Quality factor in a contact hearing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11665487-B2
Application number	US-202117159490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a contact hearing system including: an ear tip including a transmit circuit having a first Q value, wherein the ear tip includes a transmit coil wound on a ferrite core; a contact hearing device including a receive circuit having a second Q value, wherein the first Q value is greater than the second Q value; a receive coil positioned on the contact hearing device, wherein the receive coil includes a core of a non-ferromagnetic material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A contact hearing system comprising:
an ear tip comprising a transmit circuit having a first Q value, wherein the ear tip comprises a transmit coil wound on a ferrite core;
a contact hearing device comprising a receive circuit having a second Q value, wherein the first Q value of the transmit circuit is increased relative to the second Q value of the receive circuit based on winding the transmit coil on the ferrite core; and
a receive coil positioned on the contact hearing device, wherein the receive coil comprises a core of a non-ferromagnetic material, and wherein a distal end of the receive coil is separated from the receive circuit to increase the second Q value of the receive circuit.

2. A contact hearing system according to claim 1 wherein the first Q value is greater than the second Q value by a factor of at least two.

3. A contact hearing system according to claim 2 wherein the receive coil is separated from the receive circuit via a disk provided between the distal end of the receive coil and the receive circuit.

4. A contact hearing system according to claim 3 wherein the disk comprises a ferrite material, and wherein the ferrite disk is configured to shunt magnetic flux entering the receive coil to an outside of the receive coil about the distal end.

5. A contact hearing system according to claim 3 wherein the disk comprises a hole in its central portion.

6. A contact hearing system according to claim 1 wherein the transmit coil is inductively coupled to the receive coil.

7. A contact hearing system according to claim 1 wherein the contact hearing device comprises a diode detector connected to the receive coil.

8. A contact hearing system according to claim 1 wherein the contact hearing device comprises a balanced armature microactuator connected to the receive coil.

9. A contact hearing system according to claim 1 wherein the contact hearing device comprises a platform which supports the receive coil, wherein the platform conforms to the anatomy of the wearers ear canal.

10. A contact hearing system according to claim 1 wherein the contact hearing device comprises a platform which supports the receive coil, wherein the platform is adapted to position the contact hearing device on a wearer's tympanic membrane.

11. A method of inductively coupling an ear tip having a transmit circuit to a contact hearing device having a receive circuit, wherein the transmit circuit has a first Q value greater than a second Q value of the receive circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
exciting a transmit coil in the transmit circuit, the transmit coil being positioned in an ear tip;
radiating an electromagnetic field from the transmit coil to a receive coil;
receiving the radiated electromagnetic field at the receive coil, the receive coil being positioned on a contact hearing device, wherein a distal end of the receive coil is separated from the receive circuit to increase the second Q value of the receive circuit, and wherein the received radiated electromagnetic field is shunted to an outside of the receive coil about the distal end; and
transmitting information from the transmit coil to the receive coil using the electromagnetic field.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the first Q value is at least twice as large as the second Q value.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the transmit coil comprises a ferrite core.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the distal end of the receive coil is separated from the receive circuit by a ferrite disk provided between the receive coil and the receive circuit.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the ferrite disk comprises a hole in its central portion.

16. A method according to claim 11 wherein the information is transmitted from the transmit coil to the receive coil using near field radiation.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the transmit coil is inductively coupled to the receive coil.

18. A method according to claim 11 wherein the electromagnetic radiation induces a current in the receive coil.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the current induced in the receive coil is proportional to a level of magnetic flux passing through the receive coil.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein a current induced in the receive coil drives a balanced armature microactuator positioned on the contact hearing device.

21. A contact hearing system comprising:
an ear tip comprising a transmit circuit having a first Q value, wherein the ear tip comprises a transmit coil wound on a ferrite core, the first Q value being in a range of between fifty and seventy-five;
a contact hearing device comprising a receive circuit having a second Q value, wherein the second Q value is in the range of between fifteen and twenty-five, and wherein the first Q value is increased relative to the second Q value based on winding the transmit coil on the ferrite core; and
a receive coil positioned on the contact hearing device, wherein the receive coil has a core of non-ferromagnetic material, and wherein a distal end of the receive coil is separated from the receive circuit to increase the second Q value of the receive circuit.

22. A contact hearing system according to claim 21 wherein the receive coil is a component of a receive circuit assembly, the receive circuit assembly comprising a disk at a distal end of the receive coil, wherein the disk comprises a ferrite material and is configured to shunt magnetic flux entering the receive coil to an outside of the receive coil about the distal end.

23. A contact hearing system according to claim 22 wherein the receive coil assembly further comprises a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being separated from the distal end of the receive coil by the disk.

Assignees

• Earlens Corp

Inventors

• Arne Lawrence W
• Hatzianestis Konstadinos
• Wenzel Stuart W

Classifications

• H04B5/266

  One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils · CPC title

• H04B5/45

  Transponders · CPC title

• H04R25/606

  acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window · CPC title

• H02M7/10

  arranged for operation in series, e.g. for multiplication of voltage · CPC title

• H04R25/652

  Ear tips; Ear moulds (hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659) · CPC title