Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Method for manufacturing hearing devices
The present invention is especially directed on a method
for manufacturing in-the-ear hearing devices, but may also
be adapted for manufacturing outside-the-ear hearing
devices.
Thereby, throughout the description and claims of the
present invention the following terms are used as follows:
Definitions
~ Hearing device
We understand under a hearing device a device for
influencing human hearing. Such a hearing device may be
a noise-protection device or even a noise-canceling
device, a device for improving human hearing in special
situations, as e.g. in noisy environment, thereby
selectively communicating with one or more than one
persons, music listening in a concert hall etc. Further
a hearing device may be an earphone as of a hands-free
communication system, or may be an earphone for consumer
audio appliances.
A hearing device may thereby especially be a hearing aid
device in the sense of a therapeutical device for
individuals with hearing loss. As was mentioned above,
the hearing device may thereby be an outside-the-ear
hearing device or and especially an in-the-ear hearing
device.
~ Retailer:
BESTi4TIGUNGSKOPIE
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We understand under the expression "retailer" the
instance or location, where individuals buy hearing
devices.
~ Audio needs:
The audio needs of an individual may be therapeutical so
as to remedy ill hearing behavior to the standard of
normal hearing. Audio needs of an individual may also be
needs for noise protection, noise canceling, improved
hearing in special situations as mentioned above, good
hearing characteristics for consumer audio consumption
or for hands-free communication etc. Thus, audio needs
may be subdivided in therapeutical and non-therapeutical
needs.
~ Application area for a hearing device:
We understand under this term the individual's shape of
the area of his head, whereat a hearing device shall be
applied to. Such application area may therefore be the
ear itself, surrounding areas behind and around the ear,
the ear channel with its most individual structure.
Thereby, not only the shape defines for the appliance
area, but also the kind of structure, be it bony or
rather of soft flesh or rather of cartilage, and its
appearance, be it the texture or color of the skin.
Further, the application area may be co-defined by
individual characteristics, as of the production of
sweat and cerumen.
~ Non-audio needs:
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Non-audio needs of an individual and in the present
context are e.g. needs with respect to aesthetic
appearance as of shell colouring of a hearing device,
further with respect to pricing, material of the shell
surface, especially where in contact with the area of
application and under consideration of individual
allergies etc.
Up to now especially in-the-ear hearing aid devices are ._
manufactured in that a individual goes to a retailer, as a
l0 consultant center. Either the individual brings, in the
case of therapeutical audio needs, audiological data about
his ill hearing behavior to such retailer, which data have
been retrieved e.g. by a specialized medical doctor. In
other cases such audiological diagnostic data are retrieved
directly at the consultant's or retailer's location as
specialized in audiological diagnostics and data
evaluation.
At the consultant center, normally the retailer, the
individual discusses with the staff his individual needs
under consideration of audiologic data, if necessary, or
more generically individual's audio needs as a first set of
information. There is further discussed, where the hearing
device should be placed, in the ear or outside the ear as
examples, as well as the aesthetic appearance such a
hearing device would probably result in.
Especially in the case of individual's decision to order an
in-the-ear hearing device it is necessary to get
information about the individual's ear channel structure as
a second set of information.
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This is normally done by means of taking a mould of the ear
channel and then three-dimensionally scanning such mould.
Normally, scanning is done by the hearing device
manufacturer in context with manufacturing the hearing
device. The retailer thereby sends the mould to the
manufacturer altogether with further information collected,
and the manufacturer returns after construction of the
hearing aid device the hardware to the retailer or, more
generically, to the consultant center for approval by the
individual.
Very often the device is not approved by the individual
e.g. due to uncomfortable fitting at the application area
or due to aesthetics, which have turned out differently
than foreseen in individual's imagination, and also because
the manufacturer could not exactly know the real needs of
the individual.
The retailer tries to communicate to the manufacturer
further information about desired amendments on the device,
which are nevertheless not always precise enough to ensure
the next run of manufacturing and approval to be a full
success. Very often the retailer even tries to satisfy
individual's needs by experienced self-overworking of the
device, especially by hand-amending the outer shell of the
hearing device.
One reason for such frequent forth and back, especially of
in-the-ear hearing devices, is imprecise specification of
the situation as to how the mould has been taken, i.e. with
respect to chin position. Another problem is that due to
retailer's own shape amendment of the hearing device the
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manufacturer is not informed about the finally approved and
released shape, so that a replacement necessitates a
complicated trial-and-error procedure, especially if the
individual changed to another consultant or retailer.
