| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090147979 | Attenuating tip for hearing aid - A hearing aid includes a speaker in a tip that is located in an ear canal. The tip includes a coupling, a retainer that mechanically engages the coupling, and a sleeve axially surrounding the retainer. The retainer attenuates lower frequencies than are attenuated by the sleeve. The sleeve is preferably a foam rubber and the retainer is preferably a composite material. A flange on the retainer reflects sound back into the sleeve for additional attenuation. It has been discovered that operation is improved if the outside diameter of the sleeve and the outside diameter of the retainer are in the ratio of approximately 1.75:1. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090214064 | RF power supply for hearing aids - A hearing aid includes an antenna and is powered by one or more signals received by the antenna. At least some of the power for operating the hearing aid is derived from a received signal. Power not used for operation is used for charging a battery, if any, in the hearing aid. The signal can be modulated for one-way communication or there is two-way communication if the hearing aid includes a transmitter coupled to the same antenna or a second antenna. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090257610 | Quasi-permanent battery for hearing aids - A hearing aid includes a secondary battery and means for identifying the kind of battery for charging. After the battery is identified, an appropriate algorithm for charging the battery is selected and used for charging the battery. Primary batteries are not charged. The hearing aid also includes a voltage reduction circuit for supplying a constant voltage to circuitry within the hearing aid. The battery preferably has an energy density greater than 500 watt-hours per liter. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090285425 | Solar powered hearing aid - A hearing aid includes a case, a photovoltaic cell located within the case, and a light gathering member optically coupled to the photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell is preferably a multi-junction cell and the light gathering member gathers light at the wavelengths preferentially absorbed by the multi-junction cell. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090290738 | Light powered hearing aid - A hearing aid includes a case and a photovoltaic cell located in the case near a translucent portion of the case. A detector circuit includes a voltage comparator for monitoring the voltage from the photocell and indicating variations in voltage. The variations are analyzed to detect data for operating the hearing aid. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090296968 | Maintenance station for hearing aid - A maintenance station includes means for disinfecting, drying, recharging, and communicating with one or more hearing aids using light. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a fluorescent lamp is primarily for disinfecting a hearing aid, an incandescent lamp is primarily for recharging a hearing aid, and a light emitting diode is primarily for communicating with a hearing aid. All power dissipated within the station aids in drying the hearing aids within. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090316941 | Hearing aid with capacitive switch - A hearing aid includes at least one capacitive switch for controlling or communicating with the hearing aid by touch. The capacitive switch is an electrode on the inside of the housing coupled to a touch detector. Touching the outside of the hearing aid adjacent the electrode produces a switching operation. The hearing aid includes a programmed microprocessor coupled to the touch detector. The microprocessor is programmed to effect predetermined functions in response to particular touch patterns. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100054511 | Wireless gateway for hearing aid - A remote control unit includes an RF transceiver that complies with a Bluetooth® standard and an RF transmitter that does not comply with the Bluetooth® standard, whereby the remote control unit serves as a wireless gateway between Bluetooth® compliant devices and the hearing aid. The hearing aid can further include a transmitter and the remote control unit can further include a receiver, neither of which comply with the Bluetooth® standard. The transmitters operate in the ISM band at low power, minimizing power dissipation within a hearing aid. | 03-04-2010 |
