In-the-ear hearing aid with directional microphone system

Apparatus for use as a Bilateral Routing Of Signals (BiCROS) type in-the-ear hearing aid, the apparatus comprising:

• a first instrument and a second instrument, each said instrument having a shell molded to custom fit a hearing aid wearer's ear, wherein said first instrument is placed in said wearer's worst hearing ear and said second instrument is placed in said wearer's better hearing ear, said first instrument and said second instrument each having:
• a first non-directional microphone system having a first inlet opening in a face plate for receiving sound and having a first output signal representative of the sound received;
• a second non-directional microphone system having a second inlet opening in said face plate for receiving sound and having a second output signal representative of the sound received;
• switch means having an operator extending through the first instrument for switching said first instrument and said second instrument between a non-directional mode and a directional mode;
• and
• connecting means for transmitting a signal from said first instrument to said second instrument.

A hearing aid system, comprising:

• an in-the-ear, first instrument and a second instrument, the first instrument having a shell molded to custom fit a worse one of a hearing aid wearer's ears, the shell including a face plate, the second instrument is associated with a better one of the wearer's ears, the first instrument having a non-directional mode and a directional mode and including:
• a first non-directional microphone system having a first inlet opening in the face plate for receiving sound and having a first output signal representative of the sound received;
• a second non-directional microphone system having a second inlet opening in the face plate for receiving sound and having a second output signal representative of the sound received;
• a switch connected to the first instrument for switching the first instrument between the non-directional mode and the directional mode;
• and
• the system further including a signal connector between the first instrument and the second instrument for transmitting a signal from the first instrument to the second instrument.