Hearing Aid Positioning Tool for Precise Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing aid systems face challenges in accurately positioning the interconnection unit behind the ear due to limited hairless skin area and difficulty in visual alignment, leading to poor adhesion, discomfort, and acoustic feedback.
Innovation Solution
A hearing aid system with a positioning tool that includes a circular geometry connection portion allowing rotation and a grip for precise placement, ensuring the interconnection unit adheres to hairless skin without touching the outer ear, and a flexible connection for easy handling and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the interconnection unit is placed close to the outer ear to maximize the hearing aid position, then the hearing aid can be positioned optimally, but the interconnection unit or hearing aid may touch the outer ear causing discomfort and acoustic feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning tool acts as an intermediary device that mediates between the user and the interconnection unit during placement. The tool includes a guide surface that physically guides the interconnection unit to the correct position behind the ear, ensuring proper spacing from the outer ear while maintaining optimal hearing aid positioning. This intermediary guidance mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing precise positioning without requiring the user to directly manipulate the interconnection unit close to the sensitive ear area.
2Reliability
If the interconnection unit is placed on hairless skin for good adhesion, then adhesion quality improves, but the available positioning area is limited and difficult to access
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning tool serves as an intermediary that facilitates access to the limited hairless skin area behind the ear. The tool's ergonomic design with a grip portion allows users to easily hold and manipulate it, while the guide surface extends to reach the precise positioning area. This intermediary device bridges the gap between ease of operation and the need to access the restricted hairless skin region for reliable adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning tool enables preliminary positioning actions to be performed accurately before final adhesion. Users can first position the guide surface of the tool against the ear to establish the correct location, then proceed with adhesion application. This preliminary positioning action ensures that the interconnection unit is placed on the optimal hairless skin area, improving both adhesion reliability and positioning ease.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the interconnection unit is removed from the skin for repositioning, then positioning flexibility improves, but adhesive properties are reduced leading to poorer adhesion on reattachment
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the positioning and adhesion functions into separate phases. The positioning tool enables repositioning flexibility by allowing the interconnection unit to be removed and repositioned without compromising adhesion, as the tool guides precise placement. The adhesive properties are maintained through proper positioning techniques that prevent skin contamination and ensure optimal bonding surface contact. This segmentation allows adaptability during positioning while preserving adhesion reliability.
4Device complexity
If the hearing aid is connected directly to the interconnection unit, then the system is simple, but precise positioning and orientation adjustment is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning tool performs preliminary positioning actions before the hearing aid is connected to the interconnection unit. The tool's guide surface ensures precise placement of the interconnection unit on the skin, and the circular geometry with center axis allows for controlled orientation adjustment. This preliminary positioning enables both system simplicity and positioning precision by establishing correct alignment before final connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection portion with circular geometry and center axis introduces dynamic adjustability to the otherwise static connection between hearing aid and interconnection unit. Users can rotate the hearing aid around the center axis to fine-tune orientation while maintaining secure connection. This dynamic feature allows precise positioning without increasing overall system complexity, as the rotation capability is integrated into the existing connection mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hearing aid system with a positioning tool is disclosed. The hearing aid system has a hearing aid, an adhesive interconnection unit and a positioning tool. The interconnection unit can be connected to both the hearing aid and the positioning tool. The positioning tool facilitates a correct positioning of the interconnection unit on the hairless skin area behind the outer ear and ensures that neither the hearing aid nor the interconnection unit touches the skin of the outer ear. The hearing aid position can be fine-tuned by turning it in relation to the interconnection unit.