Malleable Ear Tip Venting for Hearing Aids

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current in-canal hearing aids face issues with occlusion, where fixed vent sizes fail to adapt to changing acoustic environments, leading to suboptimal sound quality, and adjusting vents is cumbersome, requiring professional assistance.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a malleable structure, such as a gel or fluid-filled bladder, with an actuator that allows for adjustable venting in response to environmental cues or user feedback, enabling dynamic adjustment of vent size and shape to optimize sound quality in real-time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fixed-size vents are used in in-canal hearing aids, then the device structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the sound quality is suboptimal in changing acoustic environments and the vents cannot adapt to different conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability of vent size to acoustic environmentVSAvoidcomplexity of adjustable vent mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the vent size adjustable rather than fixed. The malleable element can change its shape and the channels it defines can vary in size dynamically in response to acoustic environment changes, allowing the hearing aid to adapt venting characteristics to different listening conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the physical state of the malleable element (changing from one shape to another) to alter the vent channel dimensions. This allows the same physical component to provide different venting parameters (channel size, shape) based on environmental conditions, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If traditional vent adjustment methods are used, then professional fitting is sufficient for initial setup, but adjusting vents in daily life is cumbersome and requires removing the hearing instrument

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of vent adjustment in daily lifeVSAvoidtime required for vent adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by enabling the hearing aid to automatically adjust its venting characteristics in response to acoustic environment changes without requiring user intervention. The system monitors environmental cues and autonomously modifies the malleable element's shape to optimize venting, eliminating the need for users to manually adjust vents or visit professionals for routine adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies feedback by using environmental cues as input to automatically control vent adjustment. The system continuously monitors acoustic conditions and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the malleable element's configuration, creating a closed-loop system that adapts venting in real-time without user involvement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Object-affected harmful factors

If rigid ear tips are used, then manufacturing precision is easy to achieve, but tissue irritation occurs in the sensitive bony portion of the ear canal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue irritation in ear canalVSAvoidprecision of ear tip configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies flexible shells by using a malleable element that can deform and conform to the ear canal's geometry. This flexible structure reduces tissue irritation by adapting to the sensitive bony portion of the ear canal rather than imposing a rigid configuration, while still maintaining sufficient structural integrity to define vent channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by having the malleable element provide different properties in different regions: it remains sufficiently rigid to define vent channels where needed, while being soft and conformable in regions contacting the sensitive bony ear canal. This spatial variation in mechanical properties resolves the contradiction between structural precision and tissue comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11252516B2Adjustable venting for hearing instruments

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 EARLENS CORP

AI summary

An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device is provided and comprises a malleable structure. The malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user. The malleable structure is deformable to allow an adjustable venting of the ear canal, thereby minimizing the occlusion effect. Methodology for adjusting a degree of venting of the ear canal is also provided, including the automatic adjustments. Adjusting the degree of venting may be done in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.