Canine Bone Conduction Hearing Aid Collar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone conduction devices are designed for human use and do not effectively assist the hearing of animals, necessitating a device that can be positioned near an animal's cranium or bones to provide hearing assistance.
Innovation Solution
A bone conduction collar with a bone conduction device that includes a transceiver, microphone, and piezoelectric transducer, anchored to a restraint device with straps and attachment systems, allowing for wireless control and self-charging capabilities to assist animal hearing and receive commands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional bone conduction devices are used, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the device cannot effectively assist animal hearing due to human-designed limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is designed with specific local qualities adapted to animal anatomy - the bone conduction device is positioned at specific locations on the collar where it contacts animal bones, and the collar material and structure are optimized for animal wear patterns and anatomy, thereby improving adaptability to animal hearing while maintaining reasonable device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The collar integrates multiple functions into a single device - it serves as both a restraint device and a bone conduction hearing aid, combining positioning, hearing assistance, and animal comfort features, which improves adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity
2Reliability
If the bone conduction device is positioned near the cranium or bone, then hearing assistance effectiveness is improved, but the positioning precision and stability become more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is pre-configured with attachment sites and positioning structures that are manufactured with precision during fabrication. These pre-positioned attachment points ensure that when the collar is fitted on the animal, the bone conduction device automatically assumes the correct position near the cranium or bone, achieving both reliability and positioning precision without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The collar acts as an intermediary element between the bone conduction device and the animal's skull. It provides a stable platform with built-in positioning features that transfer the vibration effectively to the animal's bone while maintaining consistent positioning, thereby achieving reliable hearing assistance with controlled positioning precision
3Ease of operation
If wireless control and self-charging capabilities are added, then device functionality and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity and power management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bone conduction device incorporates self-charging capabilities through wireless power transfer - the collar or device contains a receiving coil that automatically charges the battery when placed near a charging base or when worn by the animal during movement, eliminating the need for manual battery installation or external power sources, thereby improving ease of operation while keeping power management complexity manageable through automated systems
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 device effectively conveys ambient sounds and silent commands to animals through vibrations, enhancing their hearing and enabling remote control interactions, while the self-charging feature ensures prolonged use without external power sources.
Implementation Method 1
A bone conduction collar with a bone conduction device that includes a transceiver, microphone, and piezoelectric transducer
Data Source
AI summary
A restraint device for assisting hearing in an animal includes a first strap configured to encircle a thorax area of the animal and a bone conduction device for producing vibration near a bone in the thorax area of the animal. The bone conduction device includes a bone conduction transducer configured to generate vibrations in a frequency range perceivable by the animal, a processor configured to control the generation of vibrations by said bone conduction transducer, and a microphone configured to pick up ambient sounds and convert the picked up ambient sounds to electrical signals. The processor controls the bone conduction transducer to generate vibrations in a frequency range corresponding to the picked up ambient sounds.