[go: up one dir, main page]

WO2025045535A1 - Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif - Google Patents

Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2025045535A1
WO2025045535A1 PCT/EP2024/072213 EP2024072213W WO2025045535A1 WO 2025045535 A1 WO2025045535 A1 WO 2025045535A1 EP 2024072213 W EP2024072213 W EP 2024072213W WO 2025045535 A1 WO2025045535 A1 WO 2025045535A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
receiver
drying
voltage
hearing device
lid
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.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/EP2024/072213
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Ole Hau
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.)
Widex AS
Original Assignee
Widex AS
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 Widex AS filed Critical Widex AS
Publication of WO2025045535A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025045535A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
    • F26B3/32—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action
    • F26B3/34—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action by using electrical effects
    • F26B3/353—Resistance heating, e.g. using the materials or objects to be dried as an electrical resistance
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/31—Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
    • 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
    • H04R2460/17—Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for operating a hearing device, especially a hearing aid. Further, the invention relates to such a hearing device.
  • hearing devices and, in particular hearing aids that serve for providing a person having a hearing loss with acoustic signals are usually worn by their users close to the body, especially on the head in the area of an ear or directly in the ear canal (auditory canal). Due to body heat, to body perspiration and, especially within the ear canal, also due to the presence of cerumen, the air in the immediate vicinity of the body usually has a comparatively high humidity. This humidity can condense on the hearing device and especially on electromechanical and electrical components exposed to the environment of the hearing device.
  • Such components are, for example, a loudspeaker, which is provided for converting electrical signals into sound signals and is often also referred to as a "receiver", or microphones for recording ambient sound and converting it into electrical signals. Condensation of moisture is recognized to be favored if the hearing device or at least the electrical component has a lower temperature than the air near the body. Moisture condensed on electrical components of the hearing device can impair the function of the electrical component or even lead to its failure.
  • hearing devices whose receiver is located directly in the ear canal. It is recognized that the ear canal itself is usually at body temperature and particularly humid.
  • hearing devices are in view of hearing aids, for example, so-called in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids or in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids, which are arranged at least for the most part in the ear canal, or so-called RIC hearing aids (Receiver-In-Canal), in which the microphones and the associated signal processing electronics are usually worn in a separate housing behind the ear and the loudspeaker is connected via a cable.
  • ITC in-the-canal
  • ITE in-the-ear
  • RIC hearing aids Receiveiver-In-Canal
  • the microphones and the associated signal processing electronics are usually worn in a separate housing behind the ear and the loudspeaker is connected via a cable.
  • the contact to the humid cerumen itself leads to a humidification or even humid contamination of the receiver.
  • hearing devices such as earphones,
  • drying agents are, for example, (“hydrophilic") substances (e.g. silica gel, zeolite or the like) that remove moisture from their environment by chemical bonding or adsorption.
  • the hearing aids usually have to be sealed for a period of usually several hours in a can that also contains the drying agent.
  • electrically operated drying devices are also known for drying hearing aid devices, which usually have a heating element.
  • this heating element (comparable to a drying oven), the hearing aid is heated so that the condensed humidity evaporates again.
  • the object of the invention is to further improve drying of a hearing device component.
  • That object is solved according to the invention by a method for operating a hearing device according to claim 1 . Additionally, that object is solved according to the invention by a hearing device according to claim 9. Further expedient and inventive embodiments and developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims and the following specification.
  • the method according to the invention is for operating a hearing device.
  • That hearing device comprises an internal energy source and a receiver configured to be worn inside an ear canal of a user and to generate airborne sound by use of a receiver coil.
  • a drying mode for the receiver is activated and within that drying mode a drying voltage at a drying voltage value of up to 10 V (i.e. , to a maximum of 10 V) is fed to the receiver coil.
  • a drying voltage at a drying voltage value of up to 10 V i.e. , to a maximum of 10 V
  • Such heating enables a warming of the receiver starting from its internals and, thereby, an effective drying of the receiver’s interiors. Additionally, such warming from inside to outside enables a driving force of humidity to the outside.
  • an at least partial disinfection may also be possible, at least by deprivation or reduction of humid substrate for germs.
  • a DC voltage is used as the drying voltage.
  • a DC voltage would not lead to a repeated dislocation (or movement) of a receiver membrane that is usually driven by an AC voltage fed to the receiver coil (thereby inducing an alternating magnetic field that causes an armature of the receiver to move and, thus, repeatedly dislocate the membrane).
