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WO2012121730A1 - Wax-resistant dome for a hearing instrument - Google Patents

Wax-resistant dome for a hearing instrument Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2012121730A1
WO2012121730A1 PCT/US2011/027902 US2011027902W WO2012121730A1 WO 2012121730 A1 WO2012121730 A1 WO 2012121730A1 US 2011027902 W US2011027902 W US 2011027902W WO 2012121730 A1 WO2012121730 A1 WO 2012121730A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
dome
receiver tube
shell
set forth
wax
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.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2011/027902
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
James Edward De Finis
Edmund J. FAIELLA
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sivantos Inc
Original Assignee
Siemens Hearing Instruments Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens Hearing Instruments Inc filed Critical Siemens Hearing Instruments Inc
Priority to PCT/US2011/027902 priority Critical patent/WO2012121730A1/en
Publication of WO2012121730A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012121730A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

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
    • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
    • H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
    • H04R25/654—Ear wax retarders
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2460/00—Details of hearing devices, i.e. of ear- or headphones covered by H04R1/10 or H04R5/033 but not provided for in any of their subgroups, or of hearing aids covered by H04R25/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2460/11—Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
    • 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
    • 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

Definitions

  • Siemens CENTRA active (brochure), June 2008, 12 pp, available at: http://hearing.siemens.com/_resources-re/files/04-products/13-centra- active/_resources/pdf/CentraActive_information-brochure.pdf.
  • Fig. 1 is a drawing of a wax-resistant dome positioned in an ear canal
  • Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective and cross-sectional views
  • Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional elevation and bottom views, respectively, of a receiver tube retainer
  • Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional elevation views of a wax-resistant dome employing alternative configurations of the receiver tube retainer
  • Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of a wax-resistant dome with elliptical and curved vents.
  • Figs. 10 and 11 are drawings of a wax-resistant dome incorporated into the shell of a hearing instrument. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
  • a hearing instrument receiver tube 20 is attached to a wax-resistant dome 30 positioned in the ear canal.
  • the wax-resistant dome 30, shown again in Fig. 2 comprises a hollow dome shell 32 having a partial spherical outer surface 34.
  • the outer surface 34 may assume a variety of shapes, including a partial sphere, an ellipsoid such as a partial oblate or prolate spheroid (see the dashed line 60 in Fig. 1), or any other shape, including irregular two-dimensional surfaces, suitable for the hearing application and the user's ear canal.
  • the wax-resistant dome 30 has sound vents 70 distributed over the outer surface 34 of the dome 30.
  • the sound vents 70 allow sound exiting from the receiver tube 20 to pass into the ear canal and also equalize the air pressure on either side of the dome 30.
  • the sound vents 70 in Fig. 2 are positioned approximately midway between the top 36 and the bottom 38 of the dome 30, but may be located higher or lower on the dome 30.
  • FIG. 3 A cross-sectional view of the wax-resistant dome 30, illustrating the dome shell wall 40 and the hollow, interior volume 42, is shown in Fig. 3. Note that the receiver tube 20 is not shown as a cross section in this figure.
  • the dome shell wall 40 may be fabricated from a soft material for user comfort.
  • the receiver tube 20 is held vertically within the dome 30
  • a receiver tube retainer 100 comprising a sound-impervious horizontal member 102 and a receptacle such as a vertically-oriented sleeve 110 that releasably accepts the end 22 of the receiver tube 20.
  • the retainer 100 may be held in place within the dome 30 by any suitable method, e.g., a detent, recess, an annulus, or nubs 46 on the inside surface 48 of the dome shell wall 40 that receive the horizontal member 102.
  • a suitable glue or epoxy may also be employed.
  • the receiver tube retainer 100 is positioned below the sound vents 70 in the lower half 50 of the dome 30.
  • the retainer 100 also shown separately in the cross-sectional elevation view of Fig. 4 and the bottom view of Fig. 5, comprises an outer perimeter 104 that conforms to the dimensions of the inside surface 48 of the dome 30.
  • the outer perimeter 104 is circular, but may also be elliptical or any other suitable shape matching the corresponding shape of the inside surface 48 of the dome shell 32.
  • the top end 112 of the vertically-oriented sleeve 110 comprises a partial closure 114 having an opening 116 aligned with and adjacent to the opening 24 in the end 22 of the receiver tube 20.
  • the horizontal member 102, the sleeve 110, and the partial closure 114 of the retainer 100 are shown with a cross-hatch in
  • the dome 30 and the retainer 100 could be fabricated as a monolithic component.
  • the receiver tube 20 passes through the receiver tube 20 and exits through the opening 24 in the end 22 of the receiver tube 20. From the opening 24, the sound enters the interior volume 42 of the dome 30, and passes out of the dome 30 through the sound vents 70 and into the ear canal.
  • the sound-impervious horizontal member 102 prevents the sound from exiting the dome 30 through the open dome shell bottom 38. As shown in Fig. 5, one or more pressure equalization vents 106 may be provided in the horizontal member 102 to counter the occlusion effect if air cannot pass between the outer surface 34 of the dome 30 and the ear canal walls 10.
  • the receiver tube retainer 300 comprises a sound-impervious horizontal member 302 and a vertically-oriented tubular section 310 inserted 26 through the opening 24 at the end 22 of the receiver tube 20.
  • An alternative version of this retainer is shown in Fig. 7, which has an outer tubular section 320 encompassing the adjacent portion of the receiver tube 20.
  • a thread 330 may be provided on the inside surface 322 of the outer tubular section 320 adjacent the receiver tube 20 or on the outside surface 312 of the vertically-oriented tubular section 310.
  • the sound vents 70 shown in Figs. 1-3 have a rectangular shape and lie in a plane transverse to the vertical axis 44 of the dome 30.
  • Sound vents 170 having an elliptical shape are shown in Fig. 8 and one sound vent 270 having the shape of an "s"-curve (sound vent 270) is illustrated in Fig. 9.
  • the wax-resistant dome 30 may be attached to a receiver tube 20 extending from a hearing instrument receiver in a behind-the-ear or in-the-ear hearing instrument (neither shown). Should cerumen (wax) enter the dome 30, the dome 30 can be cleaned by clearing the sound vents 70 and the interior volume 42 of the dome shell 32.
  • the dome 30 may also be used with the shell 210 of an in-the-ear or a completely-in-the-canal hearing instrument, as illustrated by the hearing instrument 200 in Fig. 10. As opposed to a dome that spans the full width of the hearing instrument shell in Fig. 10, a smaller dome could be used, as shown in Fig. 11. There, the hearing instrument 300 has a vent 310 adjacent the dome 330.
  • the foregoing devices find industrial applicability in the field of hearing instruments.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)

