250results about "Completely in canal hearing aids" patented technology

A canal hearing device has a subminiature filament assembly which vibrates and directly drives the tympanic membrane (eardrum) and imparts audible mechanical vibrations thereto. The filament assembly is partially supported by the tympanic membrane via capillary adhesion thereto and is dynamically coupled to a stationary vibration force element position at a distance from the tympanic membrane within the ear canal. The elongated filament assembly is freely movable within an operable range and is essentially floating with respect to the vibration force element. In a preferred embodiment, the vibrational filament assembly comprises a magnetic section which is insertable into the air-core of an electromagnetic coil. The filament assembly is coupled to the tympanic membrane via an articulated tympanic contact coupler.

Hearing systems for both hearing impaired and normal hearing subjects comprise an input transducer and a separate output transducer. The input transducer will include a light source for generating a light signal in response to either ambient sound or an external electronic sound signal. The output transducer will comprise a light-responsive transducer component which is adapted to receive light from the input transducer. The output transducer component will vibrate in response to the light input and produce vibrations in a component of a subject's hearing transduction pathway, such as the tympanic membrane, a bone in the ossicular chain, or directly on the cochlea, in order to produce neural signals representative of the original sound.

The present invention relates to a hearing aid system comprising a hearing implant and a method of powering a hearing implant, the system comprising an external ear canal module and an implant, wherein the signalling and / or powering of the ear implant is by way of a light signal being provided to the implant through the ear drum from, for example, the ear canal module.

An acoustic coupler adapted for use with an intracanal receiver module can be deeply inserted into the ear canal of the user while making minimal contact with the walls of the ear canal. The minimal contact feature of the invention allows the acoustic coupler to seal the ear canal acoustically and anchor a hearing device at an optimal depth within the ear canal, while maximizing the user's comfort. The acoustic coupler is manufactured from a soft, pliable elastomer that allows it to conform readily to the shape of the ear canal. The acoustic coupler incorporates structural supports that allow the coupler to maintain an acoustical seal and withstand the inward pressure of the ear canal wall while making minimal contact with the ear canal. The invention incorporates a cerumen-protecting feature that prevents damage to a hearing device from infiltration of earwax into the sound port of the receiver. A vent pathway for control of occlusion effects is also provided. A user-friendly, attachment mechanism incorporating a snap-on, twist-off feature allows the acoustic coupler to concentrically surround the receiver module within the ear canal in a space-efficient manner.

A wearable device has a motion detector configured to detect motion of the device and produce a motion signal relating to motion of the device, a contact sensor configured to detect if the device is in contact with an object and produce a contact signal relating to whether the device is in contact with an object, and a controller operatively coupled with the motion detector and the contact sensor. The controller is configured to switch between on and off-states as a function of at least one of the motion signal and contact signal. The device also has a sound transducer or other transducer operatively coupled with the controller. The controller is configured to change the state of the sound transducer between on and off-states in response to receipt of the motion signal, and the contact signal.

A self-expanding hearing device is disclosed. The device includes a body, a membrane coupled to the body, and a frame coupled to the body, so that a user can compress the frame for insertion into the user's ear canal, and when the user releases compression the frame expands so that the device is lodged in the ear canal.

A modular canal hearing device having a speaker module placed in the bony region for extended wear while a main module is removably inserted in the cartilaginous region. The main module wirelessly activates the speaker module when placed in proximity thereto. The main module is removed daily or as needed for maintenance of the hearing device such as for battery replacement. The speaker module remains undisturbed in the bony region to avoid skin friction. The main module contains the microphone, electronics, battery and in the preferred embodiment an inductive coupling coil for inductively sending audio signals to the receiver module. The modular design allows for a highly miniaturized design that is easier to navigate in the ear canal for improved fit and sound fidelity at the eardrum while allowing easy maintenance of a removable module.

Hearing systems for both hearing impaired and normal hearing subjects comprise an input transducer and a separate output transducer. The input transducer will include a light source for generating a light signal in response to either ambient sound or an external electronic sound signal. The output transducer will comprise a light-responsive transducer component which is adapted to receive light from the input transducer. The output transducer component will vibrate in response to the light input and produce vibrations in a component of a subject's hearing transduction pathway, such as the tympanic membrane, a bone in the ossicular chain, or directly on the cochlea, in order to produce neural signals representative of the original sound.