It is an object of the present invention to remedy the
cited drawbacks of individual hearing device manufacturing.
This is reached according to the present invention by the
method of manufacturing a hearing device individually and
for an individual comprising the steps of conceiving the
hearing device as a function of
~ first information about individual audio needs;
~ second information about three-dimensional shape of the
application area for the hearing device at the
individual;
~ third information about individual non-audio needs for
the hearing device;
~ fourth information about feasibility of hearing devices,
thereby three-dimensionally visualizing the concept of the
hearing device computer-based to the individual and
amending said concept as visualized controlled by said
individual, and freezing data defining for said concept of
said device as conceived on approval by said individual or
by a person authorized by said individual for subsequent
realization of hearing device hardware.
Thereby, just from the beginning of conceiving the hearing
device for the individual, be it a new hearing device, or
be it, e.g. on repair, or on amending a hearing device, the
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individual and/or a person authorized by said individual is
most involved in the construing procedure in that he
monitors on a visualizing screen his personal hearing
device as it progresses in construction. The individual may
thereby influence by his individual needs and by
communicating such needs finally to a conceiving computer
system, the construction of the hearing device, and it is
only when the individual approves the visualized concept of
his future hearing device that the collected data is
readied for a hardware production step.
In a first preferred embodiment of the inventive method
visualizing and conceiving the hearing device as a function
of the above mentioned first to fourth information is
performed at one local computer system, i.e. centralized.
Thereby, one and the same computer system provides not only
for the visualization ability, but also for the computer
power for three-dimensionally representing and calculating,
e.g. by vector-graphic representation, the hearing device
as a function of the said information input to such
centralized computer.
In a second and even more preferred embodiment visualizing
and conceiving the hearing device, again as a function of
the first to fourth information, as mentioned above, is
realized at more than one decentralized computer system,
which systems are in mutual communication. Once the
visualizing data are computed for mere visualization, there
suffices a slave computer as a laptop, the screen of a PDA
or even the screen of a handy to visualize the conceived
hearing device to the individual.
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In a further preferred mode at least two decentralized
computer systems are in real-time communication, so that at
each of the computers there may sit a staff member who is
specialized in a specific topic, as e.g. in shell-making,
in functional module-assembling, in interpreting
audiological data etc.
Thus,~~one or more than one expert join in with the
individual to conceive his personal hearing device.
Also it is absolutely possible that the individual, e.g. at
home, conceives his future hearing device on a visualizing
screen, thereby preferably in online communication with
consulting experts at one or more than one computers
systems or even in oral phone communication with a
consultant, in a most preferred embodiment of the present
invention, visualizing the hearing device under
construction and individual's controlling is performed at
the location of a consultant. Such a consultant is most
preferably a hearing device retailer.
In a further preferred embodiment the first information,
which is directed on audio needs of the individual, is
subdivided in a subset of first information, namely about
therapeutical audio needs of the individual, which
information may hardly be retrieved by the individual
himself. The second subset of this first information,
namely about non-therapeutical audio needs,. as in the case
of noise protection, noise canceling etc., may well be
retrieved from the individual himself, so that this second
subset of information for conceiving the hearing device is
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directly communicated from the individual lastly to the
conceiving and visualizing computer systems.
Thereby, in a preferred mode of operation at least a part
of the first information, thus especially about
therapeutical needs, is retrieved at a place, which is
remote from visualizing the hearing device concept to the
individual. Nevertheless, this part or another part of the
first information may clearly be retrieved also at the
place of visualization. E.g. audiological data may be
retrieved at the retailer's place as the place of the
consultant, at which the individual is present when
conceiving his hearing device.
Additionally or alternatively at least a part of the first
information may also be retrieved from a data bank, which
has been established from data of a previous hearing device
of the individual. This will especially be the case if an
existing hearing device of the individual is to be repaired
or only parts thereof, as e.g. the shell is to be replaced.
In a further preferred mode of the inventive method the
second information, i.e. the information about three-
dimensional shape of the application area of the hearing
device at the individual, is retrieved by taking a mould of
the application area. Thereby, in a further preferred mode
such mould-taking is performed either at the specialized
mould center or at the location of the consultant. Thereby
again, the consultant may preferably be the retailer.
