Cerumen filter for hearing aids
OwnerRobert J. Oliveirainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A readily installed and replaced disposable wax guard that is affixed over the sound outlet port of an "in the ear" hearing aid and adhered to the adjacent sides of the aid. The portion that overlies the sound outlet port is porous to sound and receptive to cerumen.
Claims20
For use in connection with a sound transmitting device of the type in which a housing contains a sound transmitting tube having a sound outlet port confronting the ear drum when said device is fitted within a user's ear canal,
- a disposable wax guard for mounting over the sound outlet port to prevent cerumen from fouling said outlet port, said wax guard being readily installed and replaced by a user, comprising a thin, flexible membrane that permits a user to position said guard over said outlet port, one side of said membrane being provided with a normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer except in that portion adapted to overlie said outlet port, the portion of said guard overlying said outlet port being porous to sound and capable of wax entrapment.
For use in connection with an "in the ear" hearing aid of the type in which a housing having an anterior side and a posterior side and containing a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker is fitted within the user's ear canal so that a portion of said housing confronts the user's ear drum, said ear canal having an anterior wall and a posterior wall, the anterior side of the hearing aid housing confronting said anterior wall and the posterior side of said housing confronting said posterior wall, with a sound-transmitting tube extending from adjacent the speaker to a sound outlet port at the portion of the housing nearest to the ear drum,
- a disposable wax guard for mounting over the sound outlet port to prevent cerumen from fouling said outlet port, comprising a thin, flexible carrier membrane adapted to be positioned by a user so as to overlie said outlet port, one side of said membrane being provided with a normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer except in that portion adapted to overlie the sound outlet port the portion of said guard overlying said outlet port being porous to sound and capable of wax entrapment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.