Abstract

The opening in a receiver tube may be shielded from cerumen by placing the end of the receiver tube in a dome comprising vents that allow the sound to pass. The dome and the vents may assume a variety of shapes.

Description

Wax-Resistant Dome for a Hearing Instrument
Technical Field
Hearing instruments and hearing instrument components.
Background Art per PCT Rule 5.1(a)(ii)
Siemens CENTRA active (brochure), June 2008, 12 pp, available at: http://hearing.siemens.com/_resources-re/files/04-products/13-centra- active/_resources/pdf/CentraActive_information-brochure.pdf.
Disclosure of Invention
(Per PCT Rule 5.1(b), see Best Mode for Carrying out the
Invention, below.) Brief Description of Drawings
Fig. 1 is a drawing of a wax-resistant dome positioned in an ear canal;
Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective and cross-sectional views,
respectively, of a wax-resistant dome;
Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional elevation and bottom views, respectively, of a receiver tube retainer;
Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional elevation views of a wax-resistant dome employing alternative configurations of the receiver tube retainer;
Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of a wax-resistant dome with elliptical and curved vents; and
Figs. 10 and 11 are drawings of a wax-resistant dome incorporated into the shell of a hearing instrument. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
An ear canal comprising ear canal walls 10 is shown in Fig. 1. As illustrated here, a hearing instrument receiver tube 20 is attached to a wax-resistant dome 30 positioned in the ear canal. The wax-resistant dome 30, shown again in Fig. 2, comprises a hollow dome shell 32 having a partial spherical outer surface 34. The outer surface 34 may assume a variety of shapes, including a partial sphere, an ellipsoid such as a partial oblate or prolate spheroid (see the dashed line 60 in Fig. 1), or any other shape, including irregular two-dimensional surfaces, suitable for the hearing application and the user's ear canal.
The wax-resistant dome 30 has sound vents 70 distributed over the outer surface 34 of the dome 30. The sound vents 70 allow sound exiting from the receiver tube 20 to pass into the ear canal and also equalize the air pressure on either side of the dome 30. The sound vents 70 in Fig. 2 are positioned approximately midway between the top 36 and the bottom 38 of the dome 30, but may be located higher or lower on the dome 30.
A cross-sectional view of the wax-resistant dome 30, illustrating the dome shell wall 40 and the hollow, interior volume 42, is shown in Fig. 3. Note that the receiver tube 20 is not shown as a cross section in this figure. The dome shell wall 40 may be fabricated from a soft material for user comfort.
The receiver tube 20 is held vertically within the dome 30
(note the vertical axis 44) by a receiver tube retainer 100 comprising a sound-impervious horizontal member 102 and a receptacle such as a vertically-oriented sleeve 110 that releasably accepts the end 22 of the receiver tube 20. The retainer 100 may be held in place within the dome 30 by any suitable method, e.g., a detent, recess, an annulus, or nubs 46 on the inside surface 48 of the dome shell wall 40 that receive the horizontal member 102. A suitable glue or epoxy may also be employed. As shown in Fig. 3, the receiver tube retainer 100 is positioned below the sound vents 70 in the lower half 50 of the dome 30.
The retainer 100, also shown separately in the cross-sectional elevation view of Fig. 4 and the bottom view of Fig. 5, comprises an outer perimeter 104 that conforms to the dimensions of the inside surface 48 of the dome 30. In the bottom view of Fig. 5, the outer perimeter 104 is circular, but may also be elliptical or any other suitable shape matching the corresponding shape of the inside surface 48 of the dome shell 32.
The top end 112 of the vertically-oriented sleeve 110 comprises a partial closure 114 having an opening 116 aligned with and adjacent to the opening 24 in the end 22 of the receiver tube 20. For purposes of illustration, the horizontal member 102, the sleeve 110, and the partial closure 114 of the retainer 100 are shown with a cross-hatch in
the bottom view in Fig. 5 to visually distinguish the various elements in the figure. If desired, the dome 30 and the retainer 100 could be fabricated as a monolithic component.
In operation, sound from the hearing instrument receiver
