Open Chamber Hearing Aid Preserving High-Frequency Spatial Cues

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hearing systems fail to effectively preserve and transmit high-frequency spatial localization cues, leading to inadequate speech reception threshold and impaired ability to accurately localize sound sources, especially in noisy environments, due to their limited bandwidth and acoustic feedback issues.

Innovation Solution

A hearing system with an input transducer assembly and transmitter assembly that processes sound signals with a bandwidth greater than 6 kHz, allowing for the preservation and transmission of high-frequency spatial localization cues directly to the middle or inner ear, using an electromagnetic-based assembly with a digital signal processor and an output transducer that couples to the tympanic membrane or ossicular chain, maintaining an open ear canal to minimize occlusion and feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional hearing systems use limited bandwidth filtering (below 5.7 kHz), then acoustic feedback is reduced and system stability is improved, but high-frequency spatial localization cues are lost and speech reception threshold deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem stabilityVSAvoidhigh-frequency spatial localization cues

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The hearing system divides the frequency spectrum into multiple bands and processes them differently. High-frequency cues above 5.7 kHz are preserved and transmitted separately through the open ear canal, while lower frequencies are processed through the conventional hearing aid pathway. This segmentation allows spatial localization information to be maintained without compromising overall system stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The open ear canal acts as an intermediary pathway that allows high-frequency spatial cues to bypass the conventional hearing aid processing chain. These cues are transmitted directly from the microphone to the ear canal entrance, serving as a mediator that preserves localization information while the main hearing aid pathway maintains system stability through bandwidth limiting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Power

If the ear canal is completely blocked by conventional hearing aids, then acoustic feedback is minimized and gain is increased, but the occlusion effect is created and natural high-frequency cues are blocked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveamplification gainVSAvoidocclusion effect

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The hearing aid design creates different acoustic conditions in different regions of the ear canal. The distal portion remains open to preserve natural high-frequency cues and reduce occlusion, while the proximal portion near the eardrum receives amplified sound through the transmitter assembly. This local differentiation allows gain to be maintained without creating the tunneling occlusion effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of blocking the entire ear canal to prevent feedback, the system inverts the approach by leaving the ear canal open and using electromagnetic transmission to deliver amplified sound directly to the eardrum. This inversion of the traditional acoustic coupling method eliminates occlusion while maintaining feedback control through the electromagnetic pathway.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Measurement precision

If bandwidth is increased above 5.7 kHz to preserve spatial cues, then speech reception threshold improves and localization accuracy increases, but acoustic feedback increases and system stability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeech reception thresholdVSAvoidsystem stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the audio signal processing into two pathways: one pathway preserves high-frequency spatial cues above 5.7 kHz for localization and SRT improvement, while the other pathway applies conventional bandwidth limiting for feedback control. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing both wide bandwidth for precision and bandwidth limiting for stability in different signal components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

Improves speech reception threshold by up to 5 dB and enhances the ability to localize sound sources by preserving high-frequency spatial cues, reducing the need for central mechanisms and minimizing occlusion, while reducing acoustic feedback and increasing functional gain.

Implementation Method 1

an electromagnetic-based assembly with a digital signal processor and an output transducer that couples to the tympanic membrane or ossicular chain

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic transduction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS7668325B2Hearing system having an open chamber for housing components and reducing the occlusion effect

Publication Date: 2010.02.23 EARLENS CORP

AI summary

A hearing system comprises a shell having an open inner chamber. An input transducer and a transmitter assembly are disposed in the open inner chamber. The transmitter has a frequency response bandwidth in a 6 kHz to 20 kHz range, and the open chamber has an end adjacent a patient's tympanic membrane with one or more openings that allow the ambient sound to pass through the chamber and directly reach the middle ear of the user.