Adjustable venting for hearing instruments
AssigneeEarlens Corporation
InventorStuart W. WENZEL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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.
Claims19
A method for reducing occlusion in a hearing device placed in an ear canal of a user, the method comprising:
- deforming a malleable structure placed in the ear canal to vary a size of at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel,
- wherein the malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in the ear canal and has a cross-section shaped to define the at least one channel between the inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure,
- wherein deforming the malleable structure comprises one or more of translating or rotating a slider relative to the malleable structure;
- and
- emitting an optical signal from the malleable structure.
A method for reducing occlusion in a hearing device placed in an ear canal of a user, the method comprising:
- deforming a malleable structure placed in the ear canal to vary a size of at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel,
- wherein the malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in the ear canal and has a cross-section shaped to define the at least one channel between the inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure;
- adjusting the degree of venting in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue;
- and
- emitting an optical signal from the malleable structure.
An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device, the ear tip comprising:
- a malleable structure sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user, the malleable structure having a cross-section shaped to define at least one channel between an inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure for venting of the ear canal;
- an output transducer positioned in the malleable structure,
- wherein the malleable structure is deformable to adjust the cross-section thereof so as to vary a size of the at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the malleable structure and operable to cause the malleable structure and operable to cause the malleable structure to deform,
- wherein the actuator is configured to vary the degree of venting provided by the at least one channel in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.
An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device, the ear tip comprising:
- a malleable structure sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user, the malleable structure having a cross-section shaped to define at least one channel between an inner wall of the ear canal and an outer surface of the malleable structure for venting of the ear canal;
- an output transducer positioned in the malleable structure,
- wherein the malleable structure is deformable to adjust the cross-section thereof so as to vary a size of the at least one channel to adjust a degree of venting provided by the at least one channel,
- wherein the malleable structure is deformable between a low cross-sectional area configuration and a high cross-sectional area configuration, the at least one channel providing more venting when the malleable structure is in the low cross-sectional area configuration than when in the high cross-sectional area configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.