27 2008-07-15 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Acoustic module for a hearing aid device
US7443992B2 (en) 2004-04-15 2008-10-28 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Method and apparatus for modular hearing aid

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