  • an AC voltage is used as the drying voltage.
  • the frequency of that AC voltage is very low, preferably.
  • the frequency of that drying voltage is below 100 Hz, preferably at or below 50 Hz, most preferred at or below 30 Hz, e.g. around 10 Hz (+/- 5Hz).
  • Feeding an AC voltage as the drying voltage has the advantage that a ventilation of the receiver’s interior may be reinforced due to the slow but repeated stroke of the membrane. Such frequencies usually do not cause sounds that are hearable to normal hearing persons.
  • the drying voltage value (for alternating current “AC”), according to an expedient variant of the method, is limited to 7 V. More preferred the drying voltage value is limited to 5 V and most preferred to below 3 V. In particular, the drying voltage applied is limited to 1 ,5 V. A DC voltage of 1 V has been shown to cause a receiver warming of around 30 °C, a SC voltage fo 2 V a warming of about 40 °C. That could lead already to a drying effect.
  • the feeding of the receiver coil with the drying voltage is controlled in a closed loop manner by measuring a temperature of the receiver and respecting a predefined upper temperature limit of the receiver.
  • the feeding of the receiver coil is controlled such that said upper temperature limit is not exceeded or reached.
  • a temperature probe is used at or even within the receiver.
  • the drying voltage value is chosen or controlled such that a maximum temperature value given for the receiver is not reached.
  • the drying voltage value is chosen empirically, i.e. , based on several tests that give a temperature value reached by applying a distinct drying voltage value.
  • the closed loop control is based on that maximum temperature value, which may be manufacturer-supplied.
  • the internal energy source of the hearing device comprises a secondary (battery) cell (i.e., a rechargeable battery cell) that is especially integrated into the hearing aid such that it could be recharged by coupling the hearing device to a charging device via a “main” power input interface of the hearing device.
  • the drying mode is preferably activated automatically when the hearing device is being coupled to a charging device (especially by means of the main power input interface).
  • Such connection or coupling, and, thus, the main power input interface
  • a user input may be necessary to activate the drying function.
  • an automatic activation without further user input has the advantage that the user cannot forget the drying mode.
  • the power for the drying mode is fed from the charging device but driven through the secondary cell.
  • the hearing device comprises an additional power input interface, e. g. galvanic contacts or even an additional inductive power reception port, that is configured to feed the drying voltage from the charging device to the receiver.
  • a drying power electronics module (configured to adjust the delivered power to the drying power needed for the receiver) is connected in between such power input interface and the receiver.
  • additional power input interface may also be provided internally within the hearing device, such that only the main power input interface for connection with the charging device is present.
  • the additional power input interface and/or the drying power electronics module are, in that case, preferably connected to that main power input interface.
  • the drying power electronics module as well as a charging power module may in that case derive the respective power for drying and charging via that one main power input interface.
  • a thermistor is attached to the receiver for measuring the receiver’s temperature and for controlling feeding the receiver coil with the drying voltage.
  • That thermistor may be part of the hearing device, or alternatively, part of the charging device.
  • the charging device comprises an element that guarantees drying and/or sufficient ventilation.
  • that element is a fan that forces air through a trough or other kinds of interior of the charging device wherein the hearing device or at least the receiver is positioned during drying mode.
  • moist and warm air may be carried away from the receiver.
  • the drying mode is activated only in predefined intervals, i.e. , not at every coupling with the charger. That may be advantageous especially when the hearing device is a hearing aid.
  • the battery capacity of hearing aids is, due to the miniature size, usually such small that charging has to be conducted every day.
  • the drying mode may be activated e.g., only every second, third or fourth charging. That may be sufficient for a regular build-up of humidity within the receiver and may also be life-time saving in terms of reducing heat caused aging of the receiver.
  • the drying mode will be deactivated automatically after a predefined period, e. g. three, five or eight hours, after its activation. That period is preferably chosen such that a sufficient drying effect is expected (or determined empirically) and may also add to reduce the risk of heat caused aging.
  • a quick drying mode which would last only for e.g. one hour of even only 30 minutes.
  • the drying voltage may be chosen slightly higher than for normal drying (e.g., 3 V instead of only 1 or 1 ,5 V) such that the temperature value is increased and drying time reduced.
  • such quick drying mode need a separate activation by a user, e.g., by using a remote control or the like.
  • the drying mode is deactivated when (as soon as) the hearing device is decoupled from the charging device, preferably automatically.
  • the hearing device comprises (as already mentioned in connection with the method according to the invention) an internal energy source, a receiver configured to be worn inside an ear canal of a user and to generate airborne sound by use of a receiver coil and a controller configured to execute the method described before.
