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US 5,797,834 AGranted
Hearing improvement device
AssigneeResound Corporation
InventorRichard Goode
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thin diaphragm for contacting an individual's tympanic membrane is sufficiently stiff and flexible to vibrate in response to audio frequencies so as to augment or over-ride the displacement of the individual's tympanic membrane in order to increase the acoustic efficiency of the tympanic membrane at all frequencies but particularly above 1000 Hz so as to improve mild hearing loss.
Claims18
A device for improving an individual's hearing, comprising:
- a diaphragm having an outer edge portion and a center portion wherein said center portion is more flexible than said outer edge portion, adapted for contacting the individual's tympanic membrane, the diaphragm being sufficiently efficient to vibrate in response to sound stimuli so as to displace the tympanic membrane.
A device for improving an individual's hearing, comprising:
- a diaphragm adapted for contacting the individual's tympanic membrane, the diaphragm being sufficiently efficient to vibrate in response to sound stimuli so as to displace the tympanic membrane;
- and
- a holder attached to an outer edge of the diaphragm by a compliant member adapted for maintaining the diaphragm against the tympanic membrane, wherein the compliant member has at least one hole therethrough to minimize any differential between the air pressure on each side of the compliant member when the device is contacting the tympanic membrane.
A device for improving an individual's hearing, comprising:
- a diaphragm adapted for contacting the individual's tympanic membrane, the diaphragm being sufficiently efficient to vibrate in response to sound stimuli so as to displace the tympanic membrane;
- and
- a bumper attached to an outer surface of the diaphragm adapted for maintaining the diaphragm against the tympanic membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.