Hearing apparatus

A hearing device, adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the outer section of the cartilaginous part defining a bowl-shaped concha having an acoustic focus, the hearing device comprising:

• (a) a microphone, located at the acoustic focus of the concha, said microphone being operative to convert sound waves into a microphone electrical signal;
• (b) a vibration sensor located in the human external auditory canal for producing a vibration electrical signal in response to and representative of the bone-conducted portion of the user's speech;
• (c) electronic circuit means for creating a joint electrical signal that is dependent upon the electric representations of said microphone and vibration electrical signals;
• and
• (d) a speaker operative to convert said joint electrical signal into sound waves.

A hearing device, comprising:

• (a) a microphone for receiving and converting air-borne sound waves into a representative electrical signal;
• (b) a signal processing circuit;
• (c) means for communicating said representative electrical signal to said signal processing circuit, said signal processing circuit being operative to enhance the representative electrical signal and create a processed signal;
• (d) a radio transmitter, said transmitter modulating the processed signal and creating a modulated processed signal, the transmitter outputting the modulated processed signal via carrier wave;
• (e) a radio receiver adapted for positioning within the human ear for receiving and demodulating the modulated processed signal and creating a demodulated processed signal;
• and
• (f) a speaker responsive to said demodulated processed signal, said speaker including an active, compliantly supported surface having a functional area comparable to that of a human tympanic membrane for creating air-borne sound waves, said compliantly supported surface being configured and dimensioned to fit at least partially within a human external auditory canal in a location between the sigmoid portion and the tympanic membrane, said speaker converting the demodulated processed signal into said air-borne sound waves.

A hearing device comprising:

• (a) a microphone for receiving and converting sound waves into a representative microphone electrical signal;
• (b) signal processing means for creating a processed signal which is dependent upon the microphone electrical signal, at least a portion of the signal processing means being adapted for placement distal to the user's ear;
• (c) a radio transmitter, said transmitter modulating the processed signal and creating a modulated processed signal, the transmitter outputting the modulated processed signal via carrier wave;
• (d) a radio receiver adapted for positioning proximal to the user's ear for receiving and demodulating the modulated processed signal and creating a demodulated processed signal;
• and
• (e) a speaker responsive to said demodulated processed signal, said speaker converting the demodulated processed signal into sound waves, said speaker being insertable into the bony part of the external auditory canal past the sigmoid portion of the cartilaginous part while having a vibration surface area substantially as large as the functional surface area of the tympanic membrane.

A hearing device comprising:

• (a) a microphone, said microphone being operative to convert sound waves into a microphone electrical signal;
• (b) a vibration sensor in a human external auditory canal for producing a vibration electrical signal in response to and representative of the bone-conducted portion of the user's speech;
• (c) electronic circuit means for modifying said microphone and vibration electrical signals and creating a joint electrical signal that is a combination of the electric representations of said microphone and vibration electrical signals;
• and
• (d) a speaker, said speaker being operative to convert said joint electrical signal into sound waves.

An apparatus adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, and a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for receiving radio-frequency energy;
• (b) means for converting the received energy into an electrical signal;
• (c) means for modifying said electrical signal;
• and
• (d) means for converting said modified electrical signal into energy in the form of air-borne sound waves, said converting means including an active, compliantly supported surface having a functional area comparable to the functional area of a human tympanic membrane for creating said air-borne sound waves, said compliantly supported surface being configured and dimensioned to fit at least partially within a human external auditory canal in a location between the sigmoid portion and the tympanic membrane.

An apparatus adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, and a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for receiving energy in the form of sound waves:
• (b) means for converting the received energy into an electrical signal;
• (c) means for modifying said electrical signal;
• and
• (d) means for converting said modified electrical signal into energy in the form of air-borne sound waves, said converting means including an active, compliantly supported surface having a functional area comparable to the functional area of a human tympanic membrane for creating said air-borne sound waves, said compliantly supported surface being configured and dimensioned to fit at least partially within a human external auditory canal in a location between the sigmoid portion and the tympanic membrane.

