EP0671115B1 - Method for the securing of an electro-acoustic device in or partly in the human ear - Google Patents
Method for the securing of an electro-acoustic device in or partly in the human ear Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0671115B1 EP0671115B1 EP93901692A EP93901692A EP0671115B1 EP 0671115 B1 EP0671115 B1 EP 0671115B1 EP 93901692 A EP93901692 A EP 93901692A EP 93901692 A EP93901692 A EP 93901692A EP 0671115 B1 EP0671115 B1 EP 0671115B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- hearing aid
- securing
- coupling system
- auditory canal
- ear
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
- H04R25/604—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
- H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
- H04R25/656—Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method as presented in the preamble of claim 1.
- Electro-acoustic devices to be placed at or in the ear have been known for several decades. Such devices are usually secured by means of a securing member, for example a carrying device in a headset, or by the electro-acoustic device being designed so that it is individually adapted to the ear to be mounted either externally on the ear or internally in the auditory canal or in the outer ear, like for example an electronic hearing aid.
- a securing member for example a carrying device in a headset
- the electro-acoustic device being designed so that it is individually adapted to the ear to be mounted either externally on the ear or internally in the auditory canal or in the outer ear, like for example an electronic hearing aid.
- Such a hearing aid requires both mechanical and acoustic adaptation to the ear on or in which it is to be mounted. This adaptation is time consuming and involves periods of waiting for the user, so that often several weeks pass from the first hearing test until the hearing aid is delivered.
- the known hearing aids moreover require a certain period of "getting-used-to", both in respect of carrying a device being individually adapted to the ear and in respect of hearing in a new way.
- In-the-ear hearing aids are moreover secured by individual adaptation only, without particular securing members.
- the use of devices with ear-plugs or in-the-ear devices may also result in various side effects, such as increased cerumen production, due to the fact that the auditory canal is closed off for long periods of time.
- a method of securing a hearing aid as presented in the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed in US A 4,532,649.
- This document concerns an in-the-ear hearing aid which is designed to be located in the auditory canal of the user.
- a body portion of the hearing aid is custom-shaped to fit in the auditory canal, leaving only a cover member of the hearing aid exposed.
- the hearing aid has a sound vent tube.
- the hearig aid is secured in the auditory canal by the interfitting relation between the custom-shaped body portion and the auditory canal.
- a method of securing a part of a hearing system, e.g. a hearing aid, by the use of adhesion in the auditory canal of a user is disclosed in WO A 92/09181.
- a transducer which is a part of a hearing system can be located on the tympanic membrane by the use of surface adhesion.
- the remaining parts of the hearing system e.g. a signal producing means, can be placed at different locations within the ear canal or external to the ear canal.
- a hearing aid secured according to the invention does not need to be individually adapted to the ear, and the possibility is provided of achieving "open hearing", i.e. the user can hear sounds both from the surroundings and from the device, and thus a much more natural hearing perception is achieved in this manner compared to the known devices. Consequently, the time passing from the hearing test until the hearing aid is delivered can be drastically reduced.
- the consumption of time can actually be reduced to the time it takes to adjust the hearing aid to have it compensate for the hearing disability.
- a very inconspicuous hearing aid is achieved, which can be designed or ornamented as a piece of jewellery or the like, if so desired, in order hereby to disguise the presence of a hearing aid.
- the coupling system may be a glue or an adhesive of a type being compatible with human skin; an electrostatic or an electrodynamic device; a system based on a surface tension or a change of the surface tension, or another means or system being applicable for securing items to the skin.
- the coupling system may also be a combination of two or more securing methods.
- the adhesive may be used different known types of adhesive being acceptable to the skin.
- the adhesive may be fluent or pastelike; it may be double-faced tape; plaster cut out or punched out in advance, or plaster being cut out into suitable pieces, and similar adhesives. This is the reason why in some cases it may be advantageous to proceed as present-ed and characterized in claim 4.
- the application aid may be a means for applying the adhesive, or it may directly carry the adhesive.
- the drawing shows a hearing aid 1 designed according to the invention and secured by means of an adhesive 2 to the tragus 3 of the ear 8.
- the hearing aid is oblong and slightly curved so that it fills about half of the auditory canal 5. It is naturally placed in such a manner that the sound reproducer 6 is directed towards the tympanic membrane, and the sound receiver 4 is directed towards the surroundings.
- the hearing aid is moreover designed with rounded edges and has such a form and size that it can be placed in the human ear without any further mechanical adaptation to the auditory canal being required.
- hearing aid 1 fills about half of the auditory canal 5 is only an example, as the form and size of the auditory canal as it will be recalled is highly individual.
- the shown oblong hearing aid is slightly curved, for example bean-shaped, allowing it to fit into most persons' auditory canal.
- the hearing aid consists of an outer thin shell of plastic, for example acrylic plastic, surrounding the necessary electronic components, i.e. an amplifying circuit with a battery, a sound receiver and a sound reproducer, and possibly further circuits, for example a telecoil or the like, and means for receiving signals from a master (remote control unit).
- a master remote control unit
- the hearing aid 1 is secured by applying an adhesive to the plastic shell in a selected place.
- the adhesive may be applied directly or using the application aid.
- the aid may be arranged to carry the adhesive and any means for cleaning the skin area to which the device is to adhere, for example the tragus.
- the cleaning means may be based on absorbtion or adsorbtion of skin secretion, for example cerumen.
- the hearing aid shown in the drawing is only an example of how such a device can be designed and secured according to the invention. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that many other embodiments may be conceived also providing the possibility of securing the hearing aid in or at least partly in a person's auditory canal by means of a coupling system according to the invention, for example by adhesion as shown.
- the hearing aid or any other electro-acoustic device, is secured to the tragus of the ear should only be regarded as an example of a place where the device according to the invention can be secured.
