US 4,870,688 A · Mass production auditory canal hearing aid

Abstract

The in-the-canal hearing aid has patient selected physical components and patient selected electronic components. The construction of the hearing aid and the method of providing a hearing aid for a particular patient's hearing impairment are such that a patient may personally select the best suited hearing aid during the testing process and walk away with the hearing aid he or she has personally selected. This is accomplished by allowing the patient to select a form fitting shell with a malleable covering having a hook and twist which precisely conforms to the patient's own ear. The patient then listens to sounds with or without background noise and from various directions using electronic components which conform to the specifications of the hearing aid and personally chooses those electronics which best aid or assist the patient's hearing loss. These electronics are then quickly inserted into the same shell that the patient has chosen for testing purposes and the patient may leave with the hearing aid that he or she has personally selected during the testing process. Repair or replacement is as easily accomplished by replacing the personalized shell if physical discomfort occurs or by replacing the electronics if a sound environment exists which was not anticipated during testing. The result is a truly personalized and personally chosen prothesis which is capable of on the spot delivery.

Claims51

Dependent claims

An auditory canal hearing aid to be wholly inserted within the external ear of a user which is prefabricated from modular elements which are mass produced prior to fitting the user with a hearing aid, the hearing aid comprising:

a preassembled amplification module comprising:
a cover module having at least one aperture therein;
a sound source located within the aperture of the cover module;
amplifying means for amplifying the sound from the sound source;
a receiver for reproducing the sound amplified by the amplifier;
a battery source for supplying power to the amplifier;
and
means for interconnecting said sound source, said amplifier, said battery and said receiver means;
a prefabricated earshell assembly comprising:
a precast and preshaped hollow thin shelled rigid core having at least one opening to the environment and at least one opening to the eardrum and having an external shape which conforms to the natural anatomy of the ear;
and
a premolded soft, resilient, malleable covering fixed to the exterior of said rigid core having a tip which extends beyond the eardrum end of the rigid core, the tip having an ovoid shape and being of sufficient length for deep penetration of the ear canal so that the tip extends past the first bend in the ear canal and penetrates the ear canal to a depth of three eights to three quaters of the depth of the ear canal;
and
means for detachably connecting the amplification module to the prefabricated earshell assembly.

11 more elements

a preassembled amplification module comprising:
a cover module having at least one aperture therein;
a sound source located within the aperture of the cover module;
amplifying means for amplifying the sound from the sound source;
a receiver for reproducing the sound amplified by the amplifier;
a battery source for supplying power to the amplifier;
and
means for interconnecting said sound source, said amplifier, said battery and said receiver means;
and
a prefabricated earshell assembly comprising:
a precast and preshaped hollow thin shelled rigid core having at least one opening to the environment and at least one opening to the eardrum and having an external shape which conforms to the natural anatomy of the ear;
a premolded soft resilient covering fixed to the exterior of said rigid core;
and
wherein said rigid core further includes vent means incorporated in the structure of said core for allowing air to circular from the environment to the eardrum including four strut segments on said inferior side of said rigid core whereby said strut segments cooperate with said resilient covering to form a channel from the eardrum to the patient's environment, said strut segments integrally molded to said exterior of said inferior side of said rigid core, said inferior side having anterior and posterior edges, including:
a single center strut running along the length of the pine of said inferior side of said rigid core;
an anterior side strut the same height as said center strut running along the length of the anterior edge of said inferior side of said rigid core;
a posterior side strut of the same height as said center strut running along the length of the posterior edge of said inferior side of said rigid core;
and
a second strut of the same height as said center strut extending a portion of the length of said inferior side from an intermediate location to the end of the core having said environmental opening and equidistantly spaced between said center strut and said posterior strut and running parallel to both;
whereby said struts form two U-shaped channels on said inferior side at the eardrum end of said rigid core and form three U-shaped channels on said inferior side at the environmental end of said rigid core such that said channels cooperate with said flexible covering to form a passage from said opening to the eardrum to said opening to the environment allowing air to circular therebetween;
and
means for detachably connecting the amplification module to the prefabricated earshell assembly.

19 more elements

A stock auditory canal hearing aid to be inserted into the right auditory canal of a user which is prefabricated from modular elements which are mass produced prior to fitting the user with a hearing aid, the hearing aid comprising:

a prefabricated earshell assembly for said right auditory canal comprising a preshaped and precast hollow rigid body having a generally D-shaped opening to the environment adjacent the right ear oriented with the curved position of said D-shaped opening toward the back of said right ear, a tapered portion having an inward hook and an upward twist, and at least one inner opening to the right eardrum;
cover means for closing said D-shaped opening to the right outer ear;
a premolded soft, resilient, malleable covering fixed to the exterior of said rigid body having a tip which extends beyond the eardrum end of the rigid body, the tip having an ovoid shape and being of sufficient length for deep penetration of the ear canal so that the tip extends past the first bend in the ear canal and penetrates the ear canal to a depth of three eighths to three quarters of the depth of the ear canal;
microphone means located within said right earshell assembly;
receiver means located within said right earshell assembly;
amplifier means located within said right earshell assembly;
means within said right earshell assembly for interconnecting said microphone means, said amplifier means and said receiver means;
and
a battery source located within said right earshell assembly for supplying power to said amplifier means.

6 more elements

A stock auditory canal hearing aid to be inserted into the left auditory canal of a user which is prefabricated from modular elements which are mass produced prior to fitting the user with a hearing aid, the hearing aid comprising:

a prefabricated earshell assembly for said left auditory canal comprising a preshaped and precast hollow rigid body of singular size and shape having a generally D-shaped opening to the environment adjacent the left ear oriented with the curved portion of said D-shaped opening toward the back of said left ear, a tapered portion having an inward hook and an upward twist, and at least one inner opening to the left eardrum;
cover means for closing said D-shaped opening to the left outer ear;
a premolded soft, resilient, malleable covering fixed to the exterior of said rigid body having a tip which extends beyond the eardrum end of the rigid body, the tip having an ovoid shape and being of sufficient length of deep penetration of the ear canal so that the tip extends past the first bend in the ear canal and penetrates the ear canal to a depth of three eighths to three quarters of the depth of the ear canal;
microphone means located within said left earshell assembly;
receiver means located within said left earshell assembly;
amplifier means located within said left earshell assembly;
means within said left earshell assembly for interconnecting said microphone means, said amplifier means and said receiver means;
and
a battery source located within said left earshell assembly for supplying power to said amplifier means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mass production auditory canal hearing aid

Life of this patent

Mass production auditory canal hearing aid

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims51