Programming system for programming hearing aids

[0001] The present invention relates to hearing aids, and in particular to an apparatus and method for making an electrical connection between a programmable hearing aid and a programming unit.

[0002] Programmable hearing aids have certain characteristics (e.g., frequency response, attack and release times, automatic gain control, etc.) that are adjustable by a hearing aid dispenser. Conventionally, such hearing aids are programmed in situ, i.e., while they are in the patient's ear. This permits the patient and dispenser to evaluate the programming of the hearing aid and to adjust the programming if the performance of the hearing aid is substandard.

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,095 to Hanright relates to a hearing aid programming system whereby electrical connections necessary to program the hearing aid are accessed through a slot adjacent to the battery access door of the hearing aid. In this system, the access door is opened and the end portion of a cable is inserted in the slot beside the door. The door is then closed to provide a connection between the hearing aid and a programming unit by crimping the cable against electrical leads within the hearing aid.

[0004] After using the cable several times, the end portion of the cable that is inserted into the hearing aid can wear and fail to provide an adequate electrical connection between the hearing aid and the programming unit. Accordingly, the entire cable must be replaced.

[0005] In accordance with the invention, a system is provided for programming a hearing aid having a housing, a faceplate attached to the housing, a programmable hearing aid circuit contained within the housing, a plurality of programming terminals located inside the housing and electrically connected to the circuit, and a battery door.

[0006] The faceplate has an opening for receiving the battery door. The door is hingedly connected to the faceplate so it is moveable between an open position and a closed position. An edge of the door is spaced apart from the faceplate to define a narrow slot bounded by the edge and the faceplate. The slot is adjacent the programming terminals.

[0007] The programming system includes a connector operably attached to a programming unit and also removably receiving a multi-electrode programming strip. The strip is dimensioned to fit into the slot of the hearing aid and has a like plurality of electrodes dimensioned to mate with the hearing aid terminals. The strip is dimensioned to cooperate in a manner that when the strip has been fully inserted into the housing through the slot with the electrodes facing the terminals and the door is in the closed position, the electrodes are pressed against the terminals and make electrical contact therewith.

[0025] A programmable completely-in-canal hearing aid 12 is depicted in FIG. 1. The hearing aid 12 includes a housing 14 and a faceplate 16. The faceplate 16 closes off the hearing aid housing 14 and supports a battery door 18, a retrieval line 20, and a microphone 22. The faceplate 16 also includes a vent 24 and a rectangular opening 26 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0026] The opening 26 is shaped to mate with the battery door 18 described below, and is rectangular because conventional battery doors (e.g., door 18) fit into rectangular openings. However, it is possible to use an opening 26 of another shape.

[0027] The battery door 18 is conventional and designed to receive a hearing aid battery (not shown) and hold the battery in position as the battery door is opened and closed. When a battery is located in the battery door 18 and the door is closed, the anode and cathode of the battery are urged against corresponding terminals (not shown) within the hearing aid 12 to provide power to circuit 28 (FIG. 4) discussed below. Such terminals are conventional and are not discussed further.

[0028] As is conventional in this art, to provide a hinge for the battery door 18, the faceplate 16 is provided with a metal pin 30 embedded at its ends in the faceplate. The pin 30 is adjacent one end 32 of the opening 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The battery door 18 is provided with a snap-in clip 34 that snaps onto the pin 30 to hingedly secure the door 18 to the faceplate 16 and thereby allow the door to be opened and closed.

[0029] The exterior surface 36 of the door 18 has four edges; two elongated sides 38 and 39, a proximal end 40 and a distal end 42. In conventional fashion, mating regions on the faceplate 16 and the distal end 42 form a latch that keeps the door 18 latched when in the closed position. The door 18 is dimensioned to have the closest possible fit within the opening 26, except along one of the edges 36, 38, 40 and 42. Along this edge, the door 18 is slightly undersized, forming a slot that is bounded by the edge and by the opening 26. As will be described in more detail below, this slot is used as an access port into which a flexible programming strip 44 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) is inserted to program the hearing aid 12.

[0030] The slot 46 is bounded by the proximal end 40 of the door 18 and the end 32 of the opening 26. (See FIG. 3.) This makes it possible to use a completely conventional battery door 18. However, it is possible to locate the slot 46 elsewhere around the door 18.

