Modular hearing aid

Abstract

A modular hearing aid with an amplifier module that can be worn behind the ear, an ear module for arrangement in the ear, and a cable sleeve module for connecting the amplifier module to the ear module. A microphone for picking up sounds and a speaker are arranged relative to the ear module. The hearing aid is suitable for near-deaf people, has a low feedback tendency and no resonance effects of the amplified signal, and provides a particularly distortion-free, unadulterated, undelayed and high-quality acoustic signal. The cable sleeve module is designed to forward electrical signals picked up the microphone to the amplifier module and to forward amplified electrical signals from the amplifier module to the ear module. The ear module, cable sleeve module and amplifier module are detachably connected to one another and form a modular system in which each of the parts can be exchanged.

Claims

1. A modular hearing aid having: an amplifier module that can be worn behind the ear, an ear module for arrangement in the ear, and a cable conduit module for connecting the amplifier module to the ear module, wherein a microphone for picking up sounds and a speaker are arranged in or on the ear module, wherein the cable conduit module is made to forward electrical signals picked up by the microphone to the amplifier module, and to forward amplified electrical signals from the amplifier module to the ear module, the ear module, the cable conduit module and the amplifier module are releasably connected to each other and thus form a modular system consisting of respectively exchangeable parts, and an induction coil is arranged in the amplifier module for detecting signals.

2. The modular hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the ear module, the cable conduit module and the amplifier module are connectable to each other by standard interfaces.

3. The modular hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the microphone is arranged in the interior of a housing of the ear module, wherein the microphone is arranged on a side of the housing opposite an earpiece of the ear module.

4. The modular hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the microphone is arranged on a rigid support arm arranged on the ear module.

5. The modular hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the cable conduit module for connecting to the ear module and/or the amplifier module has a connecting plug on at least one end, or on both ends.

6. The modular hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein the microphone is arranged on the connecting plug for connecting the cable conduit module to the ear module.

7. The modular hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein the connecting plug is fastened to the ear module and/or to the amplifier module by a removable locking pin, wherein the locking pin is arranged in corresponding openings in the ear module or the amplifier module as well as the connecting plug.

8. The modular hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein the cable conduit module can be connected acoustically and/or mechanically decoupled to the ear module and/or the amplifier module, wherein a socket for accommodating the connecting plug is arranged decoupled relative to the ear module or the amplifier module.

9. The modular hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein the microphone is fixed in an acoustically and/or mechanically decoupled manner relative to the housing of the ear module or relative to the connecting plug of the cable conduit module, wherein a damping element is arranged between the microphone and the housing or the connecting plug.

10. A modular hearing aid having: an amplifier module that can be worn behind the ear, an ear module for arrangement in the ear, and a cable conduit module for connecting the amplifier module to the ear module, wherein a microphone for picking up sounds and a speaker are arranged in or on the ear module, wherein the cable conduit module is made to forward electrical signals picked up by the microphone to the amplifier module, and to forward amplified electrical signals from the amplifier module to the ear module, the ear module, the cable conduit module and the amplifier module are releasably connected to each other and thus form a modular system consisting of respectively exchangeable parts, and the microphone is arranged on a rigid support arm arranged on the ear module.

Description

(1) Four embodiments of the modular hearing aid according to the invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a modular hearing aid,

(3) FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of an amplifier module of the hearing aid portrayed in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 2b shows a perspective exploded view of the amplifier module portrayed in FIG. 2a,

(5) FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of an ear module of the hearing aid portrayed in FIG. 1,

(6) FIG. 3b shows an exploded view of the ear module portrayed in FIG. 3a,

(7) FIG. 4a shows a perspective view of an cable conduit module of the hearing aid portrayed in FIG. 1,

(8) FIG. 4b shows a sectional view of a connecting element of the cable conduit module portrayed in FIG. 4a,

(9) FIG. 4c shows a front view of the connecting element portrayed in FIG. 4b,

(10) FIG. 5a shows a perspective view of an ear module of a second embodiment of a modular hearing aid,

(11) FIG. 5b shows an exploded view of the ear module portrayed in FIG. 5a,

(12) FIG. 6a shows a perspective view of a cable conduit module of the second embodiment of the modular hearing aid,

