Electrode placement for wireless intrabody communication between components of a hearing system

Apparatus, comprising:

• a first hearing system device including a housing, circuitry included within the housing, and a pair of electrodes each coupled to the circuitry to communicate information through a person;
• and
• wherein the housing defines a lower, hook-shaped contour to fit behind an ear of the person and be placed along the person's skin between a corresponding pinna and cranial region, the electrodes are each positioned along the contour and spaced apart from one another by at least about 10 millimeters to be placed proximate to a corresponding pair of skin regions when the device is mounted behind the ear of the person.

Apparatus, comprising:

• a first hearing system device including a housing, circuitry included within the housing, and a pair of electrodes each coupled to the circuitry to communicate information through a person;
• and
• wherein the housing includes a first side opposite a second side, the first side and second side are connected together by a lower portion defining a hook-shaped contour to fit behind an ear of the person, the electrodes each extend from the contour to the first side and the second side, and the electrodes are each approximately symmetric about a plane intersecting the contour, and the first hearing system device is interchangeable between the right and left ears.

A behind-the-ear device, comprising:

• a housing, circuitry included within the housing, and a pair of electrodes each coupled to the circuitry to communicate information through a person, the housing including an inner contour shaped to fit behind an ear of the person between a corresponding pinna and cranial region, the electrodes being positioned along the inner contour and spaced apart from one another by at least about 10 millimeters to be positioned along a respective pair of spaced-apart skin regions when the device is mounted behind the ear of the person.

A device for placement in an ear canal of a person, comprising:

• a housing shape structured for removal and placement through an outer ear canal by the person, circuitry included within the housing, a first electrode electrically coupled to the circuitry and being carried with the housing to be placed along a first skin region at a top portion of the ear canal, and a second electrode electrically coupled to the circuitry and being carried with the housing to be placed along a second skin region at a bottom portion of the ear canal, the first electrode and the second electrode being structured to collectively operate as a dipole antenna, and the first electrode, the second electrode, and the circuitry being effective to selectively communicate information through the person when the housing is received in the ear canal of the person.

A behind-the-ear device comprising:

• a housing, circuitry included within the housing, and a pair of electrodes each coupled to the circuitry to communicate information through a person;
• and
• wherein the housing includes a first side opposite a second side, the first side and second side are connected together by a lower portion defining a hook-shaped contour to fit behind an ear of the person, the electrodes each wrap about a plane intersecting the contour and extend from the contour to the first side and the second side.

Apparatus, comprising:

• a first hearing system device including a housing structured for removal and placement by a person through an outer ear canal of the person, circuitry included within the housing, and two electrodes each electrically coupled to the circuitry;
• and
• wherein the housing includes a first side portion positioned opposite a second side portion, a first one of the electrodes is connected to the first side portion to be positioned along a first skin region of the ear canal, a second one of the electrodes is connected to the second side portion of the housing to be positioned along a second skin region of the ear canal opposite the first skin region, the first one of the electrodes is positioned along the housing to contact the first skin region along a top portion of the ear canal and the second one of the electrodes is positioned along the housing to contact the second skin region along a bottom portion of the ear canal, and the electrodes and the circuitry are operable to selectively communicate information through the person when the housing is received in the ear canal.