GB2633653A - An auricular clip for hearing aids - Google Patents

Abstract

The ear mount assembly for a bone conduction processor 126 of a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) comprises a magnetic attachment clip 106, 108 configured to demountably affix to a predetermined portion of the auricle of a user's ear 22; a coupling member 130, adapted to operably retaining receive a bone conduction processor 126 and contactingly engage with a predetermined region of the user's skull, during use, and at least one support link member, configured to operably couple said coupling member with said attachment member, and bias said coupling member into articulated contact engagement with said predetermined region of the user's skull at a predetermined pressure, during use. Figures 8-12 show various alternative embodiments in use.

Description

AN AURICULAR CLIP FOR HEARING AIDS Technical Field of Invention The invention relates to wearable devices for attachment to the outer ear structure of a user. In particular, the invention relates to auricular attachments or ear mounts suitable for children and adults with a more malleable or flexible pinna structure. Even more particular, the present invention relates to an adaptable or adjustable auricular ear mount for bone conduction processor of a non-surgical bone conduction hearing device.

Background

Hearing is one of the five traditionally identified senses humans use the gather information about the world through the detection of a stimuli, that include, inter alia, sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. As shown in Figure 1, in humans, hearing is performed primarily by the auditory system of the ear 20, which includes the outer ear 42, the middle ear 44 and the inner ear 46 (see Figure 2). The anatomy of the external ear 22, also known as the pinna or auricle, is relatively complex and consists of skin, cartilage and extrinsic and intrinsic muscles forming a funnel-like, flap-like external portion that is fastened to the side of the head 10 at an angel of about 30 degrees. Its surface is uneven and filled with pits, grooves and depressions, as is illustrated in Figure 1 (b), which shows an anterior-(front), lateral-(side) and posterior (rear) view of the pinna or auricle 22.

Prominent features of the auricle 22 include the helix 30, which is the outer rim-like periphery of the ear 20 that extends from the superior insertion of the ear 20 on the scalp to the termination of the cartilage at the earlobe 40. The helix 30 includes three approximate parts, the ascending helix 32, the superior helix 34 and the descending helix 36. The antihelix 26 is the Y-shaped curved cartilaginous ridge separating the concha 38, the triangular fossa 42 and the scapha/scaphoid fossa 24. The scaphoid fossa 24 is the groove between the helix 30 and the antihelix 26, and the concha 38 is the fossa, which is a shallow depression or hollow. The concha 38 is also the deepest depression of the auricle 22. On the posterior side (back side) of the auricle 22, one of the prominent features is the posterior antihelical fossa 28, which is the groove on the posterior surface of the auricle 22 that corresponds to the antihelix 26 on the anterior surface of the auricle 22.

In a healthy ear (see Figure 2(a)), sound travels through the ear canal 50 of the middle ear 46 and vibrates the tympanic membrane 52 (eardrum). The ossicular chain amplifies the vibrations in the tympanic cavity 54 and transmits them to the cochlea 56, where the vibrations are converted into electrical signals that are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve. If any one of these components is blocked, damaged or otherwise compromised, the hearing is either impaired or lost.

Hearing loss can affect people of all ages and can be caused by many different factors. There are three basic categories of hearing loss, which are sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss.

In sensorineural hearing loss, the actual hearing nerve or cochlear (inner ear 48) itself are damaged. This loss generally occurs when some or all of the hair cells within the cochlea 56 are damaged. Conductive hearing loss occurs in the outer 44 or middle ear 46, where soundwaves are not able to carry all the way through to the inner ear 48. For example, sound may be blocked by earwax or a foreign object located in the ear canal 50, or the middle ear space 46 may be impacted with fluid, infections or a bone abnormality of the ossicular chain, or, the eardrum 52 may have simply been injured. Mixed hearing loss is simply a combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

The most common cause of hearing loss in children is the so-called "glue ear", where the middle ear 46 contains a build-up of sticky fluid (or glue). Typically, grommets are the first line treatment, but carry the risks of general anaesthetic, infections and tympanic perforations and the hearing loss often recurs after the grommet extrudes. Wth current waiting times in hospitals and treatment centres, children have to live with hearing impairment for many months. Sometimes, air conduction aids can be used, but their benefit is very limited, as the amount of sound energy delivered to the cochlear 56 is likely to vary with the fluctuating severity of the conductive loss seen in the "glue ear". Also, a mould is fitted into the ear 20 and must be regularly replaced as the child grows.

