US Hearing Device Patents for November-December 2017

oticon medical cochlear implant patent
Amyn Amlani
April 16, 2018

HHTM welcomes back Dr. Holly Hosford-Dunn to Hearing Economics this week to bring readers the latest update in her popular patent series that has been tracking patent activity in the hearing industry since 2012

 

The patent series took a 6 month vacation and resumes today with 73 patents which were awarded in the fourth quarter of 2017. Almost 75% (53) of the patents are owned by the usual players in the global hearing instrument market:

  • 37 patents award to the Big Six hearing aid companies (GN Hearing, Oticon, Sivantos, Sonova, Starkey, Widex);
  • 16 patents to cochlear implant companies (Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Limited, and Med-El)

 

phonak gn hearing aid patents

Images from Phonak (L) and GN (R) patent applications

The Big Six worked in the ear, designing hearing aids looks (see Fig 1 design patent images), dealing with wax and signal processing.  But it was their continued exploration of new territory that was of most interest. Beyond the-ear thinking produced patents focused on brainwaves (Widex #9808199) audio streaming; device-to-device wireless ; and wearer behavior (GN Hearing #9838805).

Patent readers who aren’t married to NAL may be delighted with this refreshingly direct passage in the aforementioned GN patent:  

 

It is known from several studies that the hearing loss model that is typically used is fundamentally wrong. For instance, if the hearing aid is fitted to compensate exactly for the modelled loss of compression in the cochlea, the sound will be uncomfortably loud, which indicates that the model is flawed. … The challenge is that the optimization of the hearing aid is based on adjusting a model that is believed to be correlated with listener performance, when it really isn’t. (itals added)

 

What the Other Guys are Doing

 

Other big and little companies worked the same territories as the Big 6 for hearing aid purposes (e.g., Exsilent Research #9838808 , Intricon #9832578, UBDevice Corp # 9843874, Unlimiter MFA # 9847767). Headphone companies continued their march into the ear canal with “devices” that might or might not look or act like hearing aids (Sennheiser #9813807,  Bose #9854345,  Fossil # D804445).

Other companies used the ear canal as a portal for device activities such as broadcast streaming (Asius # 9848257), alert messaging (GE # 9837067, Google # 9836953), and humidity sensing (SmartEar # 9838771).

 

Description

Patent Number

Assignee

Issued

Two part EEG monitor with databus and method of communicating between the parts

9808199

Widex A/S (Lynge, DK)

11/07/2017

Hearing System

9808623

Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/07/2017

Interaural coherence based cochlear stimulation using adapted fine structure processing

9808624

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT)

11/07/2017

Ear-canal earpiece

9813807

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG (Wedemark, DE)

11/07/2017

Noise reduction with in-ear headphone

9813794

Bose Corp. (Framingham, MA)

11/07/2017

Method of wireless transmission of digital audio

9813815

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

11/07/2017

Instrument with remote object detection unit

9813825

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/07/2017

Method and system for use of hearing prosthesis for linguistic evaluation

9814879

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

11/14/2017

Method of exchanging data packages between first and second portable communication devices using a favoured frequency band

9819705

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

11/14/2017

Apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in hearing aid

9820060

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Suwon-si, KR)

11/14/2017

Controlling a link for different load conditions

9820061

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

11/14/2017

Wax relief pathway for hearing aid sound inlet

9820062

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

11/14/2017

Hearing aid with magnetostrictive electroactive sensor

9820063

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

11/14/2017

Inductive signal transfer in an implantable medical device

9821155

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

11/21/2017

Hearing aid device comprising a sensor member

9826318

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/21/2017

Hearing device comprising a feedback cancellation system based on signal energy relocation

9826319

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/21/2017

Hearing device and a method for receiving wireless audio streaming

9826320

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

11/21/2017

Wireless sound transmission system and method

9826321

Sonova AG (Stafa, CH)

11/21/2017

Miniature speaker and speaker cabinet and hearing aid

9826323

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/21/2017

Hearing assessment method and system

9826924

dB Diagnostic Systems, Inc. (Weston, CT)

11/28/2017

Method of exchanging data packages between first and second portable communication devices

9831988

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

11/28/2017

Hearing aid with probabilistic hearing loss compensation

9832562

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

11/28/2017

Wireless sound transmission and method

9832575

Sonova AG (Stafa, CH)

11/28/2017

Partner microphone unit and a hearing system comprising a partner microphone unit 

9832576

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/28/2017

Sound processor apparatuses that facilitate low power component type detection and communication with a programming system

9832577

Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH)

11/28/2017

Enabling concurrent proprietary audio and Bluetooth low energy using enhanced LE link layer for hearing device

9832578

IntriCon Corp. (Ardene Hills, MN)

11/28/2017

Encapsulated hearing device

9832579

Sonova AG (Stafa, CH)

11/28/2017

Detachable filter member for hearing aid device

9832580

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

11/28/2017

Hearing Aid

D804034

Sonova AG (Stafa, CH)

11/28/2017

Hearing Aid

D804035

Sonova AG (Stafa, CH)