  • the controller is preferably configured to activate the drying mode for the receiver, within the drying mode to feed the drying voltage at the drying voltage value of up to 10 V to the receiver coil, and to heat the receiver by way of resistance heating with the receiver coil fed with the drying voltage.
  • the hearing device according to the invention comprises in corresponding embodiments like features as described above in the context of the method, and, therefore, shares the benefits of the above-described method.
  • the method described above also comprises features described here and in the following for the hearing device according to the invention.
  • the hearing device is configured as a hearing aid, in particular an in- the-ear (“ITE”) hearing aid or a hearing aid with a housing to be worn behind the ear and a receiver separated from that housing and to be worn in the ear canal (“RIC” or receiver in canal hearing aid).
  • ITE in- the-ear
  • RIC receiver in canal hearing aid
  • the internal energy source of the hearing device comprises the secondary cell.
  • the hearing device comprises a voltage transformer that is configured to supply a DC voltage or an AC voltage at a frequency below 100 Hz, preferably below 50 Hz, most preferred below 30 Hz, to the receiver.
  • the controller is configured to detect whether the hearing device is coupled to a charging device and to activate the drying mode automatically when that coupling is detected. Expediently, the controller is also configured to deactivate the drying mode when the hearing device is decoupled from the charging device.
  • FIG. 1 schematically shows a hearing device and a charging device.
  • Fig. 1 schematically shows a hearing device which is designed as a RIC hearing aid, short “RIC 1”, having a housing 2 that is to be worn behind the concha of an ear of a user and an earpiece 4 that houses a receiver 6 to be worn in the ear canal.
  • the RIC 1 comprises two microphones 8, a controller 10 and a secondary cell 12 (i.e., a rechargeable battery) that are located inside the housing 2.
  • the secondary cell 12 that serves as an internal energy source and that is part of a power module 14 that is configured to receive charging power via inductive coupling with a charging device 16 (schematically indicated by double headed arrow 18).
  • the receiver 6 is of a balanced armature receiver type.
  • Such receiver type comprises a membrane to which a plunger is connected.
  • the plunger in turn is connected to an armature which is driven due to an alternating magnetic field caused by a receiver coil.
  • a moving coil receiver type could be used, also.
  • the power module 14 is configured to charge the secondary cell 12 with the inductively received charging energy. Also, the power module 14 is configured to supply an operating voltage llo at an operating voltage value at least to the controller 10 during normal operation of the RIC 1.
  • the controller 10 is configured to receive pickup signals Sp from the microphones 8, subject these pickup signals Sp to signal processing (e.g. filtering, attenuation and/or amplification) to derive an output signal So. That output signal So is fed to the receiver 6 that converts the output signal So to an acoustic airborne signal which during intended operation is output to the hearing of the user.
  • signal processing e.g. filtering, attenuation and/or amplification
  • the controller 10 is configured to commence a drying mode according to a method described in the following.
  • the controller 10 is configured to detect whether the RIC 1 is coupled to the charging device 16. If the RIC 1 is coupled to the charging device 16, the controller 10 activates said drying mode. Within that drying mode, the controller 10 feeds a drying voltage lid to the receiver 6.
  • the drying voltage value of the drying voltage lid is higher than the voltage value of signals fed to the receiver during normal operation of the RIC 1 . In the embodiment at hand, the drying voltage value is set to 3 V. Additionally, for the drying voltage lid an AC voltage with a low frequency of below 100 Hz, in the present case of 10 Hz is used. The comparably high drying voltage value and the resulting current through the receiver coil cause the receiver coil to heat up due to resistive heating.
  • the drying voltage value is chosen such that a temperature value of the receiver 6 that may be reached due to the drying voltage value stays beneath a predefined maximum temperature value.
  • the low frequency of the drying voltage lid causes (additionally to the heat buildup) a stroke of the receiver’s 6 membrane such that at least some air is forced out of the receiver. That reinforces the drying effect of the warmth alone by transporting warm humid air out of the receiver 6.
  • the drying voltage lid is of a DC voltage type.
  • the power module 14 is configured to supply - by means of a voltage transformer (not shown) - the respective kind and value of the drying voltage lid to the controller 10 or to the receiver 6 directly.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biotechnology (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif (1). Ledit dispositif auditif (1) comprend une source d'énergie interne (12) et un récepteur (6) conçu pour être porté à l'intérieur d'un conduit auditif d'un utilisateur et pour générer un son aérien à l'aide d'une bobine réceptrice. Le procédé comprend l'activation d'un mode de séchage pour le récepteur (6), l'alimentation dans le mode de séchage d'une tension de séchage (Ud) à une valeur de tension de séchage allant jusqu'à 10 V à la bobine réceptrice, et le chauffage du récepteur (6) au moyen d'un chauffage par résistance avec la bobine réceptrice alimentée par la tension de séchage (Ud).
PCT/EP2024/072213 2023-08-25 2024-08-06 Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif Pending WO2025045535A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DKPA202330166 2023-08-25
DKPA202330166 2023-08-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2025045535A1 true WO2025045535A1 (fr) 2025-03-06

Family

ID=92302724

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2024/072213 Pending WO2025045535A1 (fr) 2023-08-25 2024-08-06 Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2025045535A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102015206926A1 (de) 2015-04-16 2016-10-20 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Trocknungsvorrichtung für ein Hörhilfegerät und Verfahren zum Trocknen eines Hörhilfegeräts
CN111131990A (zh) * 2019-11-18 2020-05-08 中山市天键通讯技术有限公司 带自动干燥功能的助听器
CN116320879A (zh) * 2023-05-05 2023-06-23 山西尊特智能科技有限公司 一种无线耳机充电保护套及其自动控制方法

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102015206926A1 (de) 2015-04-16 2016-10-20 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Trocknungsvorrichtung für ein Hörhilfegerät und Verfahren zum Trocknen eines Hörhilfegeräts
CN111131990A (zh) * 2019-11-18 2020-05-08 中山市天键通讯技术有限公司 带自动干燥功能的助听器
CN116320879A (zh) * 2023-05-05 2023-06-23 山西尊特智能科技有限公司 一种无线耳机充电保护套及其自动控制方法

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US9843870B2 (en) Apparatus, system and method for drying of hearing aid devices
US8199943B2 (en) Hearing apparatus with automatic switch-off and corresponding method
EP2835987B1 (fr) Prothèse auditive à évent régulable
CN101400014B (zh) 在助听器中的全自动接通/断开
US8953827B2 (en) Hearing aid with integrated telecoil and battery recharge coil
US20090103754A1 (en) Hearing apparatus with a common connection for shielding and identification of a receiver
US20110188689A1 (en) Conduction device for a hearing apparatus and method for producing a conduction device
US8098862B2 (en) Hearing apparatus with a special charging circuit
US20090252362A1 (en) Hearing device to be carried in the auricle with an individual mold
US20090052707A1 (en) Hearing-aid system having magnetic-field sensors
US20110286616A1 (en) Hearing device with a passive unit seated deep in the auditory canal
US10321246B2 (en) Hearing instrument with power supply unit, and power supply unit for a hearing instrument
US20120114156A1 (en) Hearing aid and method for operating a hearing aid with a humidity sensor
US20130182874A1 (en) Rechargeable partially implantable hearing instrument
WO2025045535A1 (fr) Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif
US11212627B2 (en) Hearing device and method for operating a hearing device
EP3400719B1 (fr) Transducteurs de prothèses auditives et prothèses auditives les comportant
US20240075289A1 (en) Hearing implant and hearing system
US8126178B2 (en) In-the-ear hearing device with a moveable gripping element
US20190215627A1 (en) Hearing assistance device
US10477308B2 (en) Circuit and a receiver comprising the circuit
EP4604352A1 (fr) Dispositif de charge pour dispositifs auditifs
WO2024160489A1 (fr) Appareil auditif comprenant un circuit de charge électrique
US20240171071A1 (en) An ear level audio device and a method of operating an ear level audio device
US20240334142A1 (en) Electronic device worn on the body, hearing aid instrument, and voltage supply for such a device

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 24754928

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1