(not shown) passes through the receiver tube 20 and exits through the opening 24 in the end 22 of the receiver tube 20. From the opening 24, the sound enters the interior volume 42 of the dome 30, and passes out of the dome 30 through the sound vents 70 and into the ear canal. The sound-impervious horizontal member 102 prevents the sound from exiting the dome 30 through the open dome shell bottom 38. As shown in Fig. 5, one or more pressure equalization vents 106 may be provided in the horizontal member 102 to counter the occlusion effect if air cannot pass between the outer surface 34 of the dome 30 and the ear canal walls 10.
Other configurations for the receiver tube retainer are presented in Figs. 6 and 7. In Fig. 6, the receiver tube retainer 300 comprises a sound-impervious horizontal member 302 and a vertically-oriented tubular section 310 inserted 26 through the opening 24 at the end 22 of the receiver tube 20. An alternative version of this retainer is shown in Fig. 7, which has an outer tubular section 320 encompassing the adjacent portion of the receiver tube 20. Here, the horizontal
member 302 is positioned flush with the bottom 38 of the dome 30, illustrating that the horizontal member 302 may be vertically positioned at a variety of points within the lower half 50 of the dome 30, or at the very least below the sound vents 70. To further secure the attachment of the receiver tube 20 to the retainer 300, a thread 330 may be provided on the inside surface 322 of the outer tubular section 320 adjacent the receiver tube 20 or on the outside surface 312 of the vertically-oriented tubular section 310.
The sound vents 70 shown in Figs. 1-3 have a rectangular shape and lie in a plane transverse to the vertical axis 44 of the dome 30.
Sound vents 170 having an elliptical shape are shown in Fig. 8 and one sound vent 270 having the shape of an "s"-curve (sound vent 270) is illustrated in Fig. 9.
The wax-resistant dome 30 may be attached to a receiver tube 20 extending from a hearing instrument receiver in a behind-the-ear or in-the-ear hearing instrument (neither shown). Should cerumen (wax) enter the dome 30, the dome 30 can be cleaned by clearing the sound vents 70 and the interior volume 42 of the dome shell 32.
The dome 30 may also be used with the shell 210 of an in-the-ear or a completely-in-the-canal hearing instrument, as illustrated by the hearing instrument 200 in Fig. 10. As opposed to a dome that spans the full width of the hearing instrument shell in Fig. 10, a smaller dome could be used, as shown in Fig. 11. There, the hearing instrument 300 has a vent 310 adjacent the dome 330.
Industrial Applicability
The foregoing devices find industrial applicability in the field of hearing instruments.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A wax resistant dome for a hearing instrument for
releasably receiving a hearing instrument receiver tube, where the receiver tube comprises an end from which sound passes, comprising: a dome shell, the dome shell comprising a shell wall, a hollow interior volume, an inside surface, and a vertical axis, where the shell wall comprises a plurality of sound vents; and
a receiver tube retainer positioned within the hollow interior volume of the dome shell, the receiver tube retainer comprising a receptacle for accepting and supporting the end of the receiver
tube within the hollow interior volume of the dome in alignment with the vertical axis of the dome and a sound-impervious horizontal member comprising an outer perimeter conforming to the inside surface of the dome shell.
2. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the dome shell comprises a partial sphere.
3. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the dome shell comprises a partial ellipsoid.
4. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the sound vent comprises a rectangular shape.
5. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the sound vent comprises an elliptical shape.
6. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the sound vent comprises an S-curved shape.
7. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the receptacle for accepting and supporting the end of the receiver tube comprises a vertical sleeve that releasably accepts the receiver tube.
8. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the receiver tube retainer comprises horizontal member comprising an circular outer perimeter.
9. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the receiver tube retainer comprises horizontal member comprising at least one vent.
10. A wax resistant dome as set forth in claim 1, where the hearing instrument comprises a hearing instrument shell at least partially within the ear canal, and the dome shell is affixed to the hearing instrument shell.
PCT/US2011/027902 2011-03-10 2011-03-10 Wax-resistant dome for a hearing instrument Ceased WO2012121730A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2011/027902 WO2012121730A1 (en) 2011-03-10 2011-03-10 Wax-resistant dome for a hearing instrument

