Device and method to reduce ear wax clogging of acoustic ports, hearing aid sealing system, and feedback reduction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10979831-B2
Application number	US-202016945798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Oct 15, 2008
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Devices and methods to reduce ear wax clogging of acoustic ports, hearing aid systems, and feedback reduction systems are provided. A conformal hearing aid includes a hearing aid body, where the hearing aid body houses a microphone and a receiver, where the microphone is positioned within the hearing aid body to measure acoustic signals from an ambient environment, and where the receiver is positioned within the hearing aid body to emit acoustic signals toward a tympanic membrane of a user; an expandable element, where the expandable element is operatively connected to the hearing aid body, and where the expandable element is configured to encompass a circumferential portion of the hearing aid body when expanded; and an inflation management system, where the inflation management system is configured to expand the expandable element when actuated.

First claim

I claim:

1. An elastic tip element, comprising:
a stent, where the stent includes an acoustic channel and a gas transfer channel;
a tip membrane that is deformable and covers a tip volume; and
a restoring membrane the covers a restoring volume, where the restoring volume is connected to the tip volume by the gas transfer channel, where the stent is configured to be swappably attached to an earphone.

2. The tip element according to claim 1 , where tip membrane has a linear elongation value of X, where X is a value between 1% to 300%.

3. The tip element according to claim 2 , where restoring membrane has a linear elongation value of Y, where Y is a value between 1% to 300%.

4. The tip element according to claim 3 , where X is between 20% and 100%.

5. The tip element according to claim 4 , where Y is between 20% and 100%.

6. The tip element according to claim 5 , where the tip membrane is composed of at least one of silicone, polystyrene, and rubber.

7. The tip element according to claim 6 , where the restoring membrane is composed of at least one of silicone, polystyrene, and rubber.

8. The tip element according to claim 7 , whereupon insertion if the tip the tip membrane is deformed pushing fluid from the tip volume to the restoring volume.

9. The tip element according to claim 8 , whereupon insertion of the tip, the tip membrane is deformed pushing fluid from the tip volume into the restoring volume.

10. The tip element according to claim 9 , whereupon when fluid enters the restoring volume, the restoring membrane is deformed.

11. The tip element according to claim 10 , where X is between 20% and 40%.

12. The tip element according to claim 11 , where Y is between 20% and 40%.

13. The tip element according to claim 12 , where the fluid is a liquid.

14. The tip element according to claim 12 , where the fluid is a gas.

15. The tip element according to claim 14 , where the stent is configured to attach to the earphone by a protrusion in the earphone fitting within the acoustic channel.

Assignees

• Staton Techiya Llc

Inventors

• Keady John Patrick

Classifications

• H04R25/654 Primary

  Ear wax retarders · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• Y10T29/49005

  Acoustic transducer · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title