264 results about "Outer ear" patented technology

A personal hearing control system includes a microphone located within a user's sealed ear canal, a speaker having a diaphragm which directs sound into the ear canal, and a controller which drives the speaker such that the system emulates the acoustics of the user's open ear canal. Also provided are a microphone located on the outer ear side of the sealed ear canal, which is coupled to a handheld interface unit having multiple inputs and operating modes. A user-selected input is processed by the interface unit, and the processed signal is coupled to the speaker. In one operating mode, the output of the outer ear mic is processed so as to cancel sound that leaks from the outer ear to the inner ear side of the seal.

A device and method for treating maladies, particularly of the external ear canal and eardrum, is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the device comprises an earplug or plug and a delivery bulb that holds treatment fluid. A lumen extends through the earplug and connects the delivery bulb to an orifice located at the distal end of the earplug. A one-way valve is located along the lumen to allow treatment fluid to only flow from the delivery bulb to the orifice and not vice versa. The earplug forms a seal with the patient's external ear canal and, combined with the one-way valve, retains treatment fluid in the patient's external ear canal where it can perform its therapeutic function. In one embodiment, the invention includes a collection bag connected through the earplug to an orifice near the distal end of the earplug to collected waste treatment fluid. The therapeutic method comprises using a device, as disclosed herein, to deliver treatment fluids to the patient's external ear canal for irrigation, for the therapeutic benefit of the treatment fluids for the short and long term or to deliver treatment fluid to a patient's external ear canal where it can pass into the patient's middle ear through a tympanostomy tube placed in the patient's eardrum.

The estimation of an HRTF for a given individual is accomplished by means of a coupled model, which identifies the dependencies between one or more images of readily observable characteristics of an individual, and the HRTF that is applicable to that individual. Since the HRTF is highly influenced by the shape of the listener's outer ear, as well as the shape of the listener's head, images of a listener which provides this type of information are preferably applied as an input to the coupled model. In addition, dimensional measurements of the listener can be applied to the model. In return, the model provides an estimate of the HRTF for the observed characteristics of the listener.

An ear piece for use by an individual having an external auditory canal includes an earpiece housing configured for placement within the external auditory canal of the individual, a processor disposed within the ear piece housing, at least one microphone disposed within the earpiece housing wherein the at least one earpiece is positioned to detect ambient environmental sound, and at least one speaker disposed within the earpiece housing. The ear piece is configured to detect ambient environmental sound proximate the external auditory canal of the individual using the at least one microphone and reproduce the ambient environmental sound at the at least one speaker within the earpiece housing. The processor is further configured to modify the ambient environmental sound based on shape of the external auditory canal such that audio perception of the ambient environmental sound is as if the ear piece was not present.

An earpiece is to be created for securing an acoustic device to an ear of a user which fits universally, is easy to use and guarantees secure holding characteristics for the acoustic device on the ear. To this end, an earpiece is proposed having a main body, an auditory canal grommet projecting into the auditory canal of the user when the earpiece is worn and a sprung element, whereby the main body, the auditory canal grommet and the sprung element are dimensioned and aligned with one another in such a way that the earpiece is capable of being positioned at least mainly in the concha of the ear of the user and can be fixed in the concha solely by a rotational movement of the earpiece.

The invention relates to one or more inhibitors, in particular siRNAs, which down-regulate the expression of human pro-apoptotic genes. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound, or a vector capable of expressing the compound, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention also contemplates a method of treating or preventing the incidence or severity of hearing impairment (or balance impairment), particularly hearing impairment associated with cell death of the inner ear hair cells or outer ear hair cells, comprising administering to the patient the pharmaceutical composition in a therapeutically effective dose so as to thereby treat the patient.

A cushion for a headset earphone comprises a resilient ring having opposite input and output faces, and a through-opening defining an interior surface between the two faces. The input face has structure for acoustically coupling the opening to an output face of an audio speaker, and the output face is resiliently conformable to a lateral face of an external ear of a listener, thereby acoustically coupling the opening, and hence, the speaker, to the listener's ear. The interior surface of the cushion can be configured to effectively match the acoustical impedance at the output face of the speaker to the acoustical impedance at the entrance of the listener's ear. In one possible embodiment, the ring is formed of an elastomer filled with microcapsules containing a material capable of an endothermic phase changes at a constant temperature, such that the cushion more effectively conducts heat away from the ear, thereby providing long term listening comfort. In another embodiment, the through-opening is acoustically coupled to the output of the transducer with an acoustic plug such that the cushion is flexibly articulated about the plug relative to the speaker, thereby enabling the cushion to comply more easily to the listener's ear using lower contact forces between the cushion and the ear.

An earphone that possesses an outer ear canal insertion member for which at least a portion can be inserted into the outer ear canal, a housing onto which the outer ear canal insertion member is installed, a driver unit which is disposed within the housing and which generates sound, a first retention member through the interior of which passes a cable connected at one end to the driver unit and which is itself directly installed to the housing, and a second retention member through the interior of which passes the cable and which is itself installed to the first retention member; and when the second retention member is installed to the first retention member, the first retention member grasps the cable.

An external inserting meatus of user is closed with an insert earphone device in use so that it is hard that external sound penetrates into the external inserting meatus; not only an internal sound propagation path but also an external sound propagation path are formed in an inserting body of the earphone device, and an active diaphragm is provided in the inserting body so as to make the external sound propagation path closed therewith and block the external auditory meatus from the external sound; the active diaphragm is formed from electroactive polymer layer sandwiched between electrodes, and the active diaphragm is deformed in the presence of voltage so as permit the user easily to control it.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of fabricating a custom-fit earphone in which a durable flexible earpiece or retainer is molded by the user to the individual shape of their outer ear and cures to adhere and become a permanent integrated unit with a sound transducer such as an earbud.

Ear bud headphones configured for use with a portable media player include a main body portion with an extended curvature configuration. In one example implementation, the ear bud headphones include a speaker housing and an extension that form a gap between the speaker housing and the extension. A user can secure a portion of the user's outer ear in the gap (i.e., between the extension and speaker housing) such that the ear bud is securely and comfortably held in place within a user's ear. Additionally, the ear bud headphones can be interchangeable such that a user can customize the size, fit, and style of the ear bud headphone.

A simple cochlear implant is provided that can be implanted in a doctor's office under local anesthesia, which does not destroy residual hearing, and in a preferred embodiment, which is small enough to fit within a person's ear canal. The cochlear ear implant includes an exterior ear module, an interior ear module, and a cochlear electrode array. The exterior ear module includes a hollow housing within which are located the active electrical components including a microphone, power supply, and processor. The exterior ear module is easily removable from the body without surgery and is positioned in the auditory canal, the concha bowl or behind the pinna. The interior ear module is a semi-permanent assembly located immediately exterior to the tympanic membrane. It is a simple passive module for relaying signals to the electrode array. The communication of auditory signals from the exterior ear module to the interior ear module may be achieved by various techniques including by direct electrical transmission. However, the communication between the exterior and interior ear modules is preferably accomplished using a transcanal induction link. The electrode array extends from the interior ear module through the tympanic membrane to engage the cochlea. The electrode array includes an implanted active electrode, a return electrode, and a biocompatible miniature connector for connecting to the interior ear module.

An illuminated acoustical stimulation ear probe with outer ear illumination and a probe-fit status indicator.

A compact audio speaker assembly that fits into the ear canal without occluding the ear canal, thus allowing ambient sounds to be heard along with the audio source. The ear speaker is secured in the ear canal by a ribbon or wire like spring structure anchoring the speaker to the concha portion of the outer ear and typically pushing the speaker up against the top side of the ear canal, leaving a space for external sounds to bypass the speaker to the eardrum. The speaker may further include a connecting signal cable that passes over the ear and behind the ear to provide additional support for the speaker and strain relief for the signal cable. One embodiment may include a shell over the speaker connected to the wire like spring anchor and may include an ear wax screen. Two speakers may be configured for stereo listening.