Abstract
Description
Claims (5)
- Method for securing in position a hearing aid (1) in or at leat partly in a person's auditory canal (5), said hearing aid (1) comprising in an outer shell at least one sound receiver (4), at least one sound reproducer (6) and an electronic amplifying circuit characterized in that the outer shell of the hearing aid is not individually adapted to the person's auditory canal (5), in that the hearing aid (1) is secured in position using a coupling system (2) made of material being compatible with the skin, in that the coupling system (2) is arranged on the outer shell so that the hearing aid (1) is secured, in relation to its position in the auditory canal (5), to the tragus (3) of the ear or to the meatus acusticus externus or to the cavum conchae or to the area between the meatus acusticus externus and the cavum conchae, and in that the cross-sectional profile of the hearing aid (1) is designed such that the hearing aid (1) can be placed and secured in position by the coupling system (2) in such a manner that the auditory canal (5) is not closed acoustically from the surroundings.
- Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling system (2) is an adhesive.
- Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the securing is effected by applying the coupling system (2) to the hearing aid (1) to create a securing area, after which the hearing aid (1) is positioned in such a manner that the securing area is placed or pressed against the skin in the place where the hearing aid (1) is to be secured in position.
- Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that an application aid is used for applying the coupling system (2) to the hearing aid (1) or to the skin.
- Method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the coupling system (2) comprises absorbing or adsorbing removable capacity towards skin secretion.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DK1166/92 | 1992-09-21 | ||
DK116692A DK116692A (en) | 1992-09-21 | 1992-09-21 | Method of attaching an electro-acoustic device and electro-acoustic device for use in the method |
DK116692 | 1992-09-21 | ||
PCT/DK1992/000322 WO1994007343A1 (en) | 1992-09-21 | 1992-11-05 | Method for the securing of an electro-acoustic device on or in the human ear and electro-acoustic device for use in the method |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0671115A1 EP0671115A1 (en) | 1995-09-13 |
EP0671115B1 true EP0671115B1 (en) | 2002-03-20 |
Family
ID=8101742
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP93901692A Expired - Lifetime EP0671115B1 (en) | 1992-09-21 | 1992-11-05 | Method for the securing of an electro-acoustic device in or partly in the human ear |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0671115B1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU3254893A (en) |
DE (1) | DE69232502T2 (en) |
DK (1) | DK116692A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1994007343A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6892082B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2005-05-10 | Peter V. Boesen | Cellular telephone and personal digital assistance |
US6920229B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2005-07-19 | Peter V. Boesen | Earpiece with an inertial sensor |
US6952483B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2005-10-04 | Genisus Systems, Inc. | Voice transmission apparatus with UWB |
Families Citing this family (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AT408707B (en) * | 1998-03-30 | 2002-02-25 | Peter Zimmer Keg | HEARING AID |
WO2001032114A1 (en) * | 1999-11-02 | 2001-05-10 | Wizcare Ltd. | Skin-gripper |
WO2004052048A1 (en) * | 2002-12-03 | 2004-06-17 | Danmeter A/S | A signal or communications unit having an attachment means, and use thereof |
DE102005010625A1 (en) * | 2005-03-08 | 2006-09-14 | Phonak Ag | Remote control for a hearing aid |
EP1624720A3 (en) * | 2005-08-24 | 2010-01-20 | Phonak AG | Behind-the-ear equipment housing with self-adhesives properties |
US7899200B2 (en) | 2006-06-02 | 2011-03-01 | Phonak Ag | Universal-fit hearing device |
US11036465B2 (en) | 2019-10-28 | 2021-06-15 | Bose Corporation | Sleep detection system for wearable audio device |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4532649A (en) * | 1983-07-03 | 1985-07-30 | Gaspare Bellafiore | Hearing aid |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2678973A (en) * | 1950-10-02 | 1954-05-18 | Charles E Glassen | Mounting for hearing aid receivers |
US4130741A (en) * | 1978-01-19 | 1978-12-19 | Benjamin Gottlieb | Hearing aid reliner and apparatus for relining hearing aid ear molds |
KR100229086B1 (en) * | 1990-11-07 | 1999-11-01 | 빈센트 블루비너지 | Contact transducer assembly for hearing devices |
-
1992
- 1992-09-21 DK DK116692A patent/DK116692A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1992-11-05 WO PCT/DK1992/000322 patent/WO1994007343A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1992-11-05 EP EP93901692A patent/EP0671115B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-11-05 DE DE69232502T patent/DE69232502T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-11-05 AU AU32548/93A patent/AU3254893A/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4532649A (en) * | 1983-07-03 | 1985-07-30 | Gaspare Bellafiore | Hearing aid |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6892082B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2005-05-10 | Peter V. Boesen | Cellular telephone and personal digital assistance |
US6920229B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2005-07-19 | Peter V. Boesen | Earpiece with an inertial sensor |
US6952483B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2005-10-04 | Genisus Systems, Inc. | Voice transmission apparatus with UWB |
US7209569B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2007-04-24 | Sp Technologies, Llc | Earpiece with an inertial sensor |
US7215790B2 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2007-05-08 | Genisus Systems, Inc. | Voice transmission apparatus with UWB |
US7983628B2 (en) | 1999-10-11 | 2011-07-19 | Boesen Peter V | Cellular telephone and personal digital assistant |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE69232502T2 (en) | 2002-10-31 |
WO1994007343A1 (en) | 1994-03-31 |
DE69232502D1 (en) | 2002-04-25 |
DK116692A (en) | 1994-03-22 |
DK116692D0 (en) | 1992-09-21 |
AU3254893A (en) | 1994-04-12 |
EP0671115A1 (en) | 1995-09-13 |
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