Occasionally, the problems may be overcome with bone conduction aids or bone conduction hearing devices (BCHD), because BCHD can provide a constant level of sound energy irrespective of fluctuating or blocked air conduction levels by transferring sound via bone vibration (e.g. via the mastoid process 12 behind the ear, see Figure 3(a)) directly to the cochlea 56, thus, bypassing the outer 44 and the middle ear 46. In particular, an external sound processor of the BCHD converts the sound into vibrations that are then transferred via the interface (e.g. a simple contact or implant) through the bone, e.g. the mastoid portion 12 of the temporal bone 58, and into the cochlea 56, which detects the vibrations (similar to those received through the eardrum 52 and ossicles) and converts them into electrical signals.

A surgically placed percutaneous or subcutaneous BCHD implant is believed to be most effective and beneficial for the user, but these are not suitable for children that are still too young or not ready for such a permanent intervention. Examples of such surgically placed BCHDs are illustrated in Figure 3(b), which shows a cross-sectional view of a typical percutaneous implant 60 for a BCHD, in situ, and Figure 3(c), which shows a cross-sectional view of a Bonebridge (MED-EL) 62, in situ, which is an active transcutaneous implant including an implanted transducer and an external magnetically attached sound processor,.

Consequently, non-surgical alternatives are required for children and users who are not able or not willing to use surgically fixed BCHDs. One of the known options is shown in Figure 3(d), where a transcutaneous softband 64 is used to place/fix the BCHD to the head 10 (e.g. onto the mastoid region). Another non-surgical device is shown in Figure 3(e) comprising of a resilient frame 66, such as the BAHA® SoundArc, that is placed around the back of the head 10 and over the ears 20, so as to position the processor over the mastoid region 12. A more recent non-surgical approach is shown in Figure 3(f) where a disposable adhesive adapter 68 is placed onto the skin over the mastoid region 12 and a lightweight processor is received by the adapter 68.

Unfortunately, the non-surgical designs for BCHDs require cumbersome and often uncomfortable fasteners or fixtures or other non-permanent and/or disposable couplers (adhesive patches) in order to operably attach the sound or audio processor to the required location on the head. For example, the headband 64 may move, loosen or snap, the frame 66 can be uncomfortable due to the pressure needed around the head and may shift or move around during activity, and the adhesive patch is unlikely to provide a consistent contact pressure during use, potentially affecting the interface between the processor and the bone, and needs replacement in relatively short periods, thus generating waste and costs.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ear mount assembly for bone conduction hearing devices that is reliable, operatively effective, consistent, adaptable, hard wearing and cost effective.

Summary of the Invention

Aspects of the invention are set out in the independent claim(s). Dependent claims describe the optional features.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provides an ear mount assembly for a bone conduction processor of a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) comprising: an attachment member, configured to demountably affix to a predetermined portion of the auricle of a user's ear; a coupling member, adapted to operably retainingly receive a bone conduction processor and contactingly engage with a predetermined region of the user's skull, during use; at least one support link member, configured to operably couple said coupling member with said attachment member, so as to bias said coupling member into an articulated contact engagement with said predetermined region of the user's skull at a predetermined pressure, during use.

The ear mount assembly of the present invention provides the advantage of a secure and adjustable attachment to the auricle or pinna of the ear, irrespective of the user's ear shape or form, as well as, a reliable mount for the bone conduction processor. Furthermore, the biasing support link member of the ear mount assembly of the present invention ensures a consistent pressure force of the coupling member onto the user's skull (i.e. the mastoid region of the skull) without affecting the movability of the coupling member, which is required in one or more degrees of freedom (DOF), so as to optimise the contact between the coupling member and the user's skull. Also, the balance of forces between the attachment member and the coupling member is optimised so as to provide a consistent pressure of the coupling member onto the user's head, irrespective of the auricle's pliability. Therefore, the present invention provides for an improved operative coupling between the bone conduction processor and the ear mount assembly, as well as, the bone conduction processor and the user's skull, while optimising the fixation to the pinna without compromising the comfort for the user.

Advantageously, the attachment member comprises an anterior rib member, adapted to contactingly engage and conform with a predetermined anterior portion of the user's auricle, and a posterior rib member, operably coupled to said anterior rib member and adapted to contactingly engage with a predetermined posterior portion of the user's auricle. This provides the advantage that one attachment member, i.e. the "ear clip", can be optimally fit into a wide range of different pinna shapes and sizes, thus, minimizing costs for the manufacture (one size fits many), as well as, the user (e.g. a growing child may only need one ear mount over a considerable time period).

Advantageously, said attachment member comprises at least one corresponding pair of magnetic elements cooperatingly coupled to said anterior and posterior rib member, and configured to magnetically retainingly attract one another through the wall of the user's auricle. Preferably, said predetermined anterior portion of the users auricle is at least a portion of the scaphoid fossa, and said predetermined posterior portion of the user's auricle is at least a portion of the posterior antihelical fossa.

Advantageously, at least a portion of said anterior rib member is adapted to malleably conform with said predetermined anterior portion of the user's auricle, and/or at least a portion of said posterior rib member is adapted to malleably conform with said predetermined posterior portion of the user's auricle. This provides the advantage of improved adaptability of the attachment member to the user's ear.