The robustness of hearing aid devices in terms of electromagnetic disturbances and chemically aggressive surroundings should be improved. For this purpose, provision is made to equip a hearing aid apparatus with optical microphones. Since no metal parts must be used for these optical micro-phones, corrosion can be largely excluded. Furthermore, no EMC problems occur as a result of the optical signal processing.

An in-canal hearing device includes a receiver, battery, and microphone assembly with a housing. The housing has an air and sound opening which is covered with a structure to inhibit the entry of cerumen and moisture. The structure may be in the form of an end cap having passages with walls which are both hydrophobic and oleophobic to prevent the entry of water, cerumen and other liquids. The structure may also include a flexible tube or a rigid perforated shell surrounding the passages that inhibit the deposition of solid cerumen and other debris onto the passages.

A hearing aid includes a first half shell and a second shell attached to the first shell. A microphone, battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip are mounted within a housing formed by the first half shell and the second half shell. A mechanical securing mechanism, located on the first half shell and the second half shell, attaches the first half shell to the second half shell. A flexible tip for a hearing aid includes a tip portion, a sound port attached to the tip portion and a vent formed in the flexible tip. The vent provides static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure.

An ultra miniature hearing device for extended wear entirely in the ear canal past the cartilaginous region is provided. The hearing device comprises a microphone and a speaker, each having a respective diaphragm. The speaker and microphone are placed parallel to each other in a single lateral assembly. The microphone and speaker can be arranged such that their diaphragms are orthogonal to one another so that cross coupling of vibrations is minimized, thus reducing internal feedback. Due to the parallel co-placement of the speaker and microphone in the single lateral assembly, the length of the device is substantially shorter than that of prior hearing aid devices. The hearing device is 12 mm or less in length to fit in the bony part of the ear canal for most individuals and is placed within approximately 3 mm from the eardrum.

An antenna configured in a hybrid circuit provides a compact design for a hearing aid to communicate wirelessly with a system external to the hearing aid. In an embodiment, an antenna includes metallic traces in a hybrid circuit that is configured for use in a hearing aid. The antenna includes contacts in the hybrid circuit to couple the metallic traces to electronic devices in the hybrid circuit. In an embodiment, the metallic traces form a planar coil design having a number of turns of the coil in a substrate in the hybrid circuit. In another embodiment, the metallic traces are included in a flex circuit on a substrate in the hybrid circuit. An antenna configured in a hybrid circuit allows for use in a completely-in-the-canal hearing aid.

A method of estimating an acoustic transfer quantity representative of a sound pressure transfer to the eardrum includes the steps of measuring, by an ear canal microphone of the hearing instrument, an acoustic signal in the ear canal when a sound signal is emitted into the ear canal by a receiver of the hearing instrument, the ear canal microphone being in acoustic communication with the ear canal, determining, from the acoustic signal and from a frequency dependent reference characteristics of the hearing instrument, an ear canal impedance, and, calculating, from the ear canal impedance, an estimate of the acoustic transfer quantity.

The present invention is directed to a hearing aid which includes a lateral ear canal assembly and a medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention the medial ear canal assembly may include smart circuitry adapted to control parameters and outputs of the medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention various methods and circuitry are described, wherein the methods and circuitry are adapted to improve the performance and efficiency of the hearing aid.

Embodiments of the invention provide microphone assemblies which are resistant to moisture. One embodiment provides a microphone assembly comprising a housing, a diaphragm disposed in the housing and a backplate disposed in the housing. The housing includes a sound inlet port for the entry of sound waves. The backplate includes a surface and an electret portion having an embedded permanent charge. The diaphragm is configured to vibrate in response to sound waves entering the housing. The vibrations of the diaphragm interact with the electret portion to produce an electrical signal associated with the sound waves entering the housing. A hydrophobic coating can be applied to one or both of the backplate and diaphragm surfaces so as to reduce condensation and / or wetting of the backplate. This minimizes neutralization of an electric field of the backplate surface from condensation preserving the field and the function of the microphone in humid environments.

A modular canal hearing aid assembly having a main module positioned in the ear canal and a disposable battery module laterally positioned in the ear canal. The main module incorporates the durable components of a hearing device including the receiver, microphone and electronics. The disposable battery module comprises consumable elements including battery and incoming sound port. The disposable battery module provides a unitary structure that is easier to handle, remove from the main module, and replace when any of the consumable elements is depleted or degraded. The canal hearing device assembly is generic in shape and provided with assorted seal tips for “instant fitting” without resorting to custom manufacturing.

