Method for generating an acoustic signal or for transmitting energy in an auditory canal and corresponding hearing apparatus

Abstract

Changing batteries in hearing apparatuses worn in the auditory canal is to be designed in a more user-friendly manner. To this end, a hearing apparatus is provided with a first component which can be worn in the auditory canal, said component comprising a receiver unit for the wireless reception of signals. The hearing apparatus also exhibits a second component which is separated from the first component in terms of design, said second component likewise being able to be worn in the auditory canal and a transmitter unit for the wireless transmission of signals and/or energy to the receiver unit of the first component. The first component can be designed to be battery-less. The second component, which is positioned further outside in the auditory canal, can be easily removed from the auditory canal in order to change the battery.

Description

The present invention is now described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a hearing apparatus according to a first embodiment having a receiver coil and

FIG. 2 shows a hearing apparatus according to a second embodiment having a magnetic membrane.

The embodiments illustrated in more detail below represent preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

According to FIG. 1, a hearing device which is divided into two parts in terms of design is inserted in an ear canal and/or auditory canal 1. A second component 2 is used to generate a signal in the auditory canal 1. In the example in FIG. 1, the second component 2 comprises a transmitter coil 3 which is arranged in the auditory canal 1, said transmitter coil 3 being connected to a signal processor which is external to the auditory canal (not shown in FIG. 1), to microphones and to a battery. Alternatively, the overall signal processor including microphone, battery and transmitter coil can also be arranged in the ear canal or partially in the ear canal.

A first component 4 of the hearing device is also disposed in the interior of the ear canal 1. Said first component 4 consists here of a receiver coil 5, an electro-acoustic converter 6 and a seal 7 and if necessary additional electronics systems. The second component 4 is battery-less and converts the signals received with the aid of the coil 5 and if necessary further processed by the signal processor into acoustic signals for direct reception through the eardrum (not shown in FIG. 1).

The transmitter coil 3 of the second component 2 transmits the output signal and if necessary energy for the signal processor in magnetic form to the second component 4 which is positioned deep within the ear. FIG. 1 symbolically shows the supply to the electronics system for the signal processor and the receiver or as applicable sound converter 6 via a magnetic field by means of arrows 8.

The embodiment of a hearing apparatus according to the invention reproduced in FIG. 2 has an even simpler design than the embodiment in FIG. 1. The second component 2 consists here inter alia, as in the first embodiment, of a transmitter coil 3, which is disposed in the auditory canal 1. Said transmitter coil interacts magnetically (arrow 8) with the first component 4, which is arranged deeper in the auditory canal. This first component 4 only consists here of a magnetically active membrane 9, which is held in the ear canal 1 with the aid of a fastener and/or seal 10.

The magnetically active membrane 9 exhibits a ferromagnetic coating, which enables the membrane to move with the aid of the magnetic field, which is generated by the first component 2. The membrane is preferably coated with a ferromagnetic liquid, which dries after application.

As the second component 4 consists here exclusively of the passive membrane 9, aside from the seal 10, a signal coding during the signal transmission between the two components 2 and 4 is not possible. On the other hand, with the first embodiment according to FIG. 1, an electronics system used in some circumstances enables a coding during the signal transmission within the auditory canal.

The hearing devices illustrated in detail above exhibit numerous advantages. On the one hand, the first component 4 and/or its seal 7, 10 can remain permanently in the ear canal 1 so that the otologist only needs to position it once for instance. This herewith enables the first component 4 to be battery-less. Furthermore, the deep position of the first component enables an effective acoustic supply, in particular a high output level with relatively minimal energy usage.

Furthermore, the transmitter coil 3 of the second component can be applied extensively along the ear canal 1, thereby resulting in a more effective magnetic field coupling. The second component 2 can also be a hearing device for instance, said hearing device not being adapted individually to a wearer and the earpiece of which does not have to be adapted individually (so-called open BTE hearing device). The acoustically unproblematic positioning of a transmitter coil in the auditory canal is instead sufficient here to generate a magnetic field. A completely open, occlusion-free coupling to the ear canal 1 is thus possible. The advantages of a user-friendly open BTE hearing device are thus combined with the good sound quality of the deeply positioned CICs.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A hearing apparatus comprising: a first component to be worn in an auditory canal, wherein the first component has a receiver unit for a wireless reception of a signal; anda second component separated from the first component, wherein the second component has a transmitter unit for a wireless transmission of the signal to the receiver unit.

12. A hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second component is worn in the auditory canal.

13. A hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmitter unit transmits energy wireless to the first component.

14. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the hearing apparatus is a hearing device.

15. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first component has a seal for a soundproof positioning in the auditory canal.

16. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first component has a receiver coil.

17. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first component has a magnetically active membrane.

18. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the membrane is coated with a ferromagnetic liquid.

19. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first component consists of the magnetically active membrane and a passive fastener.

20. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the passive fastener is the seal.

21. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second component is removeable from the auditory canal separately from the first component.

22. A method for generating an acoustic signal in an auditory canal, comprising: generating a wirelessly transmittable signal in the auditory canal via a second component;receiving the wirelessly transmitted signal further within the auditory canal via a first component; andconverting the received signal via the first component into an acoustic signal.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein an energy of the signal is used in the first component.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a space in the auditory canal between the first component and an eardrum is sealed in a soundproof manner.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the wireless transmission between the first component and the second component is based upon electromagnetism.

26. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the signal is transmitted based upon induction.

27. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first component has no energy storage device.

28. A method for transmitting energy in an auditory canal, comprising: generating a wirelessly transmittable signal in the auditory canal based upon a second component;receiving the wirelessly transmitted signal further within the auditory canal based upon a first component; andusing a energy transmitted by the signal in the first component.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein a space in the auditory canal between the first component and an eardrum is sealed in a soundproof manner.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the first component has no energy storage device.