BR202013005037U2 - Mini magnetic induction field for hearing aid or cochlear implant - Google Patents

Abstract

Utility model mini magnetic induction field for hearing aid or cochlear implant comprised of an ergonomic rod, a universal induction coil, a conductive cable and a pin which must be inserted into a signal source. In the hearing aid or on the outside of a cochlear implant simply activate or enable an internal telecoil to the hearing aid or cochlear implant so that the signals from the signal source are induced on this telecoil, making magnetic coupling possible from an external signal source and the hearing aid or cochlear implant. If the hearing impaired uses two hearing aids or two cochlear implants, he or she can hear in stereo, just like a person without hearing impairment, by simply using a "mini magnetic field for hearing aid or cochlear implant" in each ear.

Description

“MINI FIELD OF MAGNETIC INDUCTION FOR HEARING APPLIANCES OR COCLEAR IMPLANTS” There are international estimates that project about 10% of the population as hearing impaired. The 2012 Brazilian Census inventoried almost 10 million hearing impaired people of varying degrees, including total deafness. The existence of diseases resulting from metabolic disorders, the use of ototoxic drugs, acoustic trauma, exposure to high noise intensities for long hours, among others, increase the number of hearing impaired worldwide. The hearing impaired feels decreased self-esteem, is more subject to depression, is frustrated in social life more often, causing various behavioral problems. The increase in life expectancy also contributes negatively to the occurrence of hearing loss, which like any biological system loses its capacity over time.

Hearing aids (known as hearing aids or hearing aids) is the standard treatment for hearing loss, and cochlear implants (CIs) are required for profound hearing loss or total deafness. An hearing aid is an electronic device that receives the external signal (sound), performs adjustments of this signal based on the patient's hearing loss and amplified delivery to the patient's ear canal, without the need for surgery, and its insertion into the ear canal. can be made by the user himself without risk.

The most common hearing aid designs are: 1. Behind-the-ear (BTE) - all components, parts and battery are housed in a small piece located behind the ear; 2. Headset - (“in-the-ear” -ITE) - all devices and parts are housed in a small prosthetic piece (silicone or acrylic) that occupies part of the ear canal; 3. Intracanal - (“in-the-canal” - ITC) - anatomically identical to ITE but smaller in size; 4. Microcanal - (“completely-in-the-canal” - CIC) - occupy the deepest portion of the ear canal, being the smallest of all hearing aids; 5. Body worn (BW) - All components are located in an outer case, usually in a shirt or trouser pocket, or attached to the belt.

An IC is an electronic device that is inserted into the cochlea through a medium complexity surgical procedure. The external part of the CI is similar to a hearing aid in the retroauricular design, can be removed according to the patient's need and has the appearance of a hearing aid. In this external part the ambient signal is captured, analyzed, processed and sent by radio waves to the surgically implanted part. This way, the outside houses the entire electronic circuit and the batteries.

The hearing aids, despite their many benefits, are criticized in many ways. In their structure, for example, they are expensive and demand high value-added repairs. They also consume a lot of battery, which increases their operating cost. They do not work very well when inserted in noisy environments, because they amplify all signals, whether information or noise. They are bad when you want to hear on the phone, because approaching the phone to the hearing aid necessarily occurs microphones, which makes hearing difficult or impossible.

The hearing aids also do not allow direct coupling with any media player (eg computer, notebook, netbook, tablet, mobile phone, car radio, TV, MP3, etc.) unless per Bluetooth protocol. Answering a cell phone also does not have reasonable results, as the cell phone also requires Bluetooth protocol. The Bluetooth protocol demands knowledge of the media player's configuration and handling in the hearing aid itself, which even for the experienced user demands for a setup time that goes beyond any phone call time. Once established the Bluetooth protocol is also succinct to electromagnetic interference, which invariably leads to dropped connections, loss of information and additional time to reestablish connection. However, the extra battery consumption is recorded either from the media player (eg computer, notebook, netbook, tablet, mobile phone, car radio, TV, MP3, etc.) and from the mobile phone.

Similarly, ICs do not allow direct coupling with media players (eg computer, notebook, netbook, tablet, mobile phone, car radio, TV, MP3, etc.).

Older people, technophobics, children, the visually impaired and the handicapped will surely have difficulty establishing a Bluetooth connection, due to the processes of establishing this connection in generally very small products (media players - eg MP3s, cell phones and hearing aids) and because of version compatibility (available versions include 1.2, 3.0 and 4.0). There is a technological proposal known as Magnetic Hoop, which consists in activating a large antenna that can cover a collective area (eg cinemas, theaters, churches, schools, court courts, buses, among others). This large antenna transmits the information (eg a speaker's voice from a microphone) in the form of an induced signal that is easily tuned to hearing aids that have an internal microbore (“telecoil”), with the hearing impaired being able to trigger the “telecoil” activation command, which can be carried out by means of a mechanical switch or a programming button (in the case of digital hearing aids or ICs). The Magnetic Rim has the advantages of its low installation and maintenance costs, as well as the ease of connection because it does not need to enable any communication protocol, such as Bluetooth. For collective areas Magnetic Rim can become an interesting solution, however, Magnetic Rim does not work for individual situations.

In the daily life of the hearing impaired, they face the need to increase the volume of the TV, stereo or radio to hear, a fact that causes irritation to everyone in the same environment, since such devices were designed to be used by people without hearing impairment. This explains why the hearing impaired always hear television sounds always at a very loud volume, which causes disruption to everyone in their midst. The same happens with the landline or mobile phone, whether at home, at work, in the laser, in the car, among others. Such problems become chronic when the hearing impaired are in noisy places, because hearing aids amplify signals from all directions with the same intensity. Individual situations are not resolved because of existing technology proposals. As seen, the Magnetic Rim solution appeals to circumspect collective listening in the same environment and does not allow stereo reception.