Departing from such mould this mould is preferably three-
dimensionally scanned, which further preferably is
performed either at a mould-scanning center or at the
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center, where the mould has been taken or at the location
of a consultant, especially of a retailer. Latter
especially then, when also mould-taking has been performed
at the consultant's place.
In another preferred mode of operating the inventive
method, the second information is retrieved by in-vivo
scanning three-dimensionally the individual's application
area. Again this is preferably performed in an in-vivo
scanning specialized center or at a consultant's place,
which again may be advantageously the hearing device
retailer. With respect to this second information too, it
may be retrieved from a data bank, especially if the new
hearing device to be conceived is based on an existing
hearing device of the same individual.
In a further preferred mode of operation the fourth
information, namely information about, generically spoken,
feasibility of a desired hearing device, especially under
technical aspects, is retrieved from at least one hearing
device manufacturer. Thereby, this information is further
preferably stored in a data bank, which may be located
anywhere, but has preferably to be addressable from the
hearing device conceiving computer system. Preferably such
a data bank is nevertheless located at the hearing device
manufacturer or at a consultant center, which again may be
the hearing device retailer.
Once and according to the present invention the data
defining for the concept of the device as conceived and
approved by the individual is frozen, this data is
transmitted to a hearing device hardware manufacturing
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center. Again such manufacturing center may be a hearing
device manufacturer or may be located at~a consultant
center, especially if there is provided a stock of modules
for constructing different hearing devices as well as for
instance the ability of shell-making, e.g. by a procedure
as known from rapid prototyping and as e.g. disclosed in
the WO 01/05207, which is incorporated in the present
description by reference and specifically with respect to
shell-making.
Again, such consultant center may preferably be at a
retailer's location, so that in a preferred mode of
operation of the inventive method in fact all steps for
data retrieving and hearing device hardware preparing might
be performed there.
The said manufacturing center, which receives the frozen
data, according to an approved hearing device concept,
checks, whether a hardware hearing device may or may not be
construed, which exactly matches the said frozen data.
Whenever such a hearing device, which exactly matches the
frozen conceptual data may not be constructed at the
manufacturing center, there is conceived a novel set of
data of a hearing device which may be realized and
wherefrom the data matches closest the frozen data.
Thereby a hardware hearing device is-not yet constructed,
but first the set of data for a feasible hearing device is
retrieved, the data therefrom, as was said, matching the
frozen data as closest as possible, possibly with a
priority setting, about which of the first to fourth
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information according data should match closest and which
are less critical.
Then these data are retransmitted finally to the individual
and visualized, so that the individual may monitor on
screen what a hearing device will look like, which is in
fact proposed by the manufacturing center and which does
not exactly match his own approved proposal.
The individual may again in a preferred mode amend such
proposition up to approval and thus a new set of frozen
data is retrieved and retransmitted to the manufacturing
center.
Especially if the frozen data transmitted to the
manufacturing center do match with the data of a feasible
hearing device or do only neglectably differ therefrom,
then at a manufacturing center there is produced hardware,
be it a dummy of the hearing device or a functional hearing
device.
In a preferred further mode such hardware, namely the dummy
and/or the functional hearing device, is transmitted to the
individual and thereby, practically in parallel, also the
data defining for such hardware, so that the individual may
try on the hardware on one hand and on the other hand get
three-dimensionally the hardware, which is just on try-on
displayed on the visualizing screen. There the individual
may again enter amendments, if necessary, up to approval.
Such re-amended data is then retransmitted to the
manufacturing center for definite (hopefully) construction
of the hearing device. The hardware, which has been
transmitted to the individual for try-on, is either
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transmitted to the manufacturing center, or, especially in
case of a dummy, is either kept for further comparative
try-ons after newly constructed hardware has been received
or is dispatched.
The invention under all its aspects shall now be described
with the help of figures. They show:
Fig. 1: in a schematic signal and communication
flow/functional block diagram a first embodiment
of the inventive method;
Fig. 2: in a representation in analogy to that of fig. l,
a preferred mode of realization of the inventive
method, whereat a consultant center joins in with
the individual for conceiving a hearing device;
Fig. 3: by means of a flow-chart diagram, different
possibilities of retrieving first information to
be considered when conceiving the hearing device
according to the figs. 1 or 2;
Fig. 4: in a representation according to that of fig. 3
retrieving of the second information;
Fig. 5: in a representation according to that of the figs.