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2011/027902 WO2012121730A1 (en) 2011-03-10 2011-03-10 Wax-resistant dome for a hearing instrument

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012121730A1 true WO2012121730A1 (en) 2012-09-13

Family

ID=44625400

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2011/027902 Ceased WO2012121730A1 (en) 2011-03-10 2011-03-10 Wax-resistant dome for a hearing instrument

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2012121730A1 (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2753100A1 (en) * 2013-01-07 2014-07-09 Oticon A/s Hearing aid component with earwax filter
US10021472B2 (en) 2016-04-13 2018-07-10 Sonion Nederland B.V. Dome for a personal audio device
JP2022512050A (en) * 2018-10-03 2022-02-02 サアティ エス．ピー．エー． Audio protector for audio equipment and audio equipment equipped with the protector
CN118509781A (en) * 2024-07-17 2024-08-16 杭州惠耳听力技术设备有限公司 Resonance silencing type auditory canal hearing aid vent structure
WO2025078640A1 (en) * 2023-10-11 2025-04-17 Sonion Nederland B.V. A receiver-in-canal assembly

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2455511A1 (en) * 1974-04-22 1975-10-30 Seeburg Corp ACOUSTIC COUPLER
WO2006094502A1 (en) * 2005-03-10 2006-09-14 Widex A/S An earplug for a hearing aid
US20080118095A1 (en) * 2006-11-22 2008-05-22 Fletcher Thomas G Wax guard for a hearing aid

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2455511A1 (en) * 1974-04-22 1975-10-30 Seeburg Corp ACOUSTIC COUPLER
WO2006094502A1 (en) * 2005-03-10 2006-09-14 Widex A/S An earplug for a hearing aid
US20080118095A1 (en) * 2006-11-22 2008-05-22 Fletcher Thomas G Wax guard for a hearing aid

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
SIEMENS CENTRA ACTIVE, June 2008 (2008-06-01), pages 12, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:http://hearing.siemens.com/_resources-re/files/04-products/13-centra- active/ _resources/pdf/Cen traActive_information-brochure. pdf>

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2753100A1 (en) * 2013-01-07 2014-07-09 Oticon A/s Hearing aid component with earwax filter
US9456287B2 (en) 2013-01-07 2016-09-27 Oticon A/S Hearing aid component with earwax filter
US10021472B2 (en) 2016-04-13 2018-07-10 Sonion Nederland B.V. Dome for a personal audio device
JP2022512050A (en) * 2018-10-03 2022-02-02 サアティ エス．ピー．エー． Audio protector for audio equipment and audio equipment equipped with the protector
JP7231710B2 (en) 2018-10-03 2023-03-01 サアティ エス．ピー．エー． Acoustic protector for audio equipment and audio equipment provided with the protector
WO2025078640A1 (en) * 2023-10-11 2025-04-17 Sonion Nederland B.V. A receiver-in-canal assembly
WO2025078638A1 (en) * 2023-10-11 2025-04-17 Sonion Nederland B.V. A receiver-in-canal assembly
CN118509781A (en) * 2024-07-17 2024-08-16 杭州惠耳听力技术设备有限公司 Resonance silencing type auditory canal hearing aid vent structure

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