11/28/2017

Disposable dual tipped ear curette incorporating depth measurement system

9826920

Applicants: Pahuja, Deepak & Bookhamer, Ryan Scott (Erie and Edinboro, PA)

11/28/2017

Reducing effect of magnetic and electromagnetic field on an implant’s magnet and/or electronics

RE46624

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT)

12/05/2017

Active telemetry response for hearing implants

9833620

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT)

12/05/2017

Efficient size optimization of visual information or auditory information

9836439

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC (Redmond, WA)

12/05/2017

Visual and auditory user notification methods for smart-home hazard detector

9836953

Google Inc. (Mountain View, CA)

12/05/2017

Methods and systems for providing auditory messages for medical devices

9837067

General Electric Company (Schenectady, NY)

12/05/2017

Methods, systems, and devices for adaptively filtering audio signals

9838804

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/05/2017

Performance based in situ optimization of hearing aids

9838805

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

12/05/2017

Hearing aid device having battery drawer

9838806

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/05/2017

Bone anchor fixture for a medical prosthesis

9838807

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/05/2017

Hearing Aid

9838808

Exsilent Research B.V. (Amsterdam, NL)

12/05/2017

Wireless streaming of an audio signal to multiple audio receiver devices

9838829

Sonova AG (Stafa, CH)

12/05/2017

Ear irrigation device

D804649

Applicant: Christopher Perry (Toledo, OH)

12/05/2017

In-ear headphones

D804445

Fossil Group, Inc. (Richardson, TX)

12/05/2017

In-ear utility device having a humidity sensor

9838771

SmartEar, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)

12/05/2017

Impact protection for implantable electric lead

9839778

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT)

12/12/2017

Hearing assistance device comprising an implantable part

9839779

Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/12/2017

Apparatus, system and method for drying of hearing aid devices

9843870

Sivantos Inc. (Singapore, SG)

12/12/2017

Hearing device

9843873

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/12/2017

Equalized hearing aid system

9843874

UBDevice Corp. (Taoyuan, TW)

12/12/2017

Binaurally coordinated frequency translation in hearing assistance devices

9843875

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

12/12/2017

Hearing Aid

D805203

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

12/12/2017

Hearing Aid

D805204

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

12/12/2017

Ear pressure relief travel pillow

D804852

Applicant: Robin Glaze (Kountze, TX)

12/12/2017

Method and apparatus for channel selection in ear-to-ear communication in hearing devices

9843871

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

12/12/2017

Method for the treatment of ear infections

9839608

Diamondback Drugs of Delaware, LLC (Scottsdale, AZ)

12/12/2017

System and methods for creating reduced test sets used in assessing subject response to stimuli

9844326

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc. (Gainesville, FL); Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/19/2017

Retention of a magnet in a cochlear implant

9844666

Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH)

12/19/2017

Complex stimulation channel arrangements

9844670

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/19/2017

Cochlear implant and an operating method thereof

9844671

Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/19/2017

Focused stimulation in a medical stimulation device

9844672

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/19/2017

Electronic device capable of adjusting an equalizer according to physiological condition of hearing and adjustment method thereof

9847767

Unlimiter MFA Co., Ltd. (Eden Island, SC)

12/19/2017

In-ear hearing device and broadcast streaming system

9848257

Asius Technologies, LLC (Longmont, CO)

12/19/2017

Pre-processing of a channelized music signal

9848266

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/19/2017

Head related transfer function individualization for hearing device

9848273

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

12/19/2017

Implanted auditory prosthesis control by component movement

9849284

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/26/2017

Method of operating a hearing aid system and a hearing aid system

9854368

Widex A/S (Lynge, DK)

12/26/2017

Wireless system for hearing communication devices providing wireless stereo reception modes

9854369

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

12/26/2017

Implantable remote control

9854370

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU)

12/26/2017

Hearing Aid

D806251

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/26/2017

Hearing Aid

D806252

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/26/2017

Hearing Aid

D806253

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

12/26/2017

In-ear headphone with cable exit positioned for improved stability

9854345

Bose Corp (Framingham, MA)

12/26/2017

 

Editor’s note:  Interested readers can click the following links for patents approved in October 2017, September 2017, August 2017, June/July 2017, May 2017, April 2017, March 2017, February 2017, January 2017, December 2016, November 2016,  October 2016Sept 2016,  Jul/Aug 2016,  May/Jun 2016Mar/Apr 2016Jan/Feb 2016,  Nov/Dec 2015, Sept/Oct 2015,  Jul/Aug 2015, May/Jun 2015,  Mar/Apr 2015Jan/Feb 2015,  Nov/Dec 2014,  Sep/Oct 2014,  July/Aug 2014,  May/Jun 2014,  Mar/Apr 2014,  Jan/Feb 2014Nov/Dec 2013September/October 2013Jul/Aug 2013May/Jun 2013Mar/Apr 2013Jan/Feb 2013Nov/Dec 2012

 *featured image courtesy Oticon Medical patent #9839779

 

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