3 and 4, retrieving of the fourth information;
Fig. 6: by means of a simplified communication
flow/functional block diagram, a preferred mode of
hearing aid hardware construction, based on
conceptual data as retrieved according to the
figs. 1 to 5;
Fig. 7: again by means of a communication flow/functional
block diagram or flow-chart, decision taking of
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construing hardware and/or amending data for re-
approual by the individual in the hardware
construing operation according to fig. 6;
Fig. 8: by means of a representation similar to that of
the figs. 1 and 2 a preferred embodiment of
hardware approval within the inventive method.
1. Conception of a new hearing device or
recovering/amending an existing hearing device
In figure 1 there is shown, by means of a schematic signal
or communication flow/functional block diagram, the basic
conceiving step for the inventive hearing device
manufacturing, repair or retrofitting method.
An individual 1, who would like to order a new hearing
device, or who would like to repair e.g. a broken hearing
device, or who would like to amend his existing hearing
device due to needs which have changed between conceiving
his existing hearing device and present time, stands in
visual communication VIS with. a display 3a of a displaying
computer 3~.
For conceiving the hearing device the following categories
of information are needed:
~ First information I1 about the individual's audio needs.
These needs may be therapeutical needs, which result
from diagnostic, audiological examination and may be
summarized under the term "hearing loss". The first
information may comprise or consist of such "hearing
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loss" data, especially if the hearing device to be
conceived is a therapeutical device in the sense of a
hearing aid device. In other cases, the first
information comprises or consists of non-therapeutical
audio information. e.g. where the hearing device to be
conceived is a noise-protection device, a hearing device
of a headset, e.g. for telephone applications, a
headphone as for consumer audio application or is a
hearing device for improving normal hearing in special
situations, as in noisy environment, in concert halls
etc. In any case, when conceiving a new hearing device,
this first information I1 must be taken under
consideration.
~ Second information IZ about the three-dimensional shape
of the application area of the individual for the
hearing device. We understand under the individual
application area for the hearing device that area, where
the hearing device shall be individually applied and
thus especially the ear channel shape for in-the-ear
hearing devices or the area surrounding one individual's
ear for outside-the-ear hearing devices.
~ Third information I3 about additional individual, not
audio needs for the hearing device. Such additional
needs may e.g. be pricing to an individually set maximum
level or a range between a minimum and a maximum price
etc., aesthetic appearance of the hearing device to be
conceived per se and when applied to the individual's
ear, further individual inconsistencies of skin with
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respect to certain materials possibly leading to
inflammation etc.
~ The fourth information I4 deals about technical
feasibility of hearing devices. It comprises e.g. all
information about modules to be possibly incorporated in
a hearing device, as microphone modules, loudspeaker
modules, digital processing units, operating switches,
remote controls, battery modules, shell shaping and
shell materials as well as colouring information, alaout
compatibility of such modules and their technical
specifications.
According to figure 1, the individual 1 transmits a subset
Ila of the first information to the computer system 3~. This
subset Ila comprises all information about the individual's
non-therapeutical audio needs. Thus, this set of
information may comprise needs for noise reduction, needs
for normal hearing improvement etc. The individual 1
further communicates to the computer system 3~ the third
information T3 as defined above, namely about individual's
non-audio needs.
The additional subset Iib of first information I1,
especially audiological diagnostic data for conceiving a
hearing aid device, the second information I2 about three-
dimensional shape of individual's application area and the
fourth information I4 about technical feasibility is
applied by a set of information I as a function of Ilb, I2
and I4 to the computer system 3V .
Under the generic aspect of fig. 1 it is only of secondary
importance how and by which communication technique the set
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of information I is finally transmitted to and treated by
the computer system 3~. The visualizing computer ~V may be
just a front end computer only for visualizing purposes,
whereby information treating and calculating computer power
is installed in a remote treating computer 3t. Computer 3~
may even just be a handy, a PDA with online communication
to the treating computer.3t. In other cases the computing
power of computer 3t is incorporated in visualizing
computer 3~.
The information set I is thereby communicated to the
respective computer 3~ and/or 3t online via a communication
network as via an Internet-kind network or via a data
carrier as by CD or tape etc. input e.g. by the individual
1.
