WO2013050014A1

WO2013050014A1 - Method for producing ear shells

Info

Publication number: WO2013050014A1
Application number: PCT/DE2012/000953
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Klare; Frank Gischer; Markus Kaiser; Thomas Veit
Original assignee: Dreve Prodimed Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-10-07
Filing date: 2012-10-01
Publication date: 2013-04-11
Also published as: DE102011115060A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing the outer sleeve of a hearing aid device which can be worn in the ear and which has an individually shaped shell. Said shell is moulded based on the three-dimensional data from the moulded blank, and one or more conductive structures or wires are embedded in the moulded blank, and in regions in which the shell which is to be moulded is located so that the structures or wires penetrate the walls of the shell.

Description

Method of making earcups

The invention relates to a method for

Production by removal of individually adapted to the contours of an ear canal

Earmolds based on a

multidimensional computer model of contours of earmolds.

Eartips are nowadays essentially made by 2 different methods

produced. When so designated PNP method (positive-negative-positive) takes the

Hearing acoustician in a first step, an ear impression (positive) for making a

Otoplastics (for devices worn behind the ear) or a shell (for devices worn in the ear). In a second step, using the

A negative mold (N) made in the following, in the following a radiation-curable,

cast low viscosity formulation and

is then exposed. The so made

Earpiece (positive) must be optimally adapted to the ear canal. Otherwise, would be inaccurate

Fittings cause discomfort (e.g., bruising) and affect the functioning of hearing aids (eg, feedback).

Consequently, it is important that the formulation should be as low viscosity as possible. "Good fluency" is, so also undercuts and finest

Surface textures can be filled in by the material and thus imaged.

As another process group for the production of ear molds based on digital

CONFIRMATION COPY Data works, layering methods such as stereolithography are used. It is known from US Pat. 4,575,330 that

low-viscosity, radiation-curable resins or resin mixtures for the production of

using three-dimensional objects

Stereolithography can be used.

Furthermore, it is known from US Pat. 5,487,012 and WO 01/87001 that stereolithography can be advantageously used for the production of ear pieces. In the stereolithographic process, three-dimensional objects become one

low-viscosity, radiation-curable formulation in such a way that in each case a thin layer (about 0.0025-0.1 mm) of the formulation by means of actinic radiation in a defined manner in such a way pre-cured that the layer produced the desired cross-sectional shape of the object at this point , At the same time, the generated layer becomes the one in the step before

hardened layer polymerized. The structure of the entire object can thus be accomplished with the aid of a computer-controlled laser system such as, for example, an Nd: YV0 ₄ solid-state laser (Viper si ² SLA system, 3D Systems, USA). Of the

optionally generated shaped bodies, e.g. by radiation, post-hardened.

To the in the stereolithographic process

applicable resin formulations are made special requirements. In particular, the radiation sensitivity and the viscosity of the resin formulations, as well as the strength of the precured by laser hardening moldings are mentioned. This not completely cured shaped body is referred to in the art of stereolithography as a green body, and the strength of this Green compacts, characterized by modulus of elasticity and flexural strength, are called

Green strength. The green strength is an important parameter for the practice of stereolithography, since moldings with lower

Green strength during the

Deform stereolithography process under its own weight or during the post-curing, for example with a Xenonbogen- or

Halogen lamp, sag or can bend. Furthermore, the process due to the

Greenlings on supporting structures,

so-called supports, built. These supports have to position the green body stably throughout the manufacturing process, as the

Position of the greenlings not by the

May change coating process.

Accordingly, the supports for a stereolithographic process must have minimal flexibility. For all these reasons, it is only very limitedly possible today to generate flexible earmolds based on 3-dimensional data. On the one hand, it is necessary for the stereolithographic process, low-viscosity resins (<

3Pas). For this reason, certain classes of materials, e.g. Silicone materials or highly filled composites, not or only very limited access. On the other hand, in the o.g. For low-viscosity, free-radically curing resin formulations for the generation of flexible ear molds only a small

Tear resistance and thus can only be used for selected applications in the hearing aid sector.