Even more preferably, said attachment member further comprises corresponding pairs of first magnetic elements provided towards an upper end portion, second magnetic elements provided within a central portion, and third magnetic elements provided towards a lower end portion of said anterior and posterior rib member, each corresponding pair being adapted to magnetically retainingly attract one another through the wall of the user's auricle.

The use of cooperating pairs of magnetic elements (e.g. a permanent magnet on one side and a ferromagnetic metal on the opposing side, or two permanent magnets on both sides) provides the advantage of a very simplistic but strong connection through the pinna wall that can be located at or moved to any suitable region of the auricle without having to adjust the fastener (i.e. the cooperating pair of magnets), thus, improving ease of use and comfort for the user.

Advantageously, said anterior rib member is operably coupled to said posterior rib member via a flexible strap member configured to conformingly extending around the helix of the users auricle between any one of a corresponding pair of said first, second and third magnetic elements, during use. The flexible strap allows for a comfortable fit around the helix and minimises the risk of losing one of the rib members when the ear mount assembly if not in use.

Advantageously, a magnetic element of said third magnetic elements of said anterior rib member is configured to conformingly project towards and into contact engagement with the anterior concha of the user's auricle, so as to magnetically attach to an opposing magnetic element of said third magnetic elements of said posterior rib member, during use. This particular end portion with one of the pair of the third magnetic elements allows for an optimised fit within the anterior portion of the pinna.

Advantageously, a proximal end portion of said support link member is fixedly attached to said lower end portion and/or central portion of said posterior rib member, and a distal end portion of said support link member is hingedly coupled to said coupling member.

Advantageously, said upper end portion of said posterior rib member is adapted to retainingly hook over the inflection between the anterior helical crus of the user's auricle and the user's skull, during use. This provides for a secure but comfortable fit to the posterior portion of the pinna, allowing for a secure support so as to transfer the required pressure from the attachment member onto the user's head (via support link member and coupling member) irrespective of the auricles stiffness or pliability, i.e. the posterior rib member is retainingly positionable to the most supportive external portion of the users ear in order to provide the required stability.

Advantageously, any one of said first, second and third magnetic elements of said anterior rib member are flexibly movably coupled to said anterior rib member, and wherein said first, second and third magnetic elements of said posterior rib member are rigidly coupled to said posterior rib member. The flexibly movable magnetic elements of the anterior rib portion allow for an improved conformity of the attachment points of the anterior rib portion to the often challenging contour of the anterior portion of the auricle, wherein the rigidly coupled magnetic elements of the posterior rib portion provide for a sufficiently strong support the flexibly moveable magnetic elements of the anterior rib portion can fasten to through the pinna wall, thus, improving ease of use during attachment, the stability and strength of the fixture to the pinna wall.

Advantageously, said coupling member is adapted to operably retainingly receive the bone conduction processor via a snap fastener.

Optionally, said coupling member comprises a gimbal hinge operably coupled to said distal end portion of said support link member and adapted to allow movement of said coupling member relative to said support link member about at least two rotational axes. Preferably, said rotational axes are perpendicular to each other. This provides the advantage of an optimised contact engagement between the contact member of the coupling member and the user's skull (e.g. mastoid region), because the surface of the contact member is rotatably adjustable about at least two axes, so that the contact surface of the coupling member is aligned with the surface of the user's skull when fitted, but also during slight movement, when in use.

Advantageously, at least a portion of each one of said anterior and posterior rib member comprises a metal wire element embedded in a polymer material. The wire element embedded in the polymer material may provide for an adjustable rib member that can be bent or rotated in any direction to form any desired shape that optimally fits into a user's ear. In one embodiment, one or both of the rib members may comprise flexible or malleable sections combined with rigid sections, thus, providing for an adjustable but also sufficiently supportive rib member (e.g. the posterior rib member).

Advantageously, said support link member comprises at least one spring element configured to provide a biasing force between said attachment member and said coupling member so as to urge said coupling member into contact engagement with the user's head, during use. Additionally, said at least one spring element is adjustable so as to provide a range of different biasing forces. For example, a spring element, such as a coil spring, may be arranged so as to provide a predetermined biasing force between the attachment member and the coupling member when contactingly engaged to the user's head (in situ), i.e. the spring element of the support link member is pushing the coupling member away from the attachment member. The coil spring may be adjustable (i.e. tightened) so as to allow for a range of different biasing forces when the coupling member is contactingly engaged with the user's head. This allows for optimization of the ear mount assembly (and coupled processor) to varying anatomies of different users.