The information Ila, I3 is input by the individual - or a
consultant person - to computer 3~ which., if the computing
power is remote, as at computer 3t provides for
communicating this information thereto.
With the help of the set of information I and the
information Ila, I3 a hearing device adapted to the
individual is conceived and visualized on the screen of the
visualizing computer system 3~. The individual 1
communicates with the system 3~ up to the point, where the
individual is satisfied with the three-dimensional
representation and the additional data of the intended,
still conceptual hearing device as displayed on visualizing
screen 3a. Amended information input by the individual 1,
e.g. menu-controlled, is recognized by the computer system
3~ and/or 3t and an amended proposition of the hearing
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device is three-dimensionally displayed, still as a
function of the non-individual input set of information I.
On approval of the visualized hearing device concept on
screen 3a of the visualizing computer system 3~, the
individual 1 inputs an approval indication signal APR to
the computer system 3~, which causes all the instantaneous
hearing device concept data to be frozen, as e.g. stored in
a storage 5. This is represented in fig. 1 schematically by
approval closing a storing control switch S to a storage
unit 5. Again such storage 5 may be provided at system 3~
and/or 3t .
The frozen or stored constructional data CONSTR# are now
ready to be utilized for constructing the individual's
hearing device.
Most important for this basic concept forming part of all
variants of inventive hearing device manufacturing is the
visual communication VIS of the individual 1 with a
visualizing screen 3a, visualizing the hearing device
concept three-dimensionally and whereat the individual may
apply for changes, especially with respect to non-
therapeutical audio needs as of Ila and/or further non-
audio needs as of I3, up to approving the displayed three-
dimensional hearing device concept.
Departing from the principal as explained with the help of
fig. 1, fig. 2 shows a today most preferred variant of this
procedure.
Thereby, the visualizing computer system 3~, which may be
the hearing device conceiving computer or may be a remote
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or "slave" computer communication with a hearing aid
conceiving computer 3t, is located at a consultant center
CC 7. Such a consulting center C~ is preferably at a
retailer's place. The visualizing system 3V (+ 3t) is
thereby operated by staff of the consultant center 7,
whereby during conceiving the hearing device the individual
1 is preferably personally present: Thereby, the first
information subset I1a and the third information I3 is
communicated from the individual 1 to the staff, who inputs
such information data to the visualizing computer system
3V. Thereby, the hearing device is conceived under
visualized control of the individual 1 and the staff of the
consultant center 7.
Nevertheless, it is also possible to have the individual 1
remote from the consultant center 7 and to have the same
display 3a on the slave remote computer display 3a' at the
remote place of the individual. In such case there is a
first visualizing computer 3~ at the center 7 and a second
one, 3~' at the individual's place. As shown by dashed
line, the individual 1 may thereby input the information
Ila, I3 by remote communication to the consultant center,
i.e. directly to the visualizing computer system 3~ there,
or even directly to a remote hearing device conceiving
computer system 3t and may possibly additionally be in
audio communication with the staff of the consultant center
7 as by phone.
Thereby, and as was already explained with the help of
figure l, the additional set of information I is taken into
account when conceiving the hearing aid device, this set of
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information I or parts thereof being fed to the staff of
the consultant center 7 and/or directly to the visualizing
computer system 3~, or, if different therefrom, to a remote
hearing device conceiving computer system 3t. In fig. 2 a
possibly provided remote hearing device conceiving computer
system 3t is shown, which communicates with the visualizing
computer system 3~ for receiving all the information Ila, I3
from the individual 1, and possibly all, or at least a part
of the information set I, if that information is present at
the center 7.
Once the individual 1 approves APR.1 on the three-
dimensionally visualized hearing device, as was explained
with the help of fig. l, conceived at the visualizing
computer system 3~ and/or at a remote conceiving computer
system 3~, the constructional data CONSTR.# for the hearing
device as approved are frozen, as e.g. stored in store 5
e.g. at one of the computer systems 3V and/or 3t. Such
freezing of the constructional data CONSTR.# may be bound
to additional approval APR.7 by the staff of the consultant
center 7.