A hearing device system includes a hearing device having a normally open (i.e., doorless) receptacle cavity configured to accept a battery assembly for powering the hearing device. The battery assembly has an insertable segment and protruding segment, the protruding segment remains outside of the receptacle cavity of the hearing device when the insertable segment of the battery assembly is operably seated (i.e., firmly engaged, with electrical connection established to the hearing device) within the receptacle cavity. A battery dispenser holds one or more new battery assemblies for direct transfer of one of the held battery assemblies into the receptacle cavity of the hearing device to replace a depleted battery assembly when the latter is removed from the receptacle cavity.

A hearing aid and handling tool is provided, where the hearing aid has all parts thereof inside the ear canal and comprise a casing part with a retention element extending radially between the casing part and the circumference of an ear canal of a user. A sound exit is provided at a first side of the retention element and mechanical connection parts are provided at an opposed side of the retention element. According to the invention complementary mechanical connection parts are provided at the handling tool.

A portable electronic device having a) a folded substrate carrying components of the device, and b) another, separate component having a fixed outer contour, and c) a housing for enclosing said folded substrate and said separate component, said housing having an inner contour, wherein said folded substrate is folded from a planar substrate along a folding line, said folded substrate exhibiting outer edges comprising a folded edge following said folding line. A method of manufacturing a folded substrate. An object of the present application is to facilitate miniaturization of a portable electronic device, such as a hearing aid. A problem is solved in that the folded substrate is shaped to provide that at least one of said outer edges follow(s) the fixed outer contour of the separate component and / or the inner contour of said housing.

A hearing aid device configured to be partly or fully inserted into the ear canal of a user is disclosed. The hearing aid device comprises a receiver (loudspeaker) adapted to generate and send an air-borne acoustic signal towards the eardrum when the hearing aid device is partly or fully inserted into the ear canal. The hearing aid device further comprises a microphone configured to receive acoustic signals. The hearing aid device comprises a processing unit configured to determine if the hearing aid device is positioned in a correct position in the ear canal on the basis of the acoustic signals received by the microphone.

A hearing aid assembled from three sections includes a first section having a first housing containing a microphone and electronics, a second section having a second housing containing a battery a flex circuit mounted around the battery and a third section having a compliant tip and a receiver contained within a receptacle in the tip. The flex circuit provides solder less electrical connections among the electrical components of the hearing aid. The hearing aid also includes an actuator switch that allows the user to engage the hearing aid in an ON or an OFF mode of operation. Preferably, the actuator is electrically connected to the hearing aid without the use of solder. Connection between the first and second sections includes a mechanical securing mechanism, such as an interlocking joint.

A hearing aid includes a receiver with a receiver housing, the receiver having a sound port opening, and being configured to be placed at least partly in an ear canal of a user, and a sound tube acoustically connected to the sound port opening of the receiver, the sound tube having a longitudinal extension in at least two directions, wherein the sound tube has a total length of at least 16 mm. A hearing aid includes a behind the ear (BTE) unit configured to process sound and generate an electrical signal, an earpiece, and a signal conductor configured to communicate the electrical signal to the earpiece, wherein the earpiece comprises a receiver that is configured to convert the electrical signal into a sound signal, and wherein the earpiece further comprises a sound tube that is coupled to a sound port opening at the receiver, the sound tube having a longitudinal extension in at least two directions.

The present invention is directed to a hearing aid which includes a lateral ear canal assembly and a medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention the medial ear canal assembly may include smart circuitry adapted to control parameters and outputs of the medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention various methods and circuitry are described, wherein the methods and circuitry are adapted to improve the performance and efficiency of the hearing aid.

A hearing aid includes a microphone for providing an electrical signal representative of a received acoustic signal, a means for filtering the electrical signal and a means for automatic switching. Upon detecting a presence of a magnetic field, the means for automatic switching enables the means for filtering to modify a frequency response of the hearing aid to boost a low frequency gain and reduce a high frequency gain. Such filtering can be used with or without a telecoil. A hearing aid including a telecoil is configured with a preamplifier, a inductive element, and a switch control integrated onto a single common circuit board.