Brief Description of Drawings

Example embodiment(s) of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows (a) a transparent illustration of a human head showing the position of the ear in relation to the skull, and (b) an anterior-, lateral-and posterior view of the pinna or auricle of the ear; Figure 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of (a) a healthy ear, and (b) an ear with conductive hearing loss, where the sound cannot get through the external and middle ear, but the internal ear is still functioning; Figure 3 shows existing solutions and currently available hearing aids via bone conduction, with (a) illustrating a lateral view of a skull and the mastoid process, (b) illustrates a cross-sectional view of a typical percutaneous implant for bone conduction hearing devices, in situ, (c) illustrates a cross-sectional view of a subcutaneous Bonebridge implant with an external magnetic sound processor, in situ (d) illustrating a transcutaneous Softband with an attached sound processor, (e) illustrates a "behind the head" frame (BAHA® SoundArc), and (f) illustrates an external adhesive adapter with a sound or audio processor (MED-EL ADH EAR); Figure 4 illustrates an example embodiment of the ear mount assembly of the present invention, (a) an anterior view and (b) a posterior view, when in situ (i.e. during use); Figure 5 illustrates the ear mount assembly of Figure 4 with marked polarity of the incorporated magnetic elements, (a) an anterior view and (b) a posterior view, when in situ (i.e. during use); Figure 6 shows (a) a lateral view with attached processor, (b) a lateral view without the processor, (c) a posterior view with attached processor, (d) a superior view with attached processor, (e) a posterior view without the processor and (f) an anterior view of the ear mount assembly of Figure 4 during use; Figure 7 shows an illustration of the posterior rib member of a different example embodiment of the ear mount assembly of the present invention, (a) attached to a user's pinna or auricle, but without the sound or audio processor (posterior view), and (b) a lateral view of the posterior rib member only; Figure 8 shows the ear mount assembly of Figure 7, in situ, (a) without the processor and (b) with the processor attached to the coupling member; and (c) a top view and (d) a bottom view of a close-up of the coupling member of the ear mount assembly of Figure 7; Figure 9 shows an illustration of an example embodiment of the coupling member and support link member of the ear mount assembly of Figure 7, in (a) a schematic perspective top view (incl. arrows indicating the synchronous rotational moveability of the support link member relative to the coupling member), (b) an exploded perspective bottom view, and (c) an exploded schematic perspective top view (incl. arrow indicating the rotational axis of the support link member at the distal end); Figure 10 shows an illustration of an alternative coupling member comprising a gimble mechanism configured to provide movement about two rotational axes, in (a) a schematic perspective side view (incl. arrows of rotational movement) of the coupling member only, (b) a posterior view without the sound processor, in situ with the support link member and the attachment member, and (c) a posterior view with attached sound processor, in situ with the support link member and the attachment member; Figure 11 shows an alternative embodiment of the ear mount assembly comprising a separate housing for art least some of the electronic components of the sound processor, thus, separating the transducer from the other electronic components, and Figure 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the support link member operably and biasingly coupling the attachment member and the coupling member, here a biasing and potentially adjustable coil spring is used to provide the biasing force.

Description

The described example embodiment(s) relates to ear mounts, ear mount assemblies or ear attachments for hearing aids and in particular for bone conduction hearing devices (BCHDs) and bone conduction transducers. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to mounts or clips for the pinna or auricle of the ear. However, the invention is not limited to hearing aids or bone conduction hearing devices and may be used for any other suitable application that requires a fixation at the pinna or auricle of the ear.

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words 'right', 'left', 'lower', 'upper', 'front', 'rear', 'upward', 'down', 'downward', 'above', 'below' designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made and are with respect to the described component when assembled and mounted (e.g. in situ). The terms 'inner', 'inwardly' and 'outer', 'outwardly' refer to directions toward and away from a designated centreline or a geometric centre of an element being described (e.g. central axis), the particular meaning being readily apparent from the context of the description. Medical terminology for the anatomical position and direction of the device when in situ, i.e. attached to the users ear. For example, the directional terms 'anterior', 'posterior', midline', 'lateral', 'medial', 'superior', 'inferior', 'proximal' and 'distal' are defined within their normal meaning.

Further, as used herein, the terms 'connected', 'attached', 'coupled', 'mounted' are intended to include direct connections between two members without any other members interposed therebetween, as well as, indirect connections between members in which one or more other members are interposed therebetween. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

Also, in this specification the terms 'pinna' and 'auricle' are used interchangeably for the external portion of the human ear.

Further, unless otherwise specified, the use of ordinal adjectives, such as, 'first', 'second', 'third' etc. merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner.

Through the description and claims of this specification, the terms 'comprise' and 'contain', and variations thereof, are interpreted to mean 'including but not limited to', and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality, as well as, singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract or drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, an example embodiment of the ear mount assembly 100 is shown in situ, i.e. attached to the auricle 22 of a user's ear 20, (a) from the front (i.e. anterior view) and (b) from the back (i.e. posterior view).