A hearing device, adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the outer section of the cartilaginous part defining a bowl-shaped concha having an acoustic focus, the hearing aid comprising:

• (a) a microphone, located at the acoustic focus of the concha, said microphone being operative to convert sound waves into a microphone electrical signal;
• (b) a vibration sensor for producing a vibration electrical signal in response to and representative of the bone-conducted portion of the user's speech;
• (c) electronic circuit means for selectively modifying said microphone and vibration electrical signals and creating a joint electrical signal that is a linear combination of the electric representations of said microphone and vibration electrical signals;
• and
• (d) a speaker operative to convert said joint electrical signal into sound waves.

A hearing device, adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the outer section of the cartilaginous part defining a bowl-shaped concha having an acoustic focus, the hearing device comprising:

• (a) a microphone, located at the acoustic focus of the concha, said microphone being operative to convert sound waves into a microphone electrical signal;
• (b) electronic circuit means for modifying said microphone electrical signal and creating a modified electrical signal;
• and
• (c) a speaker operative to convert said modified electrical signal into sound waves.

An apparatus adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, and a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for receiving energy in the form of sound waves:
• (b) means for converting the received energy into an electrical signal;
• (c) means for modifying said electrical signal;
• and
• (d) means for converting said modified electrical signal into energy in the form of air-borne sound waves, said converting means including an active, compliantly supported surface having a functional area at least as large as the functional area of a human tympanic membrane for creating said air-borne sound waves, said compliantly supported surface being configured and dimensioned to fit at least partially within a human external auditory canal in a location between the sigmoid portion and the tympanic membrane.

An apparatus for use in a human external auditory canal with substantially non-compliant side walls and a compliant tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartlinginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part forming an S-shaped sigmoid portion, and a bony portion that extends to the tympanic membrane, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for receiving energy in the form of sound waves and converting the received energy into an electrical signal;
• (b) means for modifying said electrical signal;
• (c) means for converting said modified electrical signal into energy in the form of air-borne sound waves, said converting means including an active, compliantly supported surface having a functional area at least as large as the functional area of the tympanic membrane for creating said air-borne sound waves, said surface being located between the sigmoid portion and the tympanic membrane;
• and
• (d) means for acoustically isolating an inner and an external portion of the auditory canal to form a closed cavity in which the compliant surface of the convening means is at least partially located.

A hearing device, comprising:

• (a) a microphone to convert sound waves into a microphone electrical signal;
• (b) a vibration sensor for producing a vibration electrical signal in response to and representative of a bone-conducted portion of a user's speech;
• (c) electronic circuit means for processing a signal representative of said microphone electrical signal and said vibration electrical signal;
• (d) a speaker operative to convert a signal processed by said electronic circuit means into sound waves;
• and
• (e) a portable transmitter for communication at least one of gain and filtering control information to said electronic circuit means as a function of a user input, said electronic circuit means including means for adjusting the gain and filtering of said processed signal.

A hearing device, adapted for use in a human external auditory canal with a tympanic membrane at its innermost terminus, the external auditory canal having a cartilaginous part with an innermost section of the cartilaginous part defining an S-shaped sigmoid portion, a bony part that adjoins the sigmoid portion and extends to the tympanic membrane, the outer section of the cartilaginous part defining a bowl-shaped concha having an acoustic focus, the hearing device comprising:

• (a) a microphone, located at the acoustic focus of the concha, said microphone being operative to convert sound waves into a microphone electrical signal;
• (b) a vibration sensor for producing a vibration electrical signal in response to and representative of the bone-conducted portion of the user's speech;
• (c) electronic circuit means for selectively modifying said microphone and electrical vibration signals and creating a joint electrical signal that is an analog summation of the direct electric analog representations of said microphone and vibration electrical signals;
• (d) a speaker operative to convert said joint electrical signal into sound waves;
• (e) means for receiving and demodulating control signals, said electronic circuit means being responsive to said demodulated control signals;.
• (f) a portable transmitter which communicates with said receiving and demodulating means, said portable transmitter including an operator interface for entering gain and filtering parameters of the microphone and vibration electrical signals;
• (g) a controller for communicating with said operator interface and creating a command electrical signal;
• and
• (h) an output stage for modulating said command electrical signal and creating a control signal for said receiving and demodulating means, said control signal being transmitted via carrier wave to said receiving and demodulating means.