Bone Conduction Hearing Aid Adhesive Interconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone conduction hearing aids face issues such as skin irritation, energy loss, and complexity due to the need for constant pressure against the skin, which leads to discomfort and inefficiency, and existing designs often require surgical intervention or bulky spring arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A bone conduction hearing aid system with a vibrator in a housing and an interconnection unit featuring a contact plate with a flexible peripheral frame and adhesive components, allowing secure adhesion without protruding parts to apply pressure, enabling effective vibration transmission without skin contact pressure, and made as a low-cost disposable component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring arrangement is used to apply constant pressure against the skull bone, then vibration transmission is improved, but skin irritation and headaches occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical spring pressure system with an adhesive bonding system. The adhesive component creates a fixed connection between the contact plate and skin, eliminating the need for continuous mechanical pressure while maintaining vibration transmission effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the pressure-generating function from the system by removing the spring arrangement entirely. The adhesive component assumes the role of securing the device without requiring active pressure application, thus eliminating skin irritation caused by constant pressure.
2Reliability
If an adjustable protruding portion is used to create pressure, then vibration transmission is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the adjustable protruding portion and its associated screw mechanism entirely. The adhesive component provides fixed positioning without requiring adjustment mechanisms, significantly simplifying the device structure while maintaining effective vibration transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical adjustment system with an adhesive bonding system. The adhesive component is applied in a fixed amount to create optimal contact pressure without requiring user adjustment, eliminating the complex protruding portion mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If magnetic attachment is used to keep the external unit in place, then surgical intervention is avoided, but the hearing aid may easily fall off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the magnetic attachment system with an adhesive bonding system. The adhesive component creates a secure chemical bond between the contact plate and skin, providing superior attachment stability compared to magnetic forces while remaining non-surgical.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an adhesive component that combines acrylic and cyanoacrylate materials to create a strong, durable bond. This composite adhesive approach provides reliable attachment that overcomes the weakness of magnetic systems while avoiding surgical intervention.
4Ease of operation
If adhesive is used to attach the bone conductor, then surgical intervention is avoided, but the arrangement comes loose due to constant force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite adhesive material combining acrylic and cyanoacrylate components. This combination creates a stronger, more durable bond that resists the constant forces trying to remove the adhesive from the skin, preventing the device from coming loose.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the adhesive by using a two-component system with specific mixing ratios. This chemical formulation creates superior bonding strength and durability, allowing the adhesive to withstand constant forces without failing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides secure adhesion, reduces skin irritation, and simplifies design while maintaining effective vibration transmission, though it requires a more powerful hearing aid device, which can be compensated by a lighter interconnection unit, resulting in a more comfortable and practical solution.
Implementation Method 1
The adhesive component has a first adhesive side attached to the second side of the contact plate portion and a second adhesive side adhesively attachable to a skin of a user
Implementation Method 2
A bone conduction hearing aid system with a vibrator in a housing... allowing secure adhesion without protruding parts to apply pressure, enabling effective vibration transmission
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A bone conduction hearing aid system for generating bone conduction vibrations is disclosed. The bone conduction hearing aid system has a hearing aid (101) with a vibrator (102). The hearing aid system includes an interconnection unit (104) to connect the hearing aid (101) to the user. There is a coupling between the interconnection unit ( 104) and the hearing aid (101) to connect and disconnect the hearing aid ( 101) to and from the interconnection unit (104). The interconnection unit (104) has a connection portion (105) and contact plate portion (144). The connection portion (105) and the contact plate portion (144) are designed in one integral piece of continuous polymer material. The interconnection unit (104) has a concave or planar adhesive surface that can be adhered to the skin (113) on the head of the user without applying any specific pressure against the skin (113). The sound vibrations are transmitted from the vibrator (102) to the hearing organ as bone conduction sound vibrations.