EP2091269B2 - Appareil auditif résistant à l'eau - Google Patents

Appareil auditif résistant à l'eau Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2091269B2
EP2091269B2 EP09150491.0A EP09150491A EP2091269B2 EP 2091269 B2 EP2091269 B2 EP 2091269B2 EP 09150491 A EP09150491 A EP 09150491A EP 2091269 B2 EP2091269 B2 EP 2091269B2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
electroacoustic transducer
liquids
electrical
electric
hearing device
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.)
Active
Application number
EP09150491.0A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2091269B1 (fr
EP2091269A2 (fr
EP2091269A3 (fr
Inventor
Jürgen Reithinger
Christian Weistenhöfer
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.)
Sivantos Pte Ltd
Original Assignee
Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
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Application filed by Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd filed Critical Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd
Publication of EP2091269A2 publication Critical patent/EP2091269A2/fr
Publication of EP2091269A3 publication Critical patent/EP2091269A3/fr
Publication of EP2091269B1 publication Critical patent/EP2091269B1/fr
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R15/00—Magnetostrictive transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R17/00—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers
    • H04R17/005—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers using a piezoelectric polymer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R17/00—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers
    • H04R17/02—Microphones
    • H04R17/025—Microphones using a piezoelectric polymer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2217/00—Details of magnetostrictive, piezoelectric, or electrostrictive transducers covered by H04R15/00 or H04R17/00 but not provided for in any of their subgroups
    • H04R2217/01—Non-planar magnetostrictive, piezoelectric or electrostrictive benders
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/604—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/609—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of circuitry
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
    • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture

Definitions

  • Hearing aids are used to compensate for decreases in hearing in patients.
  • Hearing aids consist of one or more microphones, an electronic circuit which has at least one analogue or digital amplifier, and one or more loudspeakers and a power source for supplying these components.
  • Hearing aids are constantly exposed to the effects of liquids and dirt in practical use. These factors can be caused by a number of factors including sweating of the patient and earwax, on the one hand environmental influences such as dust or the influence of water during swimming or other water sports or if the patient accidentally drops the hearing aid into a vessel filled with water or other liquids.
  • hearing aids are designed so far waterproof, so that water ingress can not take place.
  • the disadvantage of this is, for example, that in the microphone and the speaker complex membrane arrangements are required to seal these areas and thereby to allow the sound wave transmission from / to outside the hearing aid, such as in the publication DE 11 2006 000 463 T5 ,
  • a hearing aid comprising: at least a first electro-acoustic transducer for receiving sound waves and conversion into electrical signals, a sealed by coating and / or pouring against liquids electronic circuit for processing the electrical signals, at least a second electro-acoustic Converter for converting electrical signals supplied to the circuit into sound waves and an electrical energy source sealed by coating and / or pouring liquids.
  • the electroacoustic transducers are constructed of materials which implement a change in shape in an electric field or an electric current flow or voltage or vice versa and are insensitive to liquids, especially water, salt water and light acids.
  • the hearing aid i. the at least two transducers (e.g., microphone and speaker), the electronic circuitry which provides signal processing and signal amplification, and the power source (e.g., battery or accumulator) are each insusceptible to water, and the case does not matter.
  • the housing does not have to be made waterproof, corresponding expensive measures can be advantageously eliminated.
  • electroacoustic transducers are: single or multilayer piezoelectret films and / or piezoelectric transducers, for example flexural vibrators or thickness oscillators.
  • FIG. 1 1 schematically shows the block diagram of a hearing aid 100 with a first electroacoustic transducer or microphone 110 for receiving an acoustic input signal (sound waves) and conversion into an electrical signal, a signal processing unit 120 and a second electroacoustic transducer 130 for converting one of the Signal processing unit 120 output electrical signal into an acoustic output signal.
  • a programmable control unit 140 can optionally be provided, which controls the signal processing unit 120 and contains sequence programs as well as setting parameters for the signal processing unit 120. These programs and parameters serve to adapt the behavior of the signal processing unit 120 (and thus the behavior of the hearing device 100) to different hearing impairments as well as to different hearing situations.
  • signal processing unit 120 and control unit 140 can be combined in a common electronics - not shown.
  • An electric power source 150 is used the supply of electrical energy.
  • the electronic circuit (s) 120, 140 and the power source 150 are protected by coating and / or potting against the action of liquids.
  • liquids that have entered the hearing aid 100 such as water, can not damage these components 120, 140, 150, since the fluids are retained by the coating and / or potting compound and can not wet the components 120, 140, 150.
  • Open circuit traces connecting the electronic circuitry (s) 120, 140 and the power source 150 are also preferably protected by coating and / or potting against exposure to liquids.
  • an accumulator as the energy source 150 is particularly advantageous when combined with wireless charging devices (not shown) well known in the art.
  • wireless charging devices not shown
  • high-energy batteries whose lifespan should then correspond approximately to the total lifetime of the hearing device 100.
  • a water-resistant embodiment is preferred, i. a structure that can not be damaged due to its construction and / or the materials used by contact with liquids, so that a seal can be omitted.
  • materials which convert a change in shape into an electric field or an electric current flow or an electric voltage or vice versa and which are insensitive to liquids.
  • Fig. 2 schematically shows a first embodiment of an electroacoustic transducer.
  • a piezoelectret film 220 is applied to a housing section 210.
  • Piezoelectret films are electrically polarized plastic films (electrets) that contain many flat bubbles 230 in their interior. At the interfaces of these bubbles are polarized charges, so that many small capacitors arise.
  • the compliance of the air (or other gas) in the bubbles is substantially less than the compliance of the film, so that the film is stretchable and compressible in thickness.
  • a voltage can then be tapped off in response to an acoustic signal 250 on the surfaces of the film by means of electrodes 240.
  • a voltage applied to the electrodes 240 causes the thickness of the film to change, so that an acoustic signal can be generated when appropriately controlled.
  • an electroacoustic transducer according to Fig. 2 can advantageously be dispensed with a complicated mechanism and a suitable design on a back volume.
  • an electroacoustic transducer constructed from piezoelectric foil is suitable both as a microphone 110 and as a receiver 130.
  • a film converter does not provide components that can be attacked by (non-corrosive or slightly corrosive) liquids, so that after suitable coating of the electrodes a water-resistant electroacoustic transducer 110, 130 is present, which is not affected by contact with liquids and also can not be damaged and therefore does not have to be sealed. Rather, it is possible, the converter with water or similar. to rinse, and the converter works normally after drying. Even when wet such a converter works, but it can lead to frequency distortion and efficiency losses. Even against mechanical stresses such a transducer is largely insensitive.
  • electroacoustic transducers 110, 130 it is also possible to use classical piezoelectric transducers which are also water-resistant, but have the disadvantage that they operate less efficiently and at the same time have a higher sensitivity to mechanical stress and structure-borne noise. Examples of such piezoelectric transducers are bending vibrators and thickness oscillators.
  • Microphone 110 constructed using piezoelectret film also has the advantage, in addition to the insensitivity to water already described in detail, that it is insensitive to structure-borne noise. Compared to conventional microphones may have a larger area may be provided to achieve sufficient acoustic sensitivity.
  • piezoelectric bending oscillators are used as microphone 110, it may be advantageous to provide two spaced microphones of this type in order to be able to compensate for the impact of structure-borne noise on the microphones and to isolate the airborne sound as the signal of interest.
  • the housing (not shown) of a microphone 110 preferably has two openings, in order to achieve that the microphone 110 is easily rinsed through and easily dries again after - desirable or undesirable - liquid contact.
  • a microphone with such a housing has a directional characteristic, which can be advantageously exploited by appropriate design of the housing for the preferably detection of acoustic signals from a preferred direction.
  • Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of an electroacoustic transducer based on a piezoelectric foil for use as a handset 130 of a hearing aid.
  • the transducer comprises a piezoelectric film which has substantially the shape of a hollow cylinder segment and which is held in this form either by a housing (not shown) or by its own mechanical properties.
  • Terminals 320 are used to feed electrical signals, which are then converted by the film listener into acoustic signals.
  • Such a handset is primarily for use in the ear canal of the hearing aid wearer.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Transducers For Audible Bands (AREA)
  • Details Of Audible-Bandwidth Transducers (AREA)
  • Other Liquid Machine Or Engine Such As Wave Power Use (AREA)
  • Pens And Brushes (AREA)
  • Dental Preparations (AREA)

Claims (5)

  1. Prothèse ( 100 ) auditive comprenant au moins un premier transducteur ( 110 ) électroacoustique de réception d'ondes sonores et de transformation en signaux électriques, un circuit ( 120, 140 ) électronique rendu étanche vis-à-vis des liquides par des revêtements et/ou des scellements pour le traitement des signaux électriques, au moins un deuxième transducteur ( 130 ) électroacoustique pour la transformation de signaux électriques fournis par le circuit en ondes sonores et une source ( 150 ) d'énergie électrique rendue étanche vis-à-vis des liquides par des revêtements et/ou par des scellements, dans laquelle
    - le premier transducteur ( 110 ) électroacoustique est en un matériau qui subit une modification de forme dans un champ électrique ou dans un flux de courant électrique ou sous une tension électrique et est insensible aux liquides, notamment à l'eau, à l'eau salée et aux acides faibles ; et
    - le deuxième transducteur ( 130 ) électroacoustique est en un matériau qui subit un changement de forme dans un champ électrique ou dans un flux de courant électrique ou sous une tension électrique et est insensible aux liquides, notamment à l'eau, à l'eau salée et aux acides faibles.
  2. Prothèse auditive suivant la revendication 1, dans laquelle au moins un transducteur ( 110, 130 ) électroacoustique comporte une ou plusieurs couches de feuille de piézoélectret.
  3. Prothèse auditive suivant l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle au moins un transducteur ( 110, 130 ) électroacoustique est un transducteur piézoélectrique, notamment un cristal à mode de flexion ou un cristal à mode dans l'épaisseur.
  4. Prothèse auditive suivant l'une des revendications précédentes, qui comporte supplémentairement un boîtier lequel à au moins une, de préférence deux ouvertures de dimension telle que des liquides notamment de l'eau, qui sont arrivées à l'intérieur du boîtier, peuvent s'en écouler.
  5. Prothèse auditive suivant l'une des revendications précédentes, dont le deuxième transducteur ( 130 ) électroacoustique comporte un matériau de transducteur conformé à peu près en un cylindre creux ou en un segment de cylindre creux.
EP09150491.0A 2008-02-15 2009-01-14 Appareil auditif résistant à l'eau Active EP2091269B2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US2894608P 2008-02-15 2008-02-15
DE102008009284A DE102008009284B4 (de) 2008-02-15 2008-02-15 Wasserresistentes Hörgerät

