Hearing aids with standardized spheroidal housings
US6097825A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | Aug 1, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R25/656
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Hearing aids having housings formed as standardized shapes include electronic components. The components can be separate or integrated into a single unit. The housings can be formed as one or more spheroidal-like surfaces of revolution which are symmetrical along an axis. Alternately, the housings can be formed by lofting ellipses along a central axis. Representative housing shapes include egg-shaped and pear-shaped surfaces. An insertion and extraction element is fixedly attached to an end of the housing which extends toward the outer ear when the aid is inserted into an ear canal. The insertion/extraction member can be formed as either a rigid or a flexible element. The housing can carry a soft, deformable outer layer to improve performance and user comfort when installed in an ear canal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.