Hearing Economics

On the rare occasion that a clinical and research audiologist is also a patent author, it deserves notice and acclaim. Yay for University of Pittsburgh’s patent #12672797 Hearing screening and amplification device, which addresses the prevalent but unmet need for hearing loss identification during clinical encounters and the broader cost-of-care burden associated with missed hearing loss. Yay for Catherine Palmer, PhD, inventor,

Hall Monitors Sonova and GN Hearing patents monitor and control user activity while performing hearing aid functions. GN Hearing patent #12659743, Third-party control of hearing device, takes on the Wild West of OEM devices that license GN architecture. It describes separate and different secret keys used for different OEM customers which enable the hearing device manufacturer [to] remain in full

The large clawing hand in figure 1 of STMicroelectronics’s patent #12629039 may conjure Stephen King images, but don’t be afraid. The beating heart of this patent, entitled Sensorized earphone device for out-of-ear measurements, is the little earbud in the middle of Figure 1. The reaching hand is the out-of-ear location where the wrist offers up the radial artery for measurements.

Dylan Arthur Garber’s three design patents issued this month (D1123836, D1124346, D1124347) add to a highly consolidated international patent family group—one of two separate families associated with Audien. The ownership trail isn’t immediately obvious from the patents themselves; it only becomes clear after following the USPTO Assignment Center records. One small wrinkle: “Audien LLC” does not appear as an active

Nathan Spackman’s patent #12572225 B1, for a Wireless earbud case with mouse functionalities, is potentially a great example of the original principle and modern evolution of “form follows function” design. Done right physically, the device’s practical design comprises ergonomics, internal layout, and usability as a mouse and a charging/storage case. It maximizes user behavior by merging two common objects into a

Is this thing on? Sonova’s patent #12543008 recognizes that the variability of real-life listening situations is a challenge for comparing aided and unaided hearing [and]… mild to moderate hearing loss users do not get equal benefit of aided hearing in all situations… in some situations, the benefit is exceedingly small or even non-existent, in others it is large First time

Hearing aid manufacturer patents continue to transform devices, merging hearing aids with health devices. This month’s premier example is Starkey patent #12533079, which could be a lifesaver for active wearers whenever it shows up in devices. Entitled Ear-wearable system and method for detecting heat stress, heat stroke and related conditions, the patent aims to: …detect dehydration symptoms, environmental conditions, and activity

Nonverbal audio events EERS Global’s patent #12502130 concerns itself with internal and external nonverbal audio events, alone or in combination, which comprise every thing from teeth clicking, tongue clicking, blinking, eye closing, teeth grinding, throat clearing, saliva noise, swallowing, coughing, talking, yawning with inspiration, yawning with expiration, respiration, heartbeat and head or body movement, wind, earpiece insertion or removal, degrading

What is Sonification and Why Would You Sonify? A Stanford patent (#12471825,Handheld or wearable device for recording or sonifying brain signals) picks up EEG via a headband with multiple metallic sensors (electrodes), then transforms the signals acquired into vocal patterns and vocal parameters. A methodology called sonification is then applied to identify and categorize changes in vocal patterns and vocal

Health and Physiology Platforms Nestle up to the Ear Monitoring and Guidance Meta’s patent # 12440167 (Real-time in-ear electroencephalography signal verification) thinks its device may help measure what the user is attending to (e.g., trying to listen to) in real-time (e.g., in a crowded restaurant) and improve auditory perception of the user. Stimulation and Reinforcement Learning Ceregate’s patent #12447340 (Auditory