In fig. 3 there is schematically shown, how the first
information I1 as defined above is possibly retrieved. As
the first information T1 indicates individual audio needs,
the source of that information is the individual 1. The
subset of first information 11b, i.e. that information
about therapeutical needs of the individual 1, is
recovered, in one possibility, by an audiologist AUUIOZ. or
a medical doctor specialized on diagnosis of hearing
behavior and equipped with the respective apparatus for
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diagnostic measurements. Therefrom the subset Ilb is
retrieved. Nevertheless, this subset of information Ilb may
also be retrieved directly at the consultant center 7, as
was introduced in fig. 2, if the respective manpower and
equipment is available there. The subset of first
information Ila is directly retrieved from the individual
1.
Whenever there is no need to construe a completely new
hearing device, but an existing hearing device is to be
updated or repaired, then at least a part of the first
information I1 may be retrieved from a data bank as shown
at 9 of fig. 3, which data bank may be located e.g. at the
hearing device manufacturer, at the consultant center 7 as
examples, or even may be provided at the individual 1, so
e.g. on an identifying chip card or even within the former
hearing device, wherein all data according to the first
information I1 for the former device is stored.
Providing such a data bank 9 for the first information
remote from the individual 1, but - as will be shown - also
for the other categories of information, and by installing
communication and addressing capabilities to address such
data bank 9 via a worldwide network as by Internet, it
becomes possible to update or repair an individual's
hearing device practically everywhere in the world by ..
retrieving the identifying data, e.g. at an abroad
consulting center.
In fig. 4 there is schematically shown retrieving of the
second information I~, i.e. about three-dimensional shape
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of the individual's application area. Again the source of
such information is clearly the individual 1.
In a first embodiment a mould 11 is taken from the
individual's application area, which may be done, as
schematically represented in fig. 4, e.g. at the consulting
center 7, or at a specialized mould center 13. The mould 11
is then scanned as shown by functional block 14 of fig. 4.
Scanning the mould 11 may be done at the same location,
where the mould 11 is taken or may be done remote from that
location, in a specialized mould scanning center 15,
whereby the mould 11 is sent to such a scanning center 15.
Thus, scanning may be realized, in a preferred mode, at the
consulting center 7, or at the mould center 13, or at the
mould scanning center 15.
There results from the mould scanning 14 the second
information I2 about three-dimensional shape of the
individual's application area.
In a further embodiment, as also shown in fig. 4, the
application area of the individual 1, be it for outside-
the-ear hearing devices the area around the ear or the ear
itself, or, for inside-the-ear hearing devices, the ear
channel, is in-vivo scanned three-dimensionally at an in-
vivo scanning center 16. Such a scanning center 16 may
again be installed at the consulting center 7 or at a
specialized in-vivo scanning center 17. From such in-vivo
scanning 16 there results the three-dimensional information
data IZ of individual's application area.
Here again, whenever there is no need to construe a
completely new hearing device, but there is rather the need
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to update or repair or newly adapt an existing hearing
device, the second information I2 has already been
retrieved for conceiving the existing hearing device. In
this case for the said repair or updating, reference is
taken on data bank 9 according to that of fig. 3, wherein
the three-dimensional information about individual's
application area is stored too.
Turning now to fig. 5, retrieval of the fourth information
I4 is schematically shown. From the manufacturer or the
different sub-manufacturers 18 of hearing devices data
about hearing device feasibility as defined above is
deposited in a technical data bank 20. This data bank 20
may be located at the manufacturer 18 itself, or at the
consultant center 7. From this data bank 20 the necessary
information I4 about feasibility of hearing devices is
retrieved.
Turning back to the representation of fig. 2 during
conceiving a novel hearing device or upgrading or repairing
an existing hearing device, it might be advantageous for
the staff of the consulting center 7 to on-line communicate
with external resources, as e.g, with a hearing device
manufacturer. In such a case, preferably the computer
system 3~, which provides for visualizing the hearing
device concept to the individual, and one or more than one
additional remote computer systems are in on-line
communication, so that experts at the remote computer
systems as e.g. at the manufacturer may advise the hearing
device conception. This leads to grouping two or more than
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two specialized experts in a conference manner to assist in
conceiving an optimum hearing device for the individual.
After this procedure of hearing device conceiving and as
was schematically shown in the figs. 1 and 2, data CONSTR.#
which defines for the hearing device concept are ready for
being the basis of subsequent hearing device hardware
construction.
