Abstract: A method and appertaining system for implementing the method is provided for designing hearing aids having flexible parts. Three-dimensional data is provided that is related to both a soft part and a hard part of a hearing aid component into a computer-based system. Additionally, information is entered related to material characteristics for both the soft part and the hard part of the component. A component within the hearing aid shell is placed and moved in a model generated by the system. Forces, stresses, and/or amount of deformation for parts of the component based on the location of the component and at least one of another component and the shell are calculated, and the three-dimensional data model of the shell is revised based upon the calculated degree of deformation, forces, and/or stresses.

Abstract: The production of an earpiece for a hearing apparatus and in particular for a hearing device is closely tailored to the simulation. To this end, the earpiece of a hearing apparatus to be inserted into an auditory canal is produced by first selecting a virtual raw vent and manufacturing the earpiece with a real vent. A base frequency of the acoustic transmission function of the virtual raw vent is determined. From that, a virtual vent is determined as a function of the base frequency and of at least one predetermined property of the auditory canal or of the earpiece. The earpiece is then manufactured on the basis of the virtual vent.

Abstract: A computerized method is provided for designing a vent in a hearing aid housing shell based on an image of a patient's ear canal impression, and wherein a program is provided on a computer-readable medium. With the program, an image of a starter housing shell based on the image of the patient's ear canal impression is created which is longer than a final version of the housing shell to be created. A starter vent running from an inner canal end near the patient's ear drum to an outer end of the starter housing shell is placed inside the shell. Components are then placed substantially as deep as possible inside the starter shell but lying outside of the starter vent. Portions of the starter shell lying beyond where a faceplate is to be mounted are removed and the faceplate is mounted. The starter vent is then grown larger so that it fills substantially all space inside the shell without interfering with the components.

Abstract: A method for designing a prosthetic device includes acquiring a three-dimensional image of an anatomical surface. A rules script for automatically performing a plurality of image processing rules using a script interpreter is executed. For each particular rule of the plurality of rules, one or more anatomical features that are relevant to the particular rule using a surface shaping engine are determined, the one or more determined anatomical features are automatically segmented from the acquired three-dimensional image using a feature detector, and the particular image processing rule is performed on the acquired three-dimensional image based on the automatically segmented anatomical features using a CAD tool. A prosthetic device design is produced based on the three-dimensional image upon which the rules of the plurality of image processing rules have been performed.

Abstract: A small hearing aid is provided which fits completely in an ear canal of a user wherein a shell as an outer housing of the hearing aid is shaped to closely surround components of the hearing aid to provide a gap between the hearing canal inner walls and the shell to allow flow of air when the hearing aid is mounted in the ear by a mounting element connected to the shell. The mounting element is provided with at least one aperture to allow the air flow. In a fabricating method, an image of the shell is shrunk to closely surround the hearing aid components while maintaining a shape of the ear canal to assure a custom fit.

Abstract: A method and appertaining system provide for automatically adding a wax guard to a hearing aid shell impression. The location of a canal, tip of the canal, and central line of the impression are automatically identified in a digital 3D representation of a hearing aid shell impression. A first wax guard plane is determined at a predefined flip distance from the canal tip along the central line, and a second wax guard plane is determined at a predefined canal tip offset distance from the canal tip along the central line. A size and position for a feature of the wax guard is calculated based on predefined parameters, and the wax guard is constructed utilizing the calculated side and position. The type of wax guard can be a bell bore design, an open design, a Philip design, or a flip design.

Abstract: A computerized method is provided for designing a vent in a hearing aid housing shell based on an image of a patient's ear canal impression, and wherein a program is provided on a computer-readable medium. With the program, an image of a starter housing shell based on the image of the patient's ear canal impression is created which is longer than a final version of the housing shell to be created. A starter vent running from an inner canal end near the patient's ear drum to an outer end of the starter housing shell is placed inside the shell. Components are then placed substantially as deep as possible inside the starter shell but lying outside of the starter vent. Portions of the starter shell lying beyond where a faceplate is to be mounted are removed and the faceplate is mounted. The starter vent is then grown larger so that it fills substantially all space inside the shell without interfering with the components.

Abstract: A method for designing a prosthetic device includes acquiring a three-dimensional image of an anatomical surface. A rules script for automatically performing a plurality of image processing rules using a script interpreter is executed. For each particular rule of the plurality of rules, one or more anatomical features that are relevant to the particular rule using a surface shaping engine are determined, the one or more determined anatomical features are automatically segmented from the acquired three-dimensional image using a feature detector, and the particular image processing rule is performed on the acquired three-dimensional image based on the automatically segmented anatomical features using a CAD tool. A prosthetic device design is produced based on the three-dimensional image upon which the rules of the plurality of image processing rules have been performed.

Abstract: A system and appertaining algorithm provide a cutting and shaping of the hearing aid shell using an Ellipsoidal Line Cut that increases the speed of detailing operations and enables a creation of more cosmetically appealing shells. A contour algorithm determines a projected contour on the bottom cut plane that corresponds in shape to a portion of the line cut plane contour, and a merger algorithm defines a line cut surface between the portion of the line cut plane contour and the projected contour. An elimination algorithm eliminates parts of the new hearing aid shell design that extend beyond boundaries defined by the original hearing aid shell design.