Publications (4)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2091269A2 EP2091269A2 (fr) 2009-08-19
EP2091269A3 EP2091269A3 (fr) 2011-01-26
EP2091269B1 EP2091269B1 (fr) 2011-09-07
EP2091269B2 true EP2091269B2 (fr) 2014-11-05

Family

ID=40589571

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP09150491.0A Active EP2091269B2 (fr) 2008-02-15 2009-01-14 Appareil auditif résistant à l'eau

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US8144907B2 (fr)
EP (1) EP2091269B2 (fr)
AT (1) ATE524025T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE102008009284B4 (fr)
DK (1) DK2091269T4 (fr)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TWM384018U (en) * 2010-03-12 2010-07-11 Winharbor Technology Co Ltd Wireless rechargeable thermit pad
US9386384B2 (en) * 2012-01-03 2016-07-05 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Hearing instrument transduction apparatus using ferroelectret polymer foam
DE102012210194A1 (de) 2012-06-18 2013-12-19 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Hörgerät mit superabsorbierendem Feuchtigkeitsschutz
DK2849463T3 (en) * 2013-09-16 2018-06-25 Sonion Nederland Bv Transducer with moisture transporting element
JPWO2016067681A1 (ja) * 2014-10-31 2017-08-10 ソニー株式会社 音響変換装置
US12126967B2 (en) 2021-06-02 2024-10-22 Gn Hearing A/S Hearing device
EP4099720A1 (fr) * 2021-06-02 2022-12-07 GN Hearing A/S Dispositif auditif

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4729366A (en) † 1984-12-04 1988-03-08 Medical Devices Group, Inc. Implantable hearing aid and method of improving hearing
US5772575A (en) † 1995-09-22 1998-06-30 S. George Lesinski Implantable hearing aid
US7123733B1 (en) † 1999-01-27 2006-10-17 Auric Horsysteme Gmbh & Co. Kg Auditory treatment device

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3337841A (en) * 1957-04-09 1967-08-22 Walter N Wainwright Underwater telephone
AU4391393A (en) * 1992-05-26 1993-12-30 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated Soft earshell for hearing aids
JP2974957B2 (ja) * 1996-02-02 1999-11-10 リオン株式会社 耳かけ形補聴器
TW511391B (en) * 2000-01-24 2002-11-21 New Transducers Ltd Transducer
JP3859597B2 (ja) * 2003-01-24 2006-12-20 リオン株式会社 電池収納装置及びそれを用いた挿耳形補聴器
JP2004235870A (ja) * 2003-01-29 2004-08-19 Rion Co Ltd マイクロホン用の防水構造
JP3866748B2 (ja) * 2005-02-22 2007-01-10 リオン株式会社 防水補聴器
ES2320559T3 (es) * 2005-12-14 2009-05-25 Undersea Systems International, Inc. Dba Ocean Technology Systems Transductor piezoelectrico laminado y metodo de fabricacion del mismo.

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4729366A (en) † 1984-12-04 1988-03-08 Medical Devices Group, Inc. Implantable hearing aid and method of improving hearing
US5772575A (en) † 1995-09-22 1998-06-30 S. George Lesinski Implantable hearing aid
US7123733B1 (en) † 1999-01-27 2006-10-17 Auric Horsysteme Gmbh & Co. Kg Auditory treatment device

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
X. ZHANG ET AL.: "Ferroelectrets with improved thermal stability made from fused fluorocarbon layers", JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, vol. 101, 2007 †

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2091269B1 (fr) 2011-09-07
DE102008009284A1 (de) 2009-08-27
DK2091269T3 (da) 2011-12-12
DE102008009284B4 (de) 2009-10-22
US8144907B2 (en) 2012-03-27
EP2091269A2 (fr) 2009-08-19
DK2091269T4 (en) 2015-02-16
ATE524025T1 (de) 2011-09-15
EP2091269A3 (fr) 2011-01-26
US20090208045A1 (en) 2009-08-20

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