The ear mount assembly 100 comprises an attachment member 102 that is configured to be removably but securely attached to the pinna 22 of the ear 20. The attachment member 102 is in the form of a clip having an anterior rib member 104 that is conformable to an anterior surface of the auricle 22, and a posterior rib member 106 that is conformable to a posterior surface of the auricle 22 and that can be retainingly hooked over the inflection between the anterior helical crus of the auricle 22 and the user's skull/head 10. The anterior rib member 104 is coupled to the posterior rib member 106 via a flexible strap 108, such as, for example, a soft and flexible flat silicone band. When detached, the anterior and posterior rib members 104, 106 can be moved relative to each other (about the connecting strap 108) allowing the attachment member 102 to be placed around the helix of the pinna to then fit into both sides of the auricle 22. It is understood by the person skilled in the art, that the flexible strap 108 could be any suitable shape or form. For example, the flexible strap 108 may be in the shape of a flexible tube, or cylinder-shaped, or have any desired cross-section suitable to flexibly connect the anterior and the posterior rib member 104, 106.

In order to secure the attachment member 102 to the pinna 22, cooperating pairs of magnetic elements 110a,b, 112a,b, 114a,b are coupled to respective anterior and posterior rib member 104, 106. In particular, a cooperating pair of magnetic elements may include a permanent magnet on one side and a ferromagnetic metal on the opposing side, or two permanent opposing magnets arranged so as to attract each other, or respective electromagnets or electro-permanent magnets. For example, the attachment member of the example embodiment comprises three pairs of attracting neodymium magnets 110a,b, 112a,b and 114a,b. The first pair 110a,b is provided towards the upper end of the anterior and posterior rib member 104, 106, the second pair 112a,b is provided in a central region of the anterior and the posterior rib member 104, 106 and the third pair 114a,b is provided towards a lower end of the anterior and posterior rib member 104, 106. The individual magnets of the first, second and third pair 110a,b, 112a,b, 114a,b are matchingly spaced apart on respective anterior and posterior rib member 104, 106 so that each magnet of the anterior rib member 104 aligns with the cooperating magnet of the posterior rib member 106 when fitted the pinna 22 of the user's ear 20. It is understood by the person skilled in the art, that the location of the matching pair of magnets 110a,b, 112a,b, 114a,b may vary along the length of respective anterior and posterior rib member 104, 106 without diverting from the scope of the invention.

In this particular example embodiment, and as specifically shown in Figure 6a-f (the metal wire is visible through an at least partially transparent silicone material), each one of the anterior and posterior rib members 104, 106 comprises a malleable metal wire 116 embedded in a medical grade silicone layer 118. The flexible silicone layer 118 allows the malleable wire 116 to be shaped into any suitable form when attached to a user's ear 20. For example, the top and mid section of the anterior rib member 104 may be shaped so as to rest on the anterior auricle surface in line with the scaphoid fossa 24 between the antihelix 26 and the helix 30, wherein the bottom section of the anterior rib member 104 may be bent towards and into contact with the concha 38. The top section of the posterior rib member 106 may be hook shaped so as to retainingly sit over the infection between the anterior helical crus, wherein the mid and bottom section of the posterior rib member 106 may be shaped so as to rest on the posterior auricle surface in line with the posterior antihelical fossa 28. In addition, the magnetic elements 110a, 112b, 114a of the anterior rib member 104 are operably embedded within the silicone layer 116 surrounding the malleable metal wire 116 so that the anterior magnet elements 110a, 112b, 114a are flexibly movable relative to the metal wire 118 and thus providing a further degree of conformability to the complex contour of the anterior surface of the pinna 22. Preferably, the posterior magnetic elements 110b, 112a, 114b are provided via rigid first, second and third support members 120, 122, 124 projecting from and rigidly coupled with the metal wire 118 of the posterior rib member 106. The rigidly coupled support members 120, 122, 124 of the posterior magnetic elements 110b, 112a, 114b provide a supporting backing for the opposing anterior magnetic elements 110a, 112b, 114a, during use. It is further understood that, although rigidly coupled to the metal wire 118 of the posterior rib member 106, any one of the first, second and third support members 120, 122, 124 may be malleably rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the metal wire 118, i.e. any one of the support members 120, 122, 124 can be rotated into a desired position so as to align the coupled magnet 110b, 112a, 114b with the surface of the auricle 22 and its opposing anterior magnetic element 110a, 112b, 114a in order to optimise comfort and the attractive forces between the cooperating pairs of magnetic elements 110a,b, 112a,b, 114a,b.

