# US 2021/0243540 A1 · Wax protection for in-canal hearing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243540 A1 - Document ID: US20210243540A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/237,579 - Filed: 2021-04-22 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-21 - Assignees: Starkey Laboratories, Inc. - Applicants: Starkey Laboratories, Inc. - Inventors: Sidney A. Higgins; Brian Thomas Dahl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243540A1 ## CPC - H04R 25/652: {Ear tips; Ear moulds (hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659)} - H04R 25/654: {Ear wax retarders} - H04R 25/604: {of acoustic or vibrational transducers} - H04R 2225/021: Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids - H04R 2225/0216: BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould - H04R 2225/025: In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids - H04R 2460/17: Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A hearing aid assembly includes a receiver speaker enclosed within a receiver housing. The receiver housing defines a circuitous receiver acoustic channel, wherein the receiver channel defines an open side along at least a portion of the receiver channel. The receiver channel also defines a pass-through passage extending from a first side of the receiver housing to a second side of the receiver housing, wherein the pass-through passage is partially defined by the wall defining a receiver opening. The hearing aid assembly also includes an earbud configured to fit over at least a portion of the receiver housing and partially cover the open side of the receiver channel. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A hearing aid assembly comprising: a receiver housing defining a receiver cavity to enclose a receiver speaker, the receiver housing defining: a receiver acoustic channel, wherein the receiver channel defines an open side along at least a portion of the receiver channel; a receiver opening defined in a wall of the receiver channel and in acoustic communication with the receiver cavity; and a pass-through passage extending from a first side of the receiver housing to a second side of the receiver housing, wherein the pass-through passage is partially defined by the wall defining the receiver opening; and an earbud configured to fit over at least a portion of the receiver housing, the earbud comprising an earbud inner surface that at least partially covers the open side of the receiver channel when the earbud is positioned over at least a portion of the receiver housing. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver channel is circuitous. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver channel comprises at least three segments, wherein each the three segments define an angle with an adjacent segment of 90 degrees or less. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver channel defines a receiver acoustic path having at least four turns of 90 degrees or less. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver channel comprises: a front segment defined in a front face of the receiver housing, a side segment defined in a side surface of the receiver housing, and a rear segment extending from the side surface of the receiver housing to the receiver opening, wherein the pass-through passage comprises the rear segment of the receiver channel. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the open side of the receiver channel permits a line of sight to a bottom surface of the receiver channel. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the open side of the receiver channel has a width of at least 1 millimeter and the receiver channel has a depth of at least 1 millimeter. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver channel comprises a wrap-around segment that wraps around a circumference of a side surface of the receiver housing. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver housing comprising a front receiver housing and a back receiver housing connectable to form the receiver cavity, wherein the front receiver housing defines the receiver channel, the receiver opening, and the pass-through passage. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The assembly of claim 29 wherein the front receiver housing is a unitary structure. ### Claim 31 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the pass-through passage is perpendicular to an axis of the receiver opening. ### Claim 32 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver opening comprises two separate apertures. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver opening comprises three separate apertures, wherein the wall defining the receiver opening comprises two ribs, each of the ribs separating two of the three separate apertures. ### Claim 34 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver housing further defines a cavity passage extending from a receiver opening to a cavity opening, wherein the cavity passage is tapered to have an increasing cross-sectional area as the cavity passage extends away from the receiver opening toward the cavity passage. ### Claim 35 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein receiver housing further comprises a filter positioned across the receiver opening, wherein the filter is a wire mesh, a membrane, a foam, or a polystyrene foam. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The assembly of claim 35 wherein the filter is secured to the receiver housing by over molding, adhesive, or plastic welding. ### Claim 37 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the earbud inner surface seals against the receiver housing over at least a portion of the open side of the receiver channel when the earbud is positioned over at least a portion of the receiver housing. ### Claim 38 (depends on 21) The assembly of claim 21 wherein the earbud comprises a flexible material, a resilient material, or an elastomeric material. ### Claim 39 A hearing aid assembly comprising: a receiver assembly comprising a receiver speaker; a receiver housing defining a receiver cavity to enclose the receiver assembly, the receiver housing defining: a receiver acoustic channel, wherein at least a portion of the receiver channel defines an open side; receiver opening defined in a wall of the receiver channel in acoustic communication with the receiver cavity, wherein a cavity passage is tapered to have an increasing cross-sectional area as the cavity passage extends away from the receiver opening to the receiver cavity; and a pass-through passage extending from a first side of the receiver housing to a second side of the receiver housing, wherein the pass-through passage is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the receiver opening; and an earbud sized to fit over at least a portion of the receiver housing, the earbud comprising an earbud inner surface that at least partially covers the open side of the receiver channel and seals against the receiver housing over at least a portion of the open side of the receiver channel when the earbud is positioned over at least a portion of the receiver housing. ### Claim 40 A method of making a hearing aid assembly comprising: providing a receiver housing defining a receiver cavity to enclose a receiver speaker defining: a receiver acoustic channel, wherein the receiver channel defines an open side along at least a portion of the receiver channel; a receiver opening defined in a wall of the receiver channel and configured to be in acoustic communication with the receiver speaker; and a pass-through passage extending from a first side of the receiver housing to a second side of the receiver housing, wherein the pass-through passage is partially defined by the wall defining the receiver opening; and assembling the receiver housing around the receiver speaker; and providing an earbud sized to fit over at least a portion of the receiver housing, the earbud comprising an earbud inner surface that at least partially covers the open side of the receiver channel when the earbud is positioned over at least a portion of the receiver housing.