An antihelix stabilizer with easy donning action for an audio device such as an ear set to provide support and stability when the audio device is worn on the ear is disclosed. The ear set may include a housing, an ear bud extending from the housing and configured to be at least partially positionable in the concha, and a stabilizer extending from the housing. The stabilizer may be resiliently compressible toward the ear bud upon application of force thereon. When donned, the stabilizer is at least partially positioned in a concha of the ear to exert pressure on an antihelix and / or concha wall of the ear which, in cooperation with the ear bud, facilitates in stabilizing the ear set. The stabilizer may be configured in any suitable shape such as a flexible loop, tab, and / or spiral and / or may include an arm extending from the housing and terminating in a flange.

The invention discloses a method, an earphone and a mobile terminal for protecting hearing of human ears. The method comprises the following steps: collecting sound pressure data in an external auditory canal of human being in real time through a sound pressure sensor in the earphone and sending the collected sound pressure data to the mobile terminal; receiving the sound pressure data by the mobile terminal and confirming a volume value corresponding to the collected sound pressure data according to a mapping relation between the sound pressure data and the volume value which is confirmed in advance; judging if the confirmed volume value is greater than a first preset sound threshold by the mobile terminal, if yes, reducing an output volume value of the earphone according to a preset range, or reducing the output volume value of the earphone to a preset volume value, thereby protecting the hearing of a user. According to the method provided by the invention, the playing volume of the earphone can be accurately adjusted according to the volume value practically received by the ears, and the ears are effectively protected.

Earbud headphones may be configured to be secured to a user's outer ear. The earbud headphones may comprise a speaker assembly configured to convert an audio signal into a sound wave audible to the human ear. A main body portion may support the speaker assembly. An extension may extend from the main body portion away from the speaker assembly to define a gap between the extension and the speaker assembly. The gap may be sized and positioned to receive a portion of a user's outer ear within the gap such that the portion of the user's outer ear is disposed between the extension and the speaker assembly and retains the earbud headphone in the ear of the user when the earbud headphone is worn by the user.

An earpiece is provided that is adapted for insertion into the ear canal and has at least one resilient fibre that is connected to the earpiece for abutting a surface of the outer ear when the earpiece has been inserted in the ear canal thereby providing retention of the earpiece in the ear canal of the user.

A hearing aid system including an implant (60) configured for insertion into a recess (40) formed under the skin of the retro-auricular space (50), which implant does not occlude the ear canal (30). The implant includes electronic circuitry (72), a transducer (65, e.g., speaker), antenna (64), and power source (66). The hearing aid also includes an external module (70), which module includes a microphone (163), electronics (172), antenna (164), and power source (166). A telemetry link (76) between the external module antenna and the implant antenna allows transmissions between the microphone module and the implant.

An earpiece device (10, 110, 210, 210′) provides advanced communication to the user thereof, for controlling a total sound dose (TND), including an audio output from an audio source (16) reaching an ear of the user occluded at the outer ear canal (15) by an in-ear device (14), for allowing an external ambient sound to be heard by the ear of the user, and for allowing a voice (NSV) of the user to be transmitted to a telecommunication transmission link (TTL). The present invention also contemplates a method of operation of the earpiece device (10, 110, 210, 210′).

The invention provides a single-channel voice enhancement method and a single-channel voice enhancement system. The method comprises the following steps of: extracting a noise signal from a noisy voice signal through voice activity detection; respectively performing outer ear, inner ear and middle ear simulation manipulation to the noisy voice signal and the noise signal through peripheral analysis; obtaining energy difference of each time frequency unit of the noisy voice signal and the noise signal subjected from simulation manipulation through feature extraction; generating different masking values to the energy difference of each time frequency unit and weighing the different masking values to obtain a masking processing signal; and rebuilding the voice signal to the masking processing signal and the noisy voice signal subjected from simulation manipulation to obtain a voice enhancement signal. The invention can decrease damage to a target voice signal and realize better denoising effect and keep higher voice quality under the environment with multi noises.