Furthermore, it is understood by the person skilled in the art, that any number of pairs of magnetic elements may be used to fixedly attach the anterior rib member 104 to the posterior rib member 106 through the auricular wall, wherein any one of the magnetic elements may be coupled with the anterior rib member 104 either flexibly movable or rigidly with respect to the anterior rib member 104, without diverting from the scope or the present invention. Also, any one of the support members coupled to the posterior rib member 106 may be provided by rigid casing projecting from the posterior rib member 106, e.g. made from a rigid plastic such as nylon, shaped and positioned in a predetermined arrangement suitable for a wide range ear shapes. Furthermore, instead of magnetic attachment means, a spring biased and/or lockable clip may be used to affix the anterior and posterior rib members 104, 106 of the attachment member 102 to the auricle 22 of the ear 20.

One of the advantages of the attachment member 102 of the present invention is that it is easily shaped to fit the anatomy of a wide range of different ear shapes, or that it is easily adjustable (when utilising one or more malleable sections) to a changing ear shape (e.g. from a growing child) without having to replace the ear mount assembly 100 with a different one. Thus, the easily pre-shaped components during manufacture, as well as, the unique adaptability of the attachment member 102 ensures secure positioning and optimised comfort during use.

Referring now particularly to Figures 4(b) and 5(b), a coupling member 126 in the form of a flat disc is configured to retainingly receive a suitable audio or sound processor 128 of a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) or transducer and is operably coupled with the posterior rib member 106 via a support link member 130. For example, the support link member 130 may be a wire connector made from a resilient spring steel, with its proximal end operably coupled to one or more of the first, second and third support member 120, 122, 124. In this particular example, a resilient wire 130 is operably coupled to the second and third support member 122 with its proximal end portion (see Figure 6(e)), wherein its distal end portion is operably coupled with the coupling member 126 (i.e. disc).

The relatively stiff and resilient support link member 130 (wire) is configured to bring the coupling member 126 into a contact engagement with the mastoid region 12 of the user's head 10, i.e. the predetermined force is produced between the hook-shaped top rib section 136 of the attachment member 102 and the coupling member 126 contactingly engaging the mastoid region 12 of the user's head 10, i.e. there is a balance of forces between the hook-shaped top rib section 136, fixingly and retainingly resting in front of the helical root and on the preauricular tissue and helical root cartilage, and the mastoid region 12, without relying on the rather pliable pinna or auricle 22 for support.

Further, the resilient property of the support link member 130 is configured to provide a bias from the attachment member 102 towards the coupling member 126. In addition, the distal end portion of the support link member 130 is operably coupled to the coupling member 126 via a dedicated hinge mechanism, so as to allow rotational movement of the coupling member 126 relative to at least one predetermined rotational axis of the support link member 130, i.e. the disc shaped coupling member 126 is able to align with the contact surface of the user's head 10, thus, optimising contact engagement, during use. In this particular example embodiment, one first rotational axis may be substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support link member (i.e. the axis extending from the posterior rib member 106 to the coupling member 126) and substantially parallel to the contact surface of the user's head (when in use), and a possible second (additional) rotational axis may be perpendicular to the first rotational axis and the surface of the users head (when in use).

Moreover, the coupling member 126 is provided with a fastener mechanism 134 configured to operatively and retainingly receive a sound processor 128 of the BCHD or any other transducer, removably securing the sound processor 128 to the coupling member 126 and providing an operative interface between the sound processor 128 and the temporal bone 58 of the user's skull. For example, the fastener mechanism 134 may be a suitable snap fastener.

Figures 7 shows an alternative example embodiment of the posterior rib member 106'. The alternative posterior rib member 106' is similar to posterior rib member 106, but individual top-, central-, and lower rib sections 136, 138, 140 are made from a pre-shaped and relatively stiff plastic material (e.g. nylon), one or more of the individual top-, central-, and lower rib sections 136, 138, 140 comprise suitable projections 120', 122', 124' containing the posterior magnetic elements 110b, 112a, 114b. The projections 120', 122', 124' may be recesses adapted to receive a respective posterior magnetic element 110b, 112a, 114b and that are sealed with a soft silicone or plastic cover.

The individual sections 136, 138, 140 are coupled via a first and/or second joint member 142, 144, each one configured to provide relative movement between a respective one of the top-136, central-138 and lower rib section 140. For example, the first and second joint member 142, 144 may be formed by a malleable metal wire embedded in a flexible silicone layer (see Figure 7(b)), thus, allowing bending movement between coupled sections in any direction. Alternatively, the first and second joint members 142, 144 may be formed by a pin joint (not shown).

