Peritympanic hearing instrument

A hearing instrument positionable in the external auditory canal of a human proximal to the tympanic membrane, wherein the external auditory canal includes a proximal bend and a distal bend located between said proximal bend and the tympanic membrane, said hearing instrument comprising:

• a flexible tip comprising a hollow body portion defining an elongated passage extending between proximal and distal end portions of said hollow body portion for the communication of acoustic signals through said tip, said tip comprising an outer surface positioned to create a seal against an inner surface of the external auditory canal, said tip further comprising a plurality of protrusions attached adjacent to said hollow body portion and extending radially outwardly from said hollow body portion;
• wherein a perimeter portion of each of said protrusions is positionable against said inner surface of the external auditory canal to center said tip in the external auditory canal and to help navigate said hearing said hearing instrument through the path of the external auditory canal during insertion of a distal end of said tip toward the tympanic membrane and beyond the distal bend of the external auditory canal.

A hearing instrument positionable in the external auditory canal of a human, said hearing instrument comprising:

• a flexible tip comprising a hollow body portion defining an elongated passage extending between proximal and distal end portions of said hollow body portion for the communication of acoustic signals through said tip, said tip further comprising a surface positioned adjacent to said distal end portion of said hollow body portion and traversing said elongated passage to resist ingress of cerumen from the external auditory canal into said elongated passage.

A hearing instrument positionable in the external auditory canal of a human proximal to the tympanic-membrane, wherein the external auditory canal includes a proximal bend and a distal bend located between said proximal end and the tympanic membrane, said hearing instrument comprising:

• a substantially rigid shell having a distal end portion positionable to extend toward the tympanic membrane;
• and
• a relatively flexible tip member connected adjacent to said distal end portion of said shell, said tip member comprising a hollow body portion defining an elongated passage extending between proximal and distal end portions of said hollow body portion for permitting the communication of acoustic signals through said tip member between said shell and the tympanic membrane, wherein said hollow body portion of said tip member is sufficiently deformable so that an axis of said elongated passage substantially conforms to an axis of the external auditory canal upon insertion therein, said tip member further comprising a support positioned along a length of said hollow body portion and extending adjacent to said elongated passage for resisting substantial collapse of said elongated passage upon said insertion.

A tip adapted for use with a hearing instrument and intended to be positioned in the external auditory canal of a human proximal to the tympanic membrane, said tip comprising:

• a hollow body defining an elongated passage extending between proximal and distal end portions thereof for permitting the communication of acoustic signals through said tip, said hollow body being sufficiently deformable to permit an axis of said elongated passage to conform to an axis of the external auditory canal along the length of said hollow body upon insertion;
• a spring extending at least partially along a length of said hollow body and positioned adjacent to said elongated passage, said spring being sufficiently flexible to permit said axis of said elongated passage to conform to said axis of the external auditory canal and sufficiently rigid to resist substantial collapse of said elongated passage upon said insertion.