Method and system for modeling a custom fit earmold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949045-B2
Application number	US-201514825647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a hearing aid comprising a custom-fit ear mold is disclosed. The custom fit ear mold includes a retention part comprising a structure adapted to lock anatomically with at least one point at a surface of the pinna and/or ear canal when the custom-fit earmold is positioned in the pinna and/or ear canal of the user. The at least one point represents at least one retention point selected from the plurality of retention possibility points (RPPs), wherein each RPP of the plurality of the RPPs comprises a point wherein a normal, at the RPP, to a tangent plane containing the RPP intersects at another point at surface of the pinna and/or ear canal such that the another point is proximal to a tympanic membrane of the user compared to position of the RPP relative to the tympanic membrane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for modeling a custom-fit earmold adapted to be securely retained in a pinna and/or ear canal of a user, the method comprising
obtaining a three-dimensional image of the pinna and/or ear canal of the user, the three-dimensional image comprising a plurality of points available at an inner surface of the image wherein the plurality of points represent corresponding points at a surface of the pinna and/or ear canal;
processing, using a processing unit adapted to run an image analysis module comprising an identifier on a computing device, the three-dimensional image for identifying a plurality of retention possibility points (RPPs) from the plurality of points, wherein the identifying the plurality of RPPs comprises designating an analyzed point selected, using a selector tool of the image analysis module, from the plurality of points as an RPP if a normal, at the analyzed point, to a tangent plane containing the analyzed point intersects at another point at the inner surface of the three-dimensional image, the another point being proximal to a tympanic membrane of the user compared to position of the analyzed point relative to the tympanic membrane; and
modeling, using a modeler of the image analysis module, the custom-fit earmold comprising a retention part comprising a structure adapted to lock anatomically with at least one point at the surface of the pinna and/or ear canal when the custom-fit earmold is positioned in the pinna and/or ear canal of the user, the at least one point being represented by at least one retention point selected from the plurality of RPPs.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modeling the custom fit earmold comprises
developing, using the modeler of the image analysis module, a three-dimensional mathematical image representation of the custom-fit earmold comprising the retention part that is adapted to lock anatomically with one or more retention point(s) selected from the plurality of RPPs; and/or
manufacturing the custom-fit earmold comprising the retention part adapted to lock anatomically with the at least one point at the surface of the pinna and/or ear canal when the custom-fit earmold is positioned in the pinna and/or ear canal of the user, the earmold being made of a material selected from a group consisting of acrylic, vinyl, and silicone.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
calculating a derivative, using a derivative unit of the image analysis module, a first-, or second-, or higher order derivative of functions or approximations of functions describing a local surface surrounding the RPP; and
categorizing, using a classifier of the image analysis module, an RPP of the plurality of identified RPPs in a point type category in accordance with the first-, or second-, or higher order derivative of functions or approximations of functions describing a local surface surrounding the RPP.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the point type category is selected from a group consisting of local maximum extrema, local minimum extrema, and local saddle types comprising big valley, small valley or spiral valley.

5. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising
defining, using a selector tool of the image analysis module, a pair-wise combination of at least two RPPs selected from a group consisting of same or different point types; and/or
defining, using a selector tool of the image analysis module, an extra-pair-wise combination of at least three RPPs selected from a group consisting of same point types, partially same point types and different point types.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, using a determination module of the image analysis module, restrictive or substantially restrictive sliding and/or rotational movement of the ear mold, comprising at least two RPPs as retention points, with respect to the pinna and/or ear canal, the determination comprises
i) selecting, using a selector tool of the image analysis module, a first RPP and a second RPP;
ii) defining, using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a connecting line between the first RPP and the second RPP;
iii) defining, using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a first evaluation plane containing the first RPP and perpendicular to the connecting line and defining a second evaluation plane containing the second RPP and perpendicular to the connecting line; and
iv) evaluating, using the determination module of the image analysis module, the sliding movement and rotational movement of the first evaluation plane and the second evaluation plane with respect to the pinna and/ear canal when the first evaluation plane and the second evaluation plane are connected using the connecting line.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, using a determination module of the image analysis module, restrictive or substantially restrictive sliding and/or rotational movement of the ear mold, comprising at least two RPPs as retention points, with respect to the pinna and/or ear canal, the determination comprises
i) selecting, using a selector tool of the image analysis module, a first RPP and a second RPP;
ii) defining, using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a close polynomial surface containing the first RPP and the second RPP at a surface of the close polynomial surface such that at least one axis of the close polynomial surface is equal to a distance between the first RPP and second RPP; and
iii) evaluating, using the determination module of the image analysis module, the sliding movement and rotational movement of the close polynomial surface with respect to the pinna and/ear canal.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, using a determination module of the image analysis module, restrictive or substantially restrictive sliding and/or rotational movement of the ear mold, comprising at least three RPPs as retention points, with respect to the pinna and/or ear canal, the determination comprising
i) selecting, using a selector tool of the image analysis module, a first RPP, a second RPP, and a third RPP from the plurality of RPPs;
ii) defining, using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a first line connecting the first RPP and the second RPP, a second line connecting the second RPP with the third RPP and a third line connecting the third RPP and the first RPP;
iii) defining, at the first RPP using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a first evaluation plane containing the first RPP and perpendicular to the first line, and a fourth evaluation plane containing the first RPP and perpendicular to the third line;
iv) defining, at the second RPP using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a second evaluation plane containing the second RPP and perpendicular to the first line and a fifth evaluation plane containing the second RPP and perpendicular to the second line;
v) defining, at the third RPP using a draw tool of the image analysis module, a third evaluation plane containing the third RPP and perpendicular to the second line and a sixth evaluation plane containing the third RPP and perpendicular to the third line; and
vi) evaluating, using the determination module of the image analysis module, sliding movement and rotational movement of the first evaluation plane, second evaluation plane, third evaluation plane, fourth evaluation plane, fifth evaluation plane, and sixth evaluation plane with respect to pinna and/or ear canal when the first RPP, second RPP and third RPP are connected with one another using the first line, second line and third line respectively.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, using a determinati

Assignees

• Oticon As
• Bernafon Ag

Inventors

• Kure Gabriel
• Reber Monika Bertges
• Rasmussen Karsten Bo

Classifications

• H04R25/652 Primary

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

• H04R2225/77

  Design aspects, e.g. CAD, of hearing aid tips, moulds or housings · CPC title

• G06T17/00

  Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics · CPC title

• H04R25/65

  Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture · CPC title