Figures 8 and 9 show an alternative coupling member 126' comprising a cylindrically shaped housing 146 incorporating a hinge mechanism in the form of a metal hinge insert 148 that is rotatably coupled to the distal end portion of the support link member 130. The distal end portion of the support link member 130 extends through one or more apertures 150a,b into the housing 146 and is operably coupled with the metal hinge insert 148. The hinge insert 148 may be secured into the cylindrical housing via suitable screws 162. The possible rotation of the coupling member 126' relative to the support link member 130 is limited by the vertical extension of the apertures 150a,b (vertical means in parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical housing 146), thus, preventing potential damage to the assembly 100. He metal hinge insert 148 may be made of brass. Also, an additional rotation of the coupling member 126' relative to the support link member 130 may be achieved by allowing relative side movement (i.e. rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support link member 130 and to the surface of the mastoid region 12, when in use) of the hinge insert 148 and the distal end portion of the support link member 130 within the housing 146 and respective apertures 150a,b.

Figure 10 shows an illustration of a second alternative example embodiment of the coupling member 126" that is substantially the same as the coupling member 126 of the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, but including a gimble mechanism 152 operably coupling the contact disc 158 of the coupling member 126" to the distal end portion of the support link member 130. The gimble mechanism 152 is configured to provide rotation of the coupling member 126" in a first and second rotational axes 154, 156. Here, the first rotational axis 154 is aligned perpendicular to the second rotational axes 156, thus, allowing the disc component 158 and attached sound processor 128 (see Figure 10(c)) to tilt forward and backward, as well as, sideways, during use, ensuring that the contact surface of the contact disc 158 is always aligned with the surface of the user's head 10. In addition the frame 160 of the gimble mechanism 152 is configured to as to surround the audio processor 128 when attached to the coupling member 126". The surrounding frame 160 may provide additional support and/or protection to the attached sound processor 128. Further, it is understood by the person skilled in the art, that any other suitable gimble mechanism may be used to provide angular adjustability of the contact disc 158 relative to the attachment member 102 and support link member 130. For example, the gimble mechanism may be adapted to provide more than two rotational axes.

Furthermore, the support link member 130 may be any suitable shape and made from any suitable material adapted to urge the coupling member 126, 126', 126" into a contact engagement with the user's head 10 (e.g. at the mastoid region of the skull) at a predetermined pressure, when in situ. The optimised engagement between the coupling member 126, 126', 126" and the user's head 10 is ensured by the secure fixation of the attachment member 102 to the auricle 22 of the user's ear 20.

Figure 11 shows another alternative example embodiment of the ear mount assembly of the present invention. The basic functional concept and main components are the same as in any of the other example embodiments, but vary in the specific design and shape. Only the major differences are described, design changes and simple variations can be derived from the previous embodiments.

The alternative attachment member 102' shown in Figure 11 comprises anterior and posterior rib members 104' and 106', wherein at least some of the electronic components of the bone conduction processor 128 are provided in a dedicated housing 164 including, for example, the printed circuit board (PCB) 166, a microphone 168 and a battery 170. A separate transducer 172 is connected to the electronic components and attached to the coupling member 126" as described in one of the previous embodiments. The benefit of bringing at least some of the electronic components closer to the ear reduces possible deformation to the pinna 22 due to a more optimised weight distribution, as well as, allows for a greater contact force onto the user's head (during use). Alternatively, the microphone 168 may also be coupled to any other suitable location on the attachment member, e.g. at the anterior or posterior rib member 102', 104'. Also, a spring member 174 may be provided with the support link member 130 so as to provide a predetermined bias from the attachment member 102' onto the user's head 10 via the coupling member 126".

Figure 12 shows yet another alternative example embodiment of the ear mount assembly of the present invention, comprising the principle features of any of the other embodiments, but including a different design of the support link member 130'. Here, the support link member 130' comprises a proximal hinge joint 176 coupled between the posterior rib member 104' and the coupling member 126" (i.e. the one shown in Figure 10) that is configured to bias the coupling member into contact engagement with the user's head 10 (in situ). The bias is provided by a coil spring 178 operably coupled with a pivot pin 180 that is integrated into the posterior rib member 104'. This arrangement allows for a constant biasing force of the coupling member 126" into contact engagement with the user's head 10. The tension of the coil spring 178 may be made adjustable so as to optimise the contact force to the specific anatomy of a user's head/ear 10, 20.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment(s) have been described by way of example only and not in any!imitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Various modifications to the detailed designs as described above are possible, for example, variations may exist in shape, size, arrangement, assembly or the like.