An ear plug to be inserted into the external auditory canal, having a compressible sleeve member and a core member attached therein, the improvement in which plural projections or a single projection are formed intermittently or continuously on an exterior of the core member, and vent is formed through or along the projection to make the external auditory canal communicate with the external atmosphere when inserted into the external auditory canal. A communicating passage or vent to an effective degree for remarkably decreasing the pressure difference between the inside of the external auditory canal and the external atmosphere as well as preventing leakage of sound causing so-called howling.

An earphone (1) comprising housing (2), a speaker (3), a speaker protrusion (4) extending along a protrusion axis (Z) and comprising an inner protrusion surface (12) and an outer protrusion surface (6), a resilient eargel (5) comprising an inner eargel surface (10) and an outer eargel surface (13). The eargel (5) is detachably attached to the speaker protrusion (4), such that the outer protrusion surface (6) abuts an abutment part (17) of the inner eargel surface (10) in an abutment zone (27) extending along the protrusion axis (Z). The eargel (5) is adapted to be inserted into the outer ear of a user, such that it abuts the ear canal of a user, whereby a cavity (7) is provided between at least the speaker (3), the inner protrusion surface (12), the inner eargel surface (10) and the ear canal. The earphone (1) is provided with a vent channel (9) coupling the cavity (7) and the ambient, wherein the vent channel (9) comprises a groove (8) in the outer protrusion surface (6) or the inner eargel surface (10). The vent channel (9) is provided between the groove (8) in the outer protrusion surface (6) and the inner eargel surface (10) or between the groove (8) in the inner eargel surface (10) and the outer protrusion surface (6). The groove (8) comprises a first groove part (14), that extends in a plane orthogonal to the protrusion axis (Z).

The invention relates to one or more inhibitors, in particular siRNAs, which down-regulate the expression of human pro-apoptotic genes. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound, or a vector capable of expressing the compound, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention also contemplates a method of treating or preventing the incidence or severity of hearing impairment (or balance impairment), particularly hearing impairment associated with cell death of the inner ear hair cells or outer ear hair cells, comprising administering to the patient the pharmaceutical composition in a therapeutically effective dose so as to thereby treat the patient.

A personal hearing control system includes a microphone located within a user's sealed ear canal, a speaker having a diaphragm which directs sound into the ear canal, and a controller which drives the speaker such that the system emulates the acoustics of the user's open ear canal. Also provided are a microphone located on the outer ear side of the sealed ear canal, which is coupled to a handheld interface unit having multiple inputs and operating modes. A user-selected input is processed by the interface unit, and the processed signal is coupled to the speaker. In one operating mode, the output of the outer ear mic is processed so as to cancel sound that leaks from the outer ear to the inner ear side of the seal.

A two-way communication earpiece, which is a small and comfortable. The ear-piece is comprised of a main body, a sound delivery probe, and a micro probe for sound pick up. The sound delivery probe, which is extended from main body, is configured to be inside of the external acoustic meatus of a user. The main body is attached to lobule of ear of the user like an ear ring. The sound delivery probe is coated with silicon for hygiene of the external acoustic meatus of the user. The micro probe for sound pick up is attached to a junction point of user's skin that locates behind the ear of the user, where rear surface of the antihelix, rear surface of the lobule, and neck skin of the user meets. At that point the microprobe picks up the voice of the user from the vibration of the skin.

An earpiece including an intra-auricular support, a projection element coupled thereto, and a flexible body disposed thereon and inside an external ear canal of an ear, and a moldable earpiece material moldable about the intra-auricular support to conform to the auricle of an ear and curable to provide a fixed configuration of the earpiece.