Thus, establishing a communication protocol between a signal-emitting device or media player (eg computer, notebook, netbook, tablet, mobile phone, car radio, TV, MP3, etc.) to a HA or IC is restricted to Bluetooth only, and as a consequence, to the restrictions of Bluetooth operation. The product of this patent “MINI MAGNETIC INDUCTION FIELD FOR HEARING APPLIANCE OR COCLEAR IMPLANT” has a P1 pin (3.5 mm) which must be inserted into the audio output of a sound source (eg computer, notebook, tablet, mobile phone, car radio, TV, MP3, etc.), connected via a conductor cable to the ergonomic rod that has housed inside a universal induction coil, which should be approximated to a Hearing aids or a CI. In this hearing aid or IC the “telecoil” feature must have been triggered such that the signals from the sound source that have become induced energy in the induction coil are tuned to the “telecoil”. In this way, the audio from the sound source is transferred to the hearing aid or IC through the telecoil, and thus adjusted to the individual hearing loss of the patient according to the adjustments made in the hearing aid or IC. Thus, the audio that the hearing impaired hears is adjusted to their hearing loss, without any adjustments to be made by the “MINI FIELD OF INJURY FOR HEARING DEVICE OR COCLEAR IMPLANT”, which may be monophonic or stereo. Consequently, for the installation of the “MINI CAMPÒ GIVES MAGNETIC INDUCTION FOR HEARING APPLIANCE OR COLLAR IMPLANT” just plug in the audio source, then bring the ergonomic rod (where the universal induction coil rests) to the AASI or IC, and activate the feature. “telecoil” for signals to receive selective hearing aid or IC amplification, delivering audio adjusted to the patient's hearing loss - without any need for any changes or adjustments to either the hearing aid or the IC, or the establishment of any communication protocols. (eg Bluetooth), and without any battery or battery consumption. If the hearing impaired person uses two hearing aids or two CIs, he can hear in stereo, just as there was a person without hearing impairment. The audio source can be, among others, a conventional telephone, conventional or most advanced mobile phone, television, radio, media player, MP3, stereo, home teather, computer, walkie talk, cable conductor. If the signal source has any pin other than P1, simply use any adapter, easily found on the market. The universal induction coil is designed to be inserted into any audio source without any contraindication.

In case of prolonged use, simply attach the “MINI MAGNETIC INDUCTION FIELD FOR HEARING APPLIANCE OR COLLECT IMPLANT” to the hearing aid with a tape, without prejudice to the functioning of the hearing aid or IC. Because it is a low power induction does not heat up, does not cause discomfort, and is not harmful to health, as it is not a source of ionizing signals. Due to their robust construction they can be easily washed and sanitized without disposal.

When you want to turn off the “MINI MAGNETIC INDUCTION FIELD FOR HEARING APPLIANCE OR COLLECT IMPLANT” just disconnect it from the signal source and save it. To return the hearing aid or IC to normal operation, simply disconnect them from their telecoil function. Figure 1 illustrates the universal induction coil (B) located inside the ergonomic rod (A). From the universal induction coil follows the conductor cable (C) to the signal source (D). The connection between the signal source is made by means of a pin (E). Figure 2 illustrates a hearing aid retroauricular design (A), but may be the outside of a cochlear implant, since the designs are nearly identical. In the case of analog hearing aids a switch (B) enables the activation or activation of the telecoil (D), whereas digital hearing aids and cochlear implants can enable the telecoil through a key or remote control (D). Figure 3 illustrates the ergonomic rod (A) with the universal induction coil (B) inside, where the conductor cable (C) which is inserted to the signal source (D) through a pin (E). In isolation, a retroauricular hearing aid or alternatively the outside of a cochlear implant (F) is found. The ergonomic nail (A) is joined with the hearing aid retroauricular design or alternatively the outside of a cochlear implant (F), temporarily forming the joint (G). Simply rest the set (G) over the ear (H) and the signals from the signal source will be tuned to the hearing aid “telecoil” or cochlear implant. Figure 4 illustrates the ergonomic rod (A) with the universal induction coil (B) inside placed together with an HA (C) to be placed over the left ear (D). Similarly there is another ergonomic rod (E) with the universal induction coil (F) inside placed together with an HA (G) to be placed over the right ear (H). Signals reach both ears via a cable (I), connected to a signal source (J) via a pin (K).

CLAIM

Claims (3)

1) “MINI MAGNETIC INDUCTION FIELD FOR HEARING OR COCLEAR IMPLANT” comprised of an ergonomic rod (A, Fig.1), a universal induction coil (B, Fig.1), a conductor cable (C, Fig.1 ) and a pin (D, Fig.1) which must be inserted into a signal source (E, Fig.1). The hearing impaired uses a hearing aid (A, Fig.2), but it may be the outside of a cochlear implant, given that the designs are nearly identical. If the hearing impaired person uses two hearing aids or two CIs, he can hear in stereo, just as there was a person without hearing impairment, simply by using a “MINI FIELD OF INDUCTION FOR HEARING APPLIANCES OR COCLEAR IMPLANT” in each ear. In the hearing aid or on the outside of a cochlear implant there may be a key (B, Fig.2), or a programming button (C, Fig.2), or even a remote control receiver (D, Fig.2) that triggers or enables a telecoil (E, Fig.2). The ergonomic rod (A, Fig.3) is placed overlapping the hearing aid or the outside of a cochlear implant (F, Fig.3), temporarily forming an assembly (G, Fig.3). Simply rest the set (G, Fig.3) over the ear (H, Fig.3) and the signals from the signal source will be tuned to the hearing aid “telecoil” or cochlear implant.