(13) FIG. 6b shows a detail view of an end of the cable conduit module portrayed in FIG. 6a,

(14) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a modular hearing aid,

(15) FIG. 8a shows a side view of the ear module of the hearing aid portrayed in FIG. 7,

(16) FIG. 8b shows an exploded view of the ear module portrayed in FIG. 8a,

(17) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a modular hearing aid,

(18) FIG. 10a shows a perspective view of a cable conduit module of the hearing aid portrayed in FIG. 9,

(19) FIG. 10b shows a sectional view of a connecting element of the cable conduit module portrayed in FIG. 10a, and

(20) FIG. 10c shows a front view of the connecting element portrayed in FIG. 10b.

(21) In a first embodiment of a modular hearing aid 1 portrayed in perspective in FIG. 1, an amplifier module 2 and an ear module 3 are connected to each other by a cable conduit module 4, wherein all three modules 2, 3, 4 can be decoupled from each other and exchanged as desired for a corresponding module 2, 3, 4 and thereby jointly form a system of exchangeable individual modules 2, 3, 4.

(22) A microphone 5 by means of which the sounds to be amplified are picked up is thus arranged in the ear module 3 provided for arrangement in the auditory canal of a user. Then the picked up sounds are transmitted as electrical signals through the cable conduit module 4 to the amplifier module 2 where the electrical signals are amplified and possibly processed, for example filtered in a frequency-selective manner. Then the amplified electrical signals are once again transmitted by the amplifier module 2 via the cable conduit module 4 to the ear module 3 and again converted therein into amplified acoustic signals. These acoustic signals are then fed into the auditory canal of the user through an earpiece 7.

(23) The amplifier module 2 has a housing 15 that is substantially closed on all sides with a battery flap 16 (see FIG. 2a). A battery 17 can be inserted into the battery flap 16 and comes into contact with battery contacts 18 upon closing the battery flap 16, and the entire hearing aid 1 is supplied with power.

(24) The battery contacts 18 as well as all of the components of the amplifier module 2 are thus arranged on a base support 25 which can be inserted into the housing 15. The electrical components, inter alia a hybrid, or respectively amplifier 19 for amplifying the signal picked up by the microphone 5 and an induction coil 14 for picking up background noises in the region of the amplifier module 2 are arranged on a common printed circuit board 22 (see FIG. 2b).

(25) The amplifier module 2 is connected to the cable conduit module 4 by a connector 20 made as a socket which is acoustically and mechanically decoupled from the other components of the amplifier module 2 by means of a decoupling element 21 consisting of an elastic plastic.

(26) Moreover, a programming interface 23 in the form of a connecting socket is arranged on the base support 25 and is accessible when the base support 25 is removed from the housing 15 of the amplifier module 2. Moreover, the amplifier module 2 has a pushbutton as an operating element 24 which extends out of the closed housing 15, and by means of which different operating modes or the amplification performance of the hearing aid 1 can be set.

(27) The ear module 3 also has a housing 6, 8 that is substantially closed on all sides and on which the cable conduit module 4 can be arranged at one end, and the earpiece 7 is secured to the other end (see FIG. 3a). The housing 6, 8 is made of a microphone housing 6 covering the microphone 5 as well as two housing parts 8a, b covering the other part of the ear module 3, wherein the microphone housing 6 has openings, at least sectionally, and/or is made such that sound can pass through the microphone housing 6 to the microphone 5.

(28) The microphone 5 is acoustically and mechanically decoupled from the remaining part of the ear module 3 by a damping element 13 consisting of an elastic plastic. Moreover, a connector 27 made as a socket is also mechanically and acoustically decoupled by a decoupling element 26 from the housing part 8b, or respectively the other components of the ear module 3 (see FIG. 3b).

(29) The electrical signal amplified by the amplifier module 2 is transmitted by the cable conduit module 4 and the connector 27 to a receiver, or respectively loudspeaker 28 arranged in the ear module 3, and converted there into an acoustic signal. Then the acoustic signal is forwarded by a vibration-dampened sound conductor 29 to the earpiece 7 arranged on the housing part 8a where it enters the auditory canal of the user. The receiver, or respectively speaker 28 is also acoustically and mechanically decoupled from the other components, in particular from the housing 8a, b, by means of decoupling elements 30 consisting of an elastic plastic.