Reference numbers: human head 12 mastoid process of skull ear 22 auricle or pinna 24 scaphoid fossa 26 antihelix 28 posterior antihelical fossa helix 32 ascending helix 34 superior pad of helix 36 decending helix 38 concha 40 earlobe 42 triangular fossa 44 outer ear 46 middle ear 48 inner ear ear canal 52 tympanic membrane 54 tympanic cavity 56 cochlea 58 temporal bone Bone implant 62 Bonebridge with external processor 64 headband 66 CochlearTM SoundArc 68 MED-EL Adhear device ear mount assembly 102 attachment member 102' alternative attachment member 104 anterior rib member 104' alternative anterior rib member 106 posterior rib member 106' alternative posterior rib member 108 flexible strap first pair of magnetic elements 112 second pair of magnetic elements 114 third pair of magnetic elements 116 malleable metal wire 118 silicone layer first support member 122 second support member 124 third support member 120' alternative first support member 122' alternative second support member 124' alternative third support member 126 coupling member 126' first alternative coupling member 126" second alternative coupling member 126- third alternative coupling member 128 audio or sound processor support link member 132 rotational axis 134 Fastener mechanism 136 top rib section (hook-shaped) 138 central rib section lower rib section 142 first joint member 144 second joint member 146 cylindrical housing 148 hinge insert 150a,b housing apertures 152 gimble mechanism 154 first rotational axis 156 second rotational axis 158 contact disc of coupling member surrounding frame 162 Insert screws 164 housing for electronics 166 PCB 168 microphone battery 172 transducer 174 spring member 176 proximal hinge joint 178 coil spring pivot pin

Claims (18)

1. CLAIMS1. An ear mount assembly for a bone conduction processor of a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) comprising: an attachment member, configured to demountably affix to a predetermined portion of the auricle of a user's ear; a coupling member, adapted to operably retainingly receive a bone conduction processor and contactingly engage with a predetermined region of the user's skull, during use; at least one support link member, configured to operably couple said coupling member with said attachment member, so as to bias said coupling member into an articulated contact engagement with said predetermined region of the user's skull at a predetermined pressure, during use.
2. 2. An ear mount assembly according to claim 1, wherein said attachment member comprises an anterior rib member, adapted to contactingly engage and conform with a predetermined anterior portion of the user's auricle, and a posterior rib member, operably coupled to said anterior rib member and adapted to contactingly engage with a predetermined posterior portion of the user's auricle.
3. An ear mount assembly according to claim 2, wherein said attachment member comprises at least one corresponding pair of magnetic elements cooperatingly coupled to said anterior and posterior rib member, and configured to magnetically retainingly attract one another through the wall of the user's auricle.
4. 4. An ear mount assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said predetermined anterior portion of the user's auricle is at least a portion of the scaphoid fossa, and said predetermined posterior portion of the user's auricle is at least a portion of the posterior anti helical fossa.
5. 5. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein at least a portion of said anterior rib member is adapted to malleably conform with said predetermined anterior portion of the user's auricle.
6. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein at least a portion of said posterior rib member is adapted to malleably conform with said predetermined posterior portion of the user's auricle.
7. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said attachment member further comprises corresponding pairs of first magnetic elements provided towards an upper end portion, second magnetic elements provided within a central portion, and third magnetic elements provided towards a lower end portion of said anterior and posterior rib member, each corresponding pair being adapted to magnetically retainingly attract one another through the wall of the user's auricle.
8. 8. An ear mount assembly according to claim 7, wherein said anterior rib member is operably coupled to said posterior rib member via a flexible strap member configured to conformingly extend around the helix of the users auricle between any one of a corresponding pair of said first, second and third magnetic elements, during use.
9. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claim 5 and 6, wherein a magnetic element of said third magnetic elements of said anterior rib member is configured to conformingly project towards and into contact engagement with the anterior concha of the user's auricle, so as to magnetically attach to an opposing magnetic element of said third magnetic elements of said posterior rib member, during use.
10. 10. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein a proximal end portion of said support link member is fixedly attached to said lower end portion and/or central portion of said posterior rib member, and a distal end portion of said support link member is hingedly coupled to said coupling member.
11. 11. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein said upper end portion of said posterior rib member is adapted to retainingly hook over the inflection between the anterior helical crus of the user's auricle and the user's skull, during use.
12. 12. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein said first, second and third magnetic elements of said anterior rib member are flexibly movably coupled to said anterior rib member, and wherein said first, second and third magnetic elements of said posterior rib member are rigidly coupled to said posterior rib member.
13. 13. An ear mount assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said coupling member is adapted to operably retainingly receive the bone conduction processor via a snap fastener.
14. 14. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein said coupling member comprises a gimbal hinge operably coupled to said distal end portion of said support link member and adapted to allow movement of said coupling member relative to said support link member about at least two rotational axes.
15. 15. An ear mount assembly according to claim 14, wherein said rotational axes are perpendicular to each other.
16. 16. An ear mount assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 15, wherein at least a portion of each one of said anterior and posterior rib member comprises a metal wire element embedded in a polymer material.
17. 17. An ear mount assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said support link member comprises at least one spring element configured to provide a biasing force between said attachment member and said coupling member so as to urge said coupling member into contact engagement with the user's head, during use.
18. 18. An ear mount assembly according to claim 16, wherein said at least one spring element is adjustable so as to provide a range of different biasing forces.