3D Earpiece Appliance Design for Custom Fit and Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating custom earplugs are lengthy, costly, and prone to hearing loss due to improper use or changes in ear topology over time, with non-custom earplugs lacking adequate noise reduction and requiring consistent impression quality and infection-controlled environments.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a scanner to create a 3D digital surface model of the ear, recognizing anatomical features, and modifying the model to create a custom-fit earpiece appliance with a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) device, incorporating acoustic channels and fastener elements for improved noise reduction and fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If non-custom earplugs are used, then manufacturing cost and time are reduced, but noise reduction effectiveness and hearing protection reliability deteriorate due to improper fit
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital 3D copy of the subject's ear anatomy through scanning, which is then used to generate a custom-fit earpiece appliance. This digital copying approach enables precise replication of individual ear geometry, ensuring optimal fit and noise reduction effectiveness while maintaining cost-efficiency through digital manufacturing processes.
2Reliability
If custom earplugs are manufactured using traditional methods, then fit and noise reduction are improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase due to lengthy processes and infection-controlled environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical impression-taking methods with a digital scanning system that captures ear geometry non-contactly. This substitution eliminates the need for physical impressions, infection-controlled manufacturing environments, and lengthy lab processes, significantly reducing manufacturing time while maintaining custom fit quality through precise 3D digital modeling.
3Device complexity
If traditional scanning methods are used, then anatomical feature recognition is limited, but manufacturing precision and custom fit deteriorate without accurate feature identification
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where the digital 3D model is continuously refined based on recognized anatomical features. The processor identifies key anatomical landmarks and uses this information to adjust and optimize the earpiece appliance design, ensuring manufacturing precision and accurate custom fit while managing system complexity through iterative model improvement.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a scanner to scan an ear and a processor to receive, from the scanner, a non-manifold three-dimensional (3D) digital surface model (DSM) scan data representative of a non-manifold 3D surface model of the auditory canal and the concha of the ear. The 3D surface model is an outer boundary surface for an earpiece appliance. The processor determines an extrema boundary located at a free edge of the 3D surface model; recognizes anatomical features including a cymba concha and auditory canal peak; modifies the 3D surface model relative to the anatomical features by creating a base boundary plane for the appliance, offset some distance from the extrema boundary; creates a closed volume within and between the outer boundary surface, the extrema boundary and the base boundary plane to form a solid 3D earpiece appliance; and causes a computer-aided manufacturing device to manufacture the solid 3D earpiece appliance.