(30) The cable conduit module 4 is in principle made of a transparent plastic conduit 31 in which are arranged six mutually insulated strands 34. Connecting plugs 10a, b are attached to both ends of the cable conduit module 4 (see FIG. 4a). Each of the connecting plugs 10a, b has six metal contact pins 32 in a 2×3 arrangement (see FIGS. 4b and 4c).

(31) To reversibly connect the cable conduit module 4 to the amplifier module 2, or respectively to the ear module 3, both the respective connecting plug 10 as well as the housing 15 of the amplifier module 2, or respectively the housing 8 of the ear module 3 has an opening 12 which, when the connecting plug 10 is connected, are arranged such that a locking pin 11 can simultaneously be shoved through the openings 12 in both components 10 and 15, or respectively 8.

(32) A second embodiment of the modular hearing aid 1 according to the invention differs from the first embodiment only in that the cable conduit module 4 is not connected to the ear module 3 by a connecting plug 10; instead, the conduit 31 of the cable conduit module 4 is guided directly into a cable opening 33 in the housing 8b of the ear module 3 where the cable conduit module 4 is welded to the ear module 3 (see FIG. 5a, b). Correspondingly, a particularly compact construction of a corresponding ear module 3 is possible since, inter alia, a connector 27 made as a socket is unnecessary. In order to establish an electrical connection between the cable conduit module 4 and the ear module 3, the individual strands 34 (see FIG. 6a, b) guided in the conduit 31 are soldered directly to the microphone 5 and the receiver, or respectively speaker 28 in the ear module 3.

(33) A third embodiment of the hearing aid 1 according to the invention portrayed in FIG. 7 differs from the first embodiment only in that the microphone 5 is not secured directly on the housing 6, 8 of the ear module 3 but is instead connected by a support arm 9 to the ear module 3, or respectively its housing 8 so that the microphone 5 can be arranged at the entrance of the auditory canal or at any other position in the auricle of the user. To accomplish this, one end of the support arm 9 is secured to an end of the housing 8b of the ear module 3 opposite the earpiece 7. At the other end of the support arm 9, the microphone 5 is arranged within a microphone housing 6 (see FIG. 8a, b). The support arm 9 thus has three right angles in a basic configuration, in particular angled in a different direction in space in each case, and can preferably be bent into any position.

(34) Finally in a fourth embodiment of the hearing aid 1 according to the invention portrayed in FIG. 9, the microphone 5 is not arranged on the ear module 3, but rather on the connecting plug 10b of the cable conduit module 4 that is provided for connecting to the ear module 3. Given the modular construction of the hearing aid 1, the connecting plug 10b is however made such that an ear module 3 with an integrated microphone 5 can also be used, as it is for example employed in the first embodiment. In such a case, one microphone 5 is then arranged on the cable conduit module 4 and another microphone 5 is arranged on the ear module 3, wherein the microphone 5 of the ear module 3 can both be deactivated as well as operated in addition to the microphone 5 on the cable conduit module 4.

(35) To establish compatibility with all ear modules 3 of the system, the connecting plug 10b of this embodiment of the cable conduit module 4 also has six contact pins 32 (see FIG. 10a, b, c), wherein however the signals picked up by the microphone 5 arranged on the cable conduit module 4 are forwarded directly to the amplifier module 2.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

(36) 1 Modular hearing aid 2 Amplifier module 3 Ear module 4 Cable conduit module 5 Microphone 6 Microphone housing of the ear module 7 Earpiece 8a, b Housing of the ear module 9 Support arm 10a, b Connecting plug 11 Locking pin 12 Opening for the locking pin 13 Damping element 14 Induction coil 15 Housing of the amplifier module 16 Battery flap 17 Battery 18 Battery contact 19 Hybrid/amplifier 20 Connector 21 Decoupling element 22 Printed circuit board 23 Programming interface 24 Control element 25 Base support 26 Decoupling element 27 Connector 28 Receiver/speaker 29 Vibration-damping sound conductor 30 Decoupling element 31 Conduit 32 Contact pin 33 Cable opening 32 Strands