A hearing aid includes a microphone, an electro-acoustic transducer, and a housing that supports the electro-acoustic transducer such that the housing and the electro-acoustic transducer together define a first acoustic volume and a second acoustic volume. The electro-acoustic transducer is arranged such that a first radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the front acoustic volume and such that a second radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the second acoustic volume. The hearing aid is configured such that the first and second acoustic volumes are acoustically coupled to the microphone when the hearing aid is worn. The housing supports an acoustic element that is acoustically coupled to the microphone and the second acoustic volume and is arranged such that acoustic energy radiated from the acoustic element sums with acoustic energy leaked from the first acoustic volume at the microphone so as to cancel each other.

The present disclosure discloses an assistive listening device. The assistive listening device includes a signal input module configured to receive an initial sound and convert the initial sound into an electric signal, a signal processing module configured to process the electric signal and generate a control signal, and at least one output energy converter configured to convert the control signal into a bone conduction sound wave that can be perceived by a user and an air conduction sound wave that can be heard by the user's ears. Within a target frequency range, the air conduction sound wave is transmitted to the user's ears, so that a sound intensity of the air conduction sound heard by the user's ears is greater than a sound intensity of the initial sound received by the signal input module.

Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for a multipurpose microphone for hearing devices. A hearing assistance device includes a first housing configured to be worn above an ear of a wearer and a second housing configured to be worn in the ear of the wearer. The device also includes a cable configured to connect to the first housing at a first end and to the second housing at the second end, and a microphone at the second end of the cable, the microphone including an input port facing an acoustic channel. A switch is provided in the acoustic channel, the switch having a first position such that acoustic input to the microphone is received from an inner portion of the ear of the wearer, and a second position such that acoustic input to the microphone is received from an area outside the ear of the wearer.

A hearing device and subassembly therefor includes a sleeve member configured for at least partial insertion into a user's ear canal, the sleeve member defining a cavity that receives and retains at least a portion of a sound-producing electroacoustic transducer. The sleeve member includes a cable interface, wherein an electrical interface of a sound-producing electroacoustic transducer received in the cavity is accessible via the cable interface. The device also includes on or more sensors integrated with the sleeve member and positioned to sense a biomarker or other condition when the sleeve member is at least partially inserted into the user's ear canal. The hearing device includes conductive traces integrated with the sleeve member, where at least one conductive trace is electrically connected to the sensor and electrically connectable via the cable interface.

A hearing device includes a sound path component having: a chamber at a first end of the hearing device; a vent channel extending from the chamber to a second end of the hearing device, the vent channel having a first vent end at the chamber and a second vent end; an output transducer opening configured to couple to an output transducer; a first opening at the chamber and being configured to face towards an ear canal of the user; and a second opening at the second end of the hearing device and being configured to face towards a surrounding, the second opening being at the second vent end of the vent channel; and an input transducer opening configured to couple to a first input transducer; the vent channel, the input transducer opening, the output transducer opening, the first opening and the second opening being in fluid connection with each another.

Embodiments provide an apparatus for sound conversion, wherein the apparatus includes a sound channel and a sound transducer coupled to the sound channel, wherein the apparatus comprises an acoustic low-pass filter arranged in the sound channel.

A hearing system to activate an auditory system using cerebrospinal fluids includes at least one processor configured to receive an audio signal captured using a sound sensor (e.g., a microphone), extract temporal and spectral features from the audio signal, and create modulated ultrasound signals in a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz with ultrasound carrier frequencies in the range of 50 kHz to 4 MHz, which are ultrasound frequencies that are well-suited to reach the cerebrospinal fluids (e.g., can pass across the skull/bones to reach the cerebrospinal fluids). The system further includes at least one ultrasonic transducer which receives the modulated signal and delivers the modulated signal to the body and activates the auditory system via vibration of cerebrospinal fluids that vibrate cochlear fluids, bypassing the normal conductive pathway that uses middle ear bones and minimizing bone conduction and distortion through the skull.

A method for masking an acoustic stimulus, comprising: detecting an event initiated by a user of a personal audio device, the event having an associated audio artefact; in response to detecting the event, applying the acoustic stimulus to the user's ear during a masking period in which the acoustic stimulus is masked in the user's hearing by the audio artefact; extracting, from a response signal of the user's ear to the acoustic stimulus, one or more features for use in a biometric process.

A method (600) of operating a binaural ear level audio system in order to improve speech intelligibility and a binaural ear level audio system adapted to carry out said method.

The present disclosure provides hearing assistance devices and methods of generating a resonance within hearing assistance devices that use moving coil drivers, e.g., electro-dynamic coil drivers. As small moving coil drivers are typically inefficient within the voice band of frequencies, e.g., above 1 kHz, the hearing assistance devices described herein utilize the resonance of a mass within the hearing assistance device and a compliance of air within the housing of the hearing assistance device or within portions of the acoustic driver housing to aid in amplification of select frequencies within the voice band of human speech, e.g., between 2.5 kHz and 6 kHz. By using the assistance of the resonance created, the moving coil driver utilized does not need to operate as efficiently within the range of resonance frequencies.