Ear device patents for February 2022

Ear device patents for February 2022
Holly Hosford-Dunn
April 16, 2022

Ear Device Variety

The January 2022 patent post highlighted sensors loaded onto ear devices. For those interested in more on sensors, see Sonova’s patent #11240611 in this month’s list, which provides a good summary of sensor types and applications under development.

Nocira’s patent #11246793, entitled Ear Pumps, describes a treatment device [that] can utilize specific patterns of pressure applied to an ear… to reduce headache pain of individual users.

Apple’s patent #112525A18 describes an audio output signal … played by an audio output device to deliver speech or music that the user perceives clearly, despite the hearing loss of the user.

The February 2022 Patent List

DescriptionPatent NumberAssigneeIssued
Multichannel optogenetic stimulation and inhibition11235149MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT)2/01/2022
Cochlear implant leads and methods of making the same11235150Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH)2/01/2022
Method for inductive charging of a rechargeable hearing instrument11239681GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/01/2022
Device for providing a hearing aid user guide and related method11240608GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/01/2022
Rate matching algorithm and independent device synchronization11240610Earlens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) Corporation  2/01/2022
Hearing device comprising a sensor unit and a communication unit, communication system comprising the hearing device, and method for its operation11240611Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)2/01/2022
Miniature hearing instrument configured for positioning at least partially in bony region of ear canal11240612Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)2/01/2022
Bone conduction implant11240613Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU)2/01/2022
Method of sealing a module and a hearing device11240614Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)2/01/2022
Apparatuses for coupling to hearing aids11240615Applicant: Szmanda, Jeffrey P (Big Bend, WI)2/01/2022
Method and system for adjusting a hearing device to personal preferences and needs of a user11240616Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)2/01/2022
Methods for making spatial microphone subassemblies, recording system and method for recording left and right ear sounds for use in virtual reality playback11240620Applicant: Hamm, Russel O (New York, NY)2/01/2022
Wireless earbudD942423Google LLC (Mountain View, CA)2/01/2022
Ear plugD942610Ear Labs AB (Malmo, SE)2/01/2022
Audio device comprising a microphoneRE48921Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)2/01/2022
Evaluation of an implanted prosthesis11241193Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU)2/08/2022
Hearing device with own-voice detection and related method11244699GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/08/2022
Hearing device with active vent click compensation11245973GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/08/2022
Hearing aid for placement in a user’s ear canal11245989GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/08/2022
Body temperature hearing aid11245990Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)2/08/2022
Determining impedance-related phenomena in vibrating actuator and identifying device system characteristics based thereon11245991Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU)2/08/2022
Method of testing microphone performance of a hearing aid system and a hearing aid system11245992Widex A/S (Lynge, DK)2/08/2022
Hearing device comprising a noise reduction system11245993Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)2/08/2022
Hearing device with an antenna11245994GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/08/2022
Earmold with closing element for vent11245995GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/08/2022
Apparatus and method for treating a neurological disorder of the auditory system11245996Neuromod Devices Limited (Dublin, IE)2/08/2022
Ear pumps11246793Nocira LLC (Tempe, AZ)2/15/2022
Sound classification system for hearing aids11250878Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)2/15/2022
Systems and methods for wirelessly transmitting power and data to an implantable stimulator11251660Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) bionics2/15/2022
Hearing device and earphone11252493Rion Co Ltd (Tokyo, JP)2/15/2022
Hearing protection device with passive ear protectors11252496GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/15/2022
Coupling apparatuses for transcutaneous bone conduction devices11252514Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU)2/15/2022
Hearing device and a hearing system comprising a multitude of adaptive two channel beamformers11252515Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)2/15/2022
Adjustable venting for hearing instruments11252516Earlens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA)2/15/2022
Assistive listening device and human-computer interface using short-time target cancellation for improved speech intelligibility11252517Applicant Cantu, Marcos Antonio (Rancho Viejo, TX)2/15/2022
Media system and method of accommodating hearing loss11252518Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA)2/15/2022
Hearing device with embedded integrated circuit chips11252519GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)2/15/2022
Subcutaneous microphone having a central pillar11252520Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU)2/15/2022
Modular connection assembly for a hearing assistance device11252521Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)2/15/2022
Utilization of vocal acoustic biomarkers for assistive listening device utilization11253193Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU)2/22/2022
System for bilateral in-ear EEG recording with closed-loop binaural sensory stimulation11253674ICM (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epini Re, APHP (Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Universite, & INSERM (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale) (Paris, FR)2/22/2022
In-ear earphone11259109Luxshare Precision Industry Co Ltd (Shenzhen, CN)2/22/2022
Hearing device adapted to provide an estimate of a user’s own voice11259127Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)2/22/2022
Hearing aid system and a method for operating a hearing aid system11259128Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)2/22/2022
Sliding bias and peak limiting for optical hearing devices11259129Earlens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA)2/22/2022
Hearing assistive system with sensors11259130Widex A/S (Lynge, DK)2/22/2022
Hearing aid implant recharging system11259131Nanoear Corporation Inc (Houston, TX)2/22/2022
Ear-mountable listening device having a ring-shaped microphone array for beamforming11259139Iyo Inc (Redwood City, CA)2/22/2022

Holly Hosford-Dunn, PhD, owned and operated a dispensing audiology practice in Tucson and was active in management of HearingHealthMatters.org through 2017.  She holds BA degrees in Communication Sciences, Psychology and Economics; MA in Communication Disorders; PhD in Hearing Sciences. Following post-doctoral work at Max Planck Institute (Munich, DE) and Eaton-Peabody Auditory Physiology Lab (Boston), she joined the Stanford medical school faculty as director of audiology. She has authored/edited numerous text books, chapters, journals, and articles and taught Marketing and Practice Management in a variety of academic settings. She continues to consult and write on topics related to hearing health care vis-à-vis consumer demands, professional training, technological advancement, capital investment, industry consolidation, regulatory control, product and service distribution, and strategic pricing.

Leave a Reply