Disclosed herein are apparatuses for manipulation of an ear device within the ear canal of a subject. Also disclosed herein are methods of using said apparatuses for the insertion, removal, or other manipulations of the ear device. Also disclosed herein are methods of making the apparatuses, and kits containing the apparatus with instructions for use.

A device and system for promoting more recuperative sleep by regulating a user's body temperature. This may be done by using a series of devices that measure information about the user both while they are awake and while they are asleep, communicate that information to a processing unit, and create an ideal body temperature range profile based on that information. A temperature stimulus device may ensure that the core body temperature of the user stays substantially within the ideal body temperature range. By keeping the core body temperature of the user within the calculated range, the device and system will ensure deeper, and therefore more recuperative, sleep.

An apparatus for detecting sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, includes a housing insertable into an ear canal of a subject. A sensor disposed within the housing measures a position of the subject's head relative to an axis of gravity. A transducer is responsive to the sensor and is capable of creating a stimulus detectable by the subject under certain conditions. In various embodiments, a controller receives signals corresponding to a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject's head measured by the sensor, determines if the pitch and roll angles correspond to a sleep apnea inducing position, and causes the transducer to generate a stimulus upon determining that the subject's head is in the sleep apnea inducing position more than a predetermined threshold number of times. Various parameters of the stimulus may be modified with successive stimulus generation until a non-sleep apnea inducing position is detected.

Hearing aid system comprising at least one hearing aid is provided. The hearing aid system further comprising an input unit for receiving an input sound signal from an environment of the hearing aid user and providing at least one electric input signal representing said input sound signal, an output unit for providing at least one set of stimuli perceivable as sound to the hearing aid user based on processed versions of said at least one electric input signal, a processing unit connected to said input unit and to said output unit and comprising signal processing parameters to provide said processed versions of said at least one electric input signal, at least one photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor configured to provide a PPG signal of the hearing aid user, and a listening effort determination unit configured to provide at least one PPG morphology parameter value based at least on the PPG signal, compare the at least one PPG morphology parameter value with at least one corresponding reference PPG morphology parameter value and determine a morphology comparison measure, and determine a listening effort of the hearing aid user. A hearing aid is further provided.

A hearing aid is configured to be located at or in an ear of a user. The hearing aid comprises a heartbeat detector providing a pulse control signal, and a processor. The processor is configured to estimate whether the hearing aid is located at a left or a right ear of the user in dependence of the pulse control signal. A method of operating a hearing aid and a binaural hearing aid system is further disclosed.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for automatic correction of real ear measurements (REMs). A sound signal is produced through a receiver of a hearing device, and a sound pressure signal is sensed using a microphone placed inside the ear canal. The sound pressure signal is transformed to obtain a frequency response signal, a local minimum of the frequency response signal is detected above a programmable frequency level, and a spectral flatness of the frequency response signal is calculated in a selected frequency band surrounding the local minimum. If the spectral flatness is greater than a selected threshold value, acoustic correction is applied to the frequency response in the selected frequency band using an estimated transfer function to obtain a corrected sound pressure frequency response. The corrected sound pressure frequency response is used to modify, or make a recommendation to modify, a physical or operational characteristic of the hearing device.

Introduced here are approaches to authenticating the identity of speakers based on the “liveness” of the input. To prevent spoofing, an authentication platform may establish the likelihood that a voice sample represents a recording of word(s) uttered by a speaker whose identity is to be authenticated and then, based on the likelihood, determine whether to authenticate the speaker.

Cochlear implant systems can comprise a cochlear implant system comprising a cochlear electrode, a stimulator, an input source, and an implantable battery and/or communication module. The signal processor may be programmed with a transfer function and be configured to receive input signals from the input source and output a stimulation signal to the stimulator based on the received input signals with the transfer function. The system may be configured to receive a status indicator signal indicative of whether an external auditory aid device is active and update the transfer function of the signal processor if the external auditory aid device is active. For example, the signal processor can operate programmed with a first transfer function if the external auditory aid device is not active and with a second transfer function if the external auditory aid device is active.

A system provides ECG monitoring for a user. The system includes an in-ear device and processor. The in-ear device includes in-ear electrodes that capture electrical signals of the pulses of the heartbeat of the user from within the user's ear canal, and an out-of-ear electrode that does not contact any surface of the user's ear or ear canal, and captures electrical signals of pulses of the heartbeat of the user from a fingertip of the user when the user contacts the out-of-ear electrode with their fingertip. The processor generates ECG data using captured electrical signals responsive to a determination that the user has positioned a finger to touch the out-of-ear electrode on the in-ear device. This configuration allows the out-of-ear electrode to, when touched by the user's fingertip, effectively function as an arm electrode, allowing for ECG data to be measured from two different angles, through a path that passes through the user's heart.

Embodiments herein relate to ear-wearable systems and devices that can detect allergic reactions. In an embodiment, an ear-wearable device is included having a control circuit, a microphone, and a sensor package. The ear-wearable device can be configured to evaluate at least one of signals from the microphone, signals from the sensor package, signals from an external sensor, and contextual factor data, and detect an allergic reaction based on the evaluation. In an embodiment, an ear-wearable device system is included having a first ear-wearable device and a second ear-wearable device. In an embodiment, a method of predicting or detecting the onset or presence of an allergic reaction with an ear-wearable system is included. Other embodiments are also included herein.