Deep-Ear-Canal Hearing Device Segmented Receiver
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deep-ear-canal hearing aids face challenges in being comfortably and easily inserted into the bony part of the auditory canal due to their size and sensitivity, with existing flexible designs causing discomfort and difficulty in production.
Innovation Solution
A deep-ear-canal hearing device with a housing and signal-processing apparatus, where the receiver is partly within and partly outside the housing, allowing for a smaller design and easier insertion, and secured using a collar and groove mechanism for accessibility and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hearing aid is made completely within the housing for secure attachment, then the attachment reliability is improved, but the overall size increases making insertion into the bony auditory canal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing aid is divided into two functional segments: the housing containing electronic components and the receiver protruding outside the housing. This segmentation allows the housing to be minimized in size while the receiver provides the necessary acoustic function externally, resolving the contradiction between small size and functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver is extracted from complete enclosure within the housing and positioned partly outside the housing. This extraction reduces the housing volume needed for insertion into the bony auditory canal while maintaining secure attachment through the collar and groove mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If the hearing aid is made flexible to adapt to the auditory canal, then the ease of insertion is improved, but the comfort and irritation reduction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing aid incorporates a flexible collar that can dynamically adapt to the auditory canal geometry during insertion while maintaining a stable configuration once positioned. This flexibility enables easy insertion into the bony canal without causing continuous irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is constructed as a flexible element that can bend and conform to the auditory canal walls during insertion, reducing mechanical irritation. The flexibility allows the device to navigate the bony canal curvature while minimizing discomfort during wear.
3Reliability
If the receiver is completely surrounded by the housing for secure attachment, then the attachment reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture and accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver is segmented from complete housing enclosure, allowing it to be manufactured and positioned as a separate component that attaches to the housing exterior. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing processes and enables easier replacement and maintenance of the receiver without disassembling the entire housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver is extracted from complete internal enclosure and positioned partly outside the housing, facilitating easier manufacturing and accessibility. The extraction allows the receiver to be accessed, replaced, or adjusted from the exterior while maintaining secure attachment through the collar and groove mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A deep-ear-canal hearing device is worn deep in the ear canal of a user. The hearing device is easy to produce and use, has a small overall size, and can be comfortably worn deep within the auditory canal, in particular in the bony part of the auditory canal as well. The hearing device has a housing, a signal-processing apparatus, and a receiver. The signal-processing apparatus is arranged within the housing. The receiver is merely arranged partly within the housing and another part is arranged outside of the housing. The receiver only being arranged partly within the housing, it is thus not completely surrounded by the housing. Hence, the housing can have a smaller configuration. In the region where the receiver is arranged outside of the housing, the double wall in the form of, the receiver wall and, the housing wall can be dispensed with, which helps in reducing the size.