In addition, metal particle filled resins are used in additive manufacturing technologies subsequent laser direct structuring to

Production of earmolds as

Circuit carrier due to the sedimentation of the metal particles not feasible.

The current generation of hearing aids is often equipped with the possibility of wireless

Signals between the hearing aid and another device, e.g. another

Hearing aid, a communication device or a remote control to transmit. For this

Basically, the hearing aids have a coil or

Antenna on.

In general, the outer shell of a hearing aid worn in the ear consists of a

individually shaped shell and one

prefabricated cover plate, also called faceplate. Taking into account a possible efficient production process, further device components, e.g. Sound converter, one

Battery for power supply or components for signal transmission attached to the faceplate, if possible. This also applies to wireless transmission or reception

necessary antenna or coil. A large

Disadvantage thereby is that the

Required space for the arranged on the faceplate components. It continues

difficult to individually align the coil or antenna attached to the faceplate. Due to the above-described increased space requirements and the individual ear geometry, the space available in the ear canal is often not optimally utilized and therefore the ear tips must be made larger than necessary from a clinical and cosmetic point of view. The object of the present invention is to provide a method in which the required space for the antenna space is minimized and the individual orientation of the antenna is substantially simplified, and thus in comparison to the prior art, an increased integration density and miniaturization of hearing aids are realized can. These

Task is solved by the fact that on the basis of 3-dimensional data the

Earmold is milled from a milling blank. The attached Figure 1 is intended to outline the invention, the attached Figure 2 shows a view from above. This milling blank (see

Figure 1 a) consists of a

thermoplastic material suitable for laser direct structuring. Such

Materials are, for example, under the name LCP Vectra E820i-LDS (Ticona), LCP Vectra E840i-LDS (Ticona), PET + PBT Pocan DP T7140 LDS (Lanxess Germany GmbH), PBT Pocan DP 7102 (Fa. Lanxess Deutschland GmbH) or PA6 / 6T Ultramid T 4381 LDS (BASF AG) are commercially available. In a particular embodiment, the blank may additionally comprise one or more defined conductive structures, such as e.g. one or more wires made of Cu (see Figure 1 b). After milling the base body of the hearing aid (see Figure 1 c) are then scanned by laser structuring the desired conductive structures directly by means of a laser on / in the component and then a metallization in a

Metallization bath (e.g., electrolyte Cu)

carried out . In this technique, the above-mentioned forms

thermoplastic material containing an additive, the base. Due to the irradiation carried out by laser, the plastic is selectively burned away on the one hand and released from the additive Metlallkeime on the other hand. These may subsequently be e.g. a

Copper deposition in the plating bath done. Based on this further results

Process variants. It can e.g. on the first applied Cu layer more

functional layers are deposited such as Ni or Ni / Au combinations. For the milling blank in the special o.g.

Embodiment consists of the additional

Possibility to apply the trace on the outside of the hearing aid, taking into account the two breakdown points d. ) of the implemented trace, thus providing direct coupling of the laser structured trace (e.g., antenna) through the shell to the inner electronics

to produce.

Claims

Claims:

A method for producing the outer shell of a hearing aid in the ear with an individually shaped shell, characterized

characterized in that the shell is based on three-dimensional data from a

Milling blank is milled.

Method according to claim 1, characterized

in that one or more conductive structures or wires are embedded in the milling blank, in areas in which the shell to be milled is located, so that the structures or wires pass through the wall of the shell.

Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that in or on the shell and / or in the region of the passage de structures or wires through the wall of the shell required conductive structures are scanned directly by laser on and / or in the shell and Subsequently, a metallization is carried out in a Metallisierungsbad and so the conductive

Structures are built.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the milling blank of a thermoplastic material

having additives, that the material selectively by means of laser

surface of the shell wall is burned away and from the metallic particles

containing additives exposed metal nuclei which are listed below in the

Metallization or plating metal is deposited to build up the conductive structures.