[0031] In an embodiment, the slot 46 is 4 mils wide to accommodate a programming strip made of conventional 3.8 mil flexible printed circuit board. To achieve this thickness, it is necessary to make the faceplate 16, the pin 30 and the door 18 to tight tolerances. However, if desired, the slot 46 can have a different width.

[0032] A programmable hearing aid circuit 28 (FIGS. 4, and 13–15) is provided inside the housing 14. The circuit 28 is connected directly or indirectly to the microphone 22 and to the receiver (not shown) located in the medial tip 48 of the hearing aid. In the preferred embodiment, the circuit 28 is designed with power supplied to the circuit from the battery (not shown), three terminals 50, 52, 54 (see FIG. 15) are sufficient to program the circuit and to read the settings that have been programmed into it. However, in alternative embodiments, more or fewer terminals can be used instead.

[0033] The terminals 50, 52 and 54 are located on a support 56 integral with the faceplate 16. The support 56 is curved to follow the shape of the battery door 18 when the battery door is in the closed position. The terminals 50, 52 and 54 are part of a flexible copper-Kapton printed circuit board 57 connected to the circuit 28. Alternatively, the terminals 50, 52, 54 can be individual components embedded in the support 56 and connected to the circuit 28 such as by hard-wiring.

[0034] A programming strip 44 such as illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, 13 and 14 is used to program the hearing aid 12. Advantageously, the strip 44 is flexible and 3.8 mils thick, and is formed using copper as the electrical conductors and Kapton as the substrate. As will be seen below, the strip 44 is designed so it operates properly regardless of the direction in which it is inserted into the slot 46. However, for clarity, the operation of the programming strip 44 will first be explained with reference to its three electrodes 58, 60 and 62.

[0035] The electrodes 58, 60 and 62 are dimensioned to mate with the terminals 50, 52 and 54 respectively. The electrodes 58, 60 and 62 are operably connected to an external programming unit (FIG. 12) via a connector 64 (FIGS. 10–14) attached to a cable 66. The programming unit provides electrical signals to the electrodes 58, 60 and 62, and when these electrodes 58, 60 and 62 are connected to the terminals 50, 52 and 54 and the battery is installed, these signals are used to program the circuit 28.

[0036] The programming strip 44 is dimensioned to fit into the slot 46 adjacent the battery door 18. If desired, the strip 44 can be ridged and the support 56 and printed circuit board 57 can be grooved to match. The programming strip 44 can also be thicker at its distal end than at its proximal end. Persons skilled in the art can adapt the shapes of the strip 44 and the support 56 to serve in whatever particular application is desired.

[0037] Turning to FIGS. 7–12, an opening 68 in the connector 64 provides for receiving a portion 69 of the programming strip 56 while allowing another portion 70 of the strip extending from the connector 64 to be inserted into the hearing aid 12. The connector 64 includes a plurality of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy contacts 70 mounted to an electrically insulative plastic base block 72. The contacts 70 are arranged into an adjustable group 73 of three contacts and a corresponding fixed group 74 of three contacts mounted on opposite sides of block 72. Accordingly, the adjustably contact group 73 is spaced from the fixed group 74 by a distance adequate for insertion of the programming strip between the contact groups.

[0038] The connector 64 includes a plastic housing having a front cap 76 and a rear cap 77. The front cap 74 receives a portion of the base block 72 and the distal end portions of both the adjustable and fixed contact groups 73 and 74, respectively. The rear cap 77 also receives a portion of the base block 72 and the proximal end portions of the adjustable and fixed contact groups 73 and 74. Further, the rear cap 77 receives the proximal end of a cable strain relief member 78 wherein cable 66 extends into through a longitudinal bore 80 passing through the strain relief member.

[0039] The cable 66 includes a plurality of electrical leads operably attached by conventional means to the contacts 70 within the connector 64. Also, as stated previously, the cable 66 is operably connected to a hearing aid programming unit.