2. Manufacturing hardware
In fig. 6, again in a schematic signal and communication
flow/functional block diagram the manufacturing process is
shown, departing from the data CONSTR.# as shown at 5 of
the figs. 1 and 2, which defines for the approved hearing
device concept. According to fig. 6 this data CONSTR# is
transmitted to an assembling location 22. The assembling 22
may thereby be executed at the location of the consulting
center 7 or at the manufacturer of hearing aid device 18.
Standard hardware 24 in a.stock or manufactured just in
time is transmitted HWa to the assembling location 22. If
assembling 22 is performed at the consulting center 7, then
preferably stock 24 of standard hardware STHW components is
also provided at the consulting center 7. If assembling 22
is performed at the hearing device manufacturer 18, then
preferably stock 24 or respective just in time
manufacturing is provided at the manufacturer 18 or
respective subcontractors of such manufacturer 18.
As was explained before, besides of standard hardware STHW
like microphone modules, battery modules, digital processor
modules, switches, loudspeaker modules etc., non-standard
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hardware is also to be incorporated in the individual
hearing device as designed. This non-standard and thus
individual hardware primarily consists of the hearing
device's shell: The shell has to be adapted, according to
the second information I~, to the three-dimensional shape
of individual's application area. Although and as shown in
dashed lines in fig. 6, it might be advisable to transmit
IQC, i.a. the definitely selected standard hardware,
information out of T4, to stock or just in time
manufacturing 24, if remote from assembling 22
The definitely selected second information I2 out of
CONSTR.# is provided to individual hardware construing 26.
This individual hardware construing primarily consists of
shell making as was mentioned above. The information I2 is
therefore fed to such individual hardware making 26,
thereby especially to the shell maker. There an
individually adapted shell, which also fits the selected
hardware, is construed. This is done in a preferred
embodiment by techniques, which are known from rapid
prototyping. We thereabout refer to the following patents
and patent applications of the applicant, namely to:
WO 01/05207.
These techniques allow industrial and commercial
manufacturing of individual hearing device shells.
Again, the location of individual hardware making 26 may be
at the consultant center 7, or at a specialized shell
making center 28, which may be located at the location 18
of the hearing device manufacturer.
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As shown in fig. 6 by double-line arrow, standard hardware
HWa is delivered from standard hardware stock or just in
time manufacturing 24 to the assembling 22, whereas
individually tailored hardware Hrnlb is transmitted from
individual hardware manufacturing 26 to the assembling 22.
This individual hardware is manufactured just in time.
Whenever assembling 22 may be performed exactly matching
the conceptual data CONSTR#, assembling 22 results either
in a hardware hearing device 32, which exactly accords to
the conceptual needs, or possibly first in a dummy hearing
device DUMMY30. Clearly for construing a dummy hearing
device, only dummy standard modules are built in a shell,
if such modules are built in the shell at a11. The object
of realizing a dummy 30 of a hearing device is to first get
approval of the individual on exact matching of the shape
to his individual application area, which matching is,
under the aspect of comfort for the individual and possibly
also of aesthetics, very critical and of high importance.
Thus, there results in this case a hearing device dummy 30
or a hearing device 32, which respectively match with the
information CONSTR#.
During assembling and/or readying the hardware at stock or
just in time production 24 and/or individual hardware
production 26, the case may arise where the conceptual data
CONSTR# may not be exactly fulfilled. In this case the
involved instances as assembling 22 and hardware providers
24, 26 target at a solution which is closest possible to
the solution defined by the said data CONSTR. #, whereby
different priorities of departing from these approved data
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CONSTR.# may be fixed. It might be that requirements
according to the third information I3, namely not-audio
individual needs, may be set on a lower priority with
respect to fulfilling than audio information according to
the first information Ii and the second information I2
according to the three-dimensional application area data.
In all such cases and as shown in fig. 6, from assembling
22 or possibly also from hardware preparing 24 and/or 26
the approved conceptual data CONSTR# are respectively
amended, as schematically shown in fig. 6 by ~#. Thereby,
there is in fact established an amended set of data REAL#,
which has not been approved by the individual. Obviously
this data is again stored according to storing or freezing
5 of figs. 1 or 2 and as shown in fig. 6 at 51.