Abstract: In a computerized method for adherence to physical restrictions in the construction of an ITE hearing aid, each component to be placed in the shell of the hearing aid has a collision plot associated therewith. The collision plot is generated as a scatter plot by measurement and simulation, and represents the physical extent of the influence of a particular property of the component on other components. When virtual representations of the respective components are moved relative to another in the e-detailing software for determining the physical positions of the components in the ITE hearing aid, the collision plot for a given component is visually displayed, so that it can easily be seen when another component invades that collision plot, thereby representing an unacceptably close relative position of the two components.

Abstract: A method and appertaining system load 3D shape information defining a hearing aid shell into a processor and present a representation of the shell on a display. A fill boundary is entered by a user operating a user input device and a fill region for the shell is thus defined. The fill boundary is then displayed, but can be modified by the user. Various checks may be performed to ensure that the fill region is a proper one, and if not, a status can be provided to the user indicating why the fill region is unacceptable. The displayed shell can be rotated and moved to assist the user. Once an acceptable fill region has been defined, an indication is provided by the user that the displayed fill region is to be used as the actual fill region.

Abstract: A small hearing aid is provided which fits completely in an ear canal of a user wherein a shell as an outer housing of the hearing aid is shaped to closely surround components of the hearing aid to provide a gap between the hearing canal inner walls and the shell to allow flow of air when the hearing aid is mounted in the ear by a mounting element connected to the shell. The mounting element is provided with at least one aperture to allow the air flow. In a fabricating method, an image of the shell is shrunk to closely surround the hearing aid components while maintaining a shape of the ear canal to assure a custom fit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for implementing an automated hearing aid modeling system that is a computerized rule-based binaural modeling system which includes performing a hearing-aid class dependent processing on the hearing aid shell design. Features of the hearing aid shell are recognized and attributes associated with these features are stored. A rule-based product handling for the shell model is used that is determined based on a determined shell type. Global and local offsets are performed on data associated with the shell model, as is binaural processing to augmented detailing and modeling protocols used on the shell model. The hearing aid is created based on the shell model processed according to the preceding steps. An appertaining system for implementing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A method and appertaining system for performing the method is provided in which the modeling and detailing of a hearing aid shell can be done at a remote site, while the work order handling and the actual manufacture are performed at a local site without the need to transmit large STL files from the remote site to the local site. The local site is able to construct an STL file from data defining the original undetailed impression and a project file containing the detailing algorithms from the remote site. The hearing aid shell may then be manufactured from the STL file.

Abstract: A method and appertaining system provide for automatically adding a wax guard to a hearing aid shell impression. The location of a canal, tip of the canal, and central line of the impression are automatically identified in a digital 3D representation of a hearing aid shell impression. A first wax guard plane is determined at a predefined flip distance from the canal tip along the central line, and a second wax guard plane is determined at a predefined canal tip offset distance from the canal tip along the central line. A size and position for a feature of the wax guard is calculated based on predefined parameters, and the wax guard is constructed utilizing the calculated side and position. The type of wax guard can be a bell bore design, an open design, a Philip design, or a flip design.

Abstract: A method and appertaining system for implementing the method is provided for designing hearing aids having flexible parts. Three-dimensional data is provided that is related to both a soft part and a hard part of a hearing aid component into a computer-based system. Additionally, information is entered related to material characteristics for both the soft part and the hard part of the component. A component within the hearing aid shell is placed and moved in a model generated by the system. Forces, stresses, and/or amount of deformation for parts of the component based on the location of the component and at least one of another component and the shell are calculated, and the three-dimensional data model of the shell is revised based upon the calculated degree of deformation, forces, and/or stresses.

Abstract: In a computerized method for adherence to physical restrictions in the construction of an ITE hearing aid, each component to be placed in the shell of the hearing aid has a collision plot associated therewith. The collision plot is generated as a scatter plot by measurement and simulation, and represents the physical extent of the influence of a particular property of the component on other components. When virtual representations of the respective components are moved relative to another in the e-detailing software for determining the physical positions of the components in the ITE hearing aid, the collision plot for a given component is visually displayed, so that it can easily be seen when another component invades that collision plot, thereby representing an unacceptably close relative position of the two components.

Abstract: A method and appertaining system load 3D shape information defining a hearing aid shell into a processor and present a representation of the shell on a display. A fill boundary is entered by a user operating a user input device and a fill region for the shell is thus defined. The fill boundary is then displayed, but can be modified by the user. Various checks may be performed to ensure that the fill region is a proper one, and if not, a status can be provided to the user indicating why the fill region is unacceptable. The displayed shell can be rotated and moved to assist the user. Once an acceptable fill region has been defined, an indication is provided by the user that the displayed fill region is to be used as the actual fill region.

Abstract: A system and appertaining algorithm provide a cutting and shaping of the hearing aid shell using an Ellipsoidal Line Cut that increases the speed of detailing operations and enables a creation of more cosmetically appealing shells. A contour algorithm determines a projected contour on the bottom cut plane that corresponds in shape to a portion of the line cut plane contour, and a merger algorithm defines a line cut surface between the portion of the line cut plane contour and the projected contour. An elimination algorithm eliminates parts of the new hearing aid shell design that extend beyond boundaries defined by the original hearing aid shell design.