[0040] Pivotally mounted to the connector 64 is a locking lever arm 82 that can be moved by a user between a programming strip release position and a clamping position. The lever arm 82 abuts against the adjustable group 73 of contacts 70. Movement of the lever arm 82 to the clamping position (i.e., FIGS. 8, 9 and 12) results in the arm moving and locking the adjustable group 73 of contacts 70 toward the fixed group 74 of contacts. Accordingly, the portion 69 of the programing strip 44 within the connector 64 is clamped between the adjustable group 73 of contacts 70 and the fixed group 74 of contacts. Moreover, the connector contacts 70 are brought into contact with the electrodes 58,60,62 of the programming strip 44. This results in the hearing aid programming unit being operably connected to the programing strip electrodes 58,60,62.

[0041] The lever arm 82 is held in the clamping position by the memory of the adjustably group 73 of contacts 70 resiliently applying pressure against the lever arm to maintain its position. However, the lever arm 82 can be released from the clamping position by a user applying adequate force to overcome the pressure applied by the adjustably group 73 of contacts 70.

[0042] Turning to FIGS. 13 and 14, to program the hearing aid 12, the battery door 18 is opened and a battery (not shown) is placed therein. The programing strip 44 is then inserted into the slot 46 in such a manner that the electrodes 58, 60 and 62 face the terminals 50, 52 and 54. Insertion can continue until the connector 64 strikes the faceplate 16 or another part of the aid. As can be seen in FIG. 13, the programming strip 44 is then suspended between the door 18 and the printed circuit board 57.

[0043] When the battery door 18 is closed, it presses the programming strip 44 against the printed circuit board 57 so the electrodes 58, 60 and 62 make electrical contact with the terminals 50, 52 and 54 respectively. At the same time, the battery (not shown) is connected to the circuit 28. In this condition, the circuit 28 can be programmed by, or read by, the programming unit.

[0044] In the preferred embodiment, the strip 44 actually has electrodes on both sides. On the reverse side, the strip 44 has three electrodes 84, 86 and 88.

[0045] Also, each contact 70 in the adjustable group 73 is operably attached by a conductive lead or the like (not show) to an oppositely mounted contact within the fixed group 74. Accordingly, when the programming strip 44 is clamped between the contacts 70 in the adjustably group 73 and fixed group 74, electrodes 84 and 58 are in electrical communication with each other along with the same conductor in the cable 66, electrodes 86 and 60 are in electrical communication with each other along with the same conductor in the cable 66, and electrodes 88 and 62 are in electrical communication with each other along with the same conductor in the cable 66. By using this structure, it does not matter whether the programming strip 44 is inserted into the hearing aid 12 with the electrodes 58, 60, 62 facing the terminals 50, 52, 54, or whether the electrodes 88, 86, 64 face the terminals 50, 52, 54. Similarly, it does not matter whether the programming strip 44 is inserted into the connector 64 with the terminals 50, 52, 54 facing the adjustably group 73 of contacts 70 or the fixed group 74 of contacts.

[0046] In the preferred embodiment, the programming strip 44 is advantageously inserted into the hearing aid 12 when the battery door 18 open. This is to minimize wear and physical stress on the strip 44, but it is not required. It is alternatively possible to make strip 44 comparatively rigid and to, e.g., supply springs that would urge the terminals 50, 52, 54 towards the door 18.

[0047] Turning to FIGS. 16A–F and 17 an alternative embodiment is depicted of a connector for removably receiving the programming strip of FIG. 7 and operably connecting it to a programming unit. In the FIGURES, the last two digits within the 100 series of reference numbers correspond in structure and/or function with like numbered elements previously described.

[0048] The front 176 of the connector 164 includes an opening 68 for receiving a programming strip 144. The connector 164 has a lever arm 182 that can be moved and locked to a closed position to secure the a portion of the programming strip 144 within the slot 168 of the connector and to place the electrodes 158,160,162 in electrical communication therewith.

[0049] The rear 177 of the connector 164 includes a jack 190 for receiving a plug 192 operably attached to cable 166. Insertion of the plug 192 into the jack 190 establishes a connection between the programming unit and the connector 164, via both cable 166 and a cable connector 194 operably attached thereto. The cable connector 194 provides for removably connecting the cable 166 to the programming unit. Preferably, the jack 190 includes a plurality of pins that are received by corresponding sockets in the plug 192.

[0050] In a further alternative embodiment, the jack 190 of the connector 164 can be adapted to receive, and clamp onto, the end of another flexible programming strip extending from a programming cable such at shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B and 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,095 to Hanright.

[0051] Although a preferred embodiment has been described above, the scope of the invention is limited only by the following claims.