If the differences, which have to be made with respect to
the approved data CONSTR# are extensive, then there might
be not much sense to produce a hearing aid device 32 or
even a dummy 30 at all. Thus, in such a "feasible" case the
data REAL# are first retransmitted to the visualizing
computer system 3V as shown in fig. 1 of fig. 2. There,
visualization of the hearing device according to the data
REAL# is established and the individual 1 once again has
the opportunity to either approve or to apply additional
changes. In this case a new set of approved constructional
data CONSTR# is established. If the amendments or changes
of the originally approved data CONSTR# are of minor
importance, they form the basis for construing the hearing
aid device 32 or the dummy 30.
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Up to the point whereat the differences of approved hearing
device defining data CONSTR# from data REAL# of a most
matching hardware hearing device are small enough, there is
established looping between assembling 22 and the
individual's approval, thereby minimizing more and more
such differences.
This matching approach procedure is schematically shown in
fig. 7. The approved constructional data CONSTR# are
checked with the real constructional data REAh#. If they
match, a dummy or a hearing device is construed. If they do
not match, it is checked whether the data difference is
significant enough to refrain from construing any hardware.
Then the real constructional data REAL# are transmitted for
visualizing ~o the individual 1. If such difference is not
significant or becomes not significant anymore, then one
proceeds to dummy or hearing device hardware production.
After this process there results either a dummy hearing
device or a functional "prototype" hearing device.
3. Hardware approval by the individual
In fig. 8 there is shown in a representation according to
that of fig. 2 how hardware approval is performed by the
individual 1. The result of the hardware manufacturing step
is, as was explained, a dummy of the hearing device, as
shown at 30 of fig. 6, and/or a functional hearing device
32. The respective hardware, dummy and/or hearing device
30, 32 are transmitted to the place where the individual 1
is personally present at. Therefore, and following the
principal of fig. 1, this hardware is transmitted to the
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individual 1 directly or, following up the system of fig. 2
~,r.a ~, ~ ~r,~aTn , n f; n . R . to a consultant center 7a, which
needs not necessarily be the same as was used by the
individual 1 to conceive the concept of the hearing device
and as shown in fig. 2. Nevertheless, it might be the same
consultant oenter. In any case, be it dummy 30 or hearing
device 32, such hardware is personally transmitted to the
individual 1, who performs the try-on.
If a dummy has been transmitted then the try-on has the
l0 only objects to evaluate whether three-dimensional shape of
the hearing device fits the respective application area at
individual's ear being around the ear or the ear itself for
outside-the-ear application, or be it the ear channel for
inside-the-ear applications and of checking on aesthetic
appearance.
If a functional hearing device has been constructed and is
transmitted to the individual 1, such try-on will also be
directed on the audio-effects of the hearing device,
further possibly on handability of switches etc. Again, if
the individual 1 does not approve, in the case of a dummy,
about shape-fitting and aesthetics, or, in the case of a
functional device, additionally on functional
characteristics of the hearing device, the individual 1 may
again change or amend the data of the hardware device in
communication via staff of the consultant center 7a and on
screen, i.e. in visual communication with display screen 3a
of the visualizing computer 3V, which is, as was explained
above, possibly combined with conceiving computer 3t.
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To do so, parallel to transmitting the hardware 30 and/or
32 to the individual 1, the set of data REAL#, which
exactly accords with the hardware transmitted, is
transmitted finally to the visualizing computer system 3~.
The individual. 1 not only tries on the hardware 30/32, but
has also, on screen 3a, the three-dimensional
representation of the tried on hardware anal may, on
disapproval with the hardware, enter, possibly with the
help of the staff of the consultant center 7a, desired
further amendments.
Thereby and in close analogy to the system as was explained
with the help of fig. 2, there is established a new set of
data CONCTR# on approval, especially by the individual 1.
Clearly here too, establishing an approved set of data
CONCTR# may also be linked to the approval of the staff of
consulting center 7a.
This data, i.e. the approved data CONCTR# of fig. ~, is fed
into the manufacturing cycle again, as shown at 5 of fig.
6.
Thus, by the inventive concept of a method for producing
hearing aid devices there is established an intense
interaction between the individual 1 and conception, then
construction of his individual hearing device. This is
established by the fact that the individual 1 is personally
involved in these conception and construction procedures by
getting the opportunity to watch on screen his personal
hearing device already in the conceptual phase and also
later for possible corrections on a dummy or hearing aid
"prototype". Clearly, such prototype may be definite, if
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according to fig. 3 the individual directly approves on the
hearing device 32, which was transmitted to him as a result
of first constructional attempt.
