Method of manufacturing hearing devices

1. A method of adjusting a transfer function of a hearing device comprising an otoplastic individually shaped for a user intended to be using the hearing device to the needs of the user, said method comprising the steps of

a) providing input data for each of a set of input parameters, an algorithm, and a set of target parameters, wherein at least a portion of said input data are individual to said user, and wherein said target parameters are parameters related to acoustical properties of the hearing device;

b) determining target data for each of the set of target parameters by applying said algorithm to said input data;

c) designing a suitable three-dimensional shape of said otoplastic in dependence of said target data by means of an otoplastic modelling software;

d) manufacturing said otoplastic according to said suitable three-dimensional shape; and

e) obtaining property data using said otoplastic, wherein said property data are descriptive of properties related to said manufactured otoplastic, and at least a portion of said property data is descriptive of properties related to said otoplastic inserted in an ear of said user, said property data being at least one of:

a rest volume between an otoplastic and the ear drum of the user,

a feedback threshold of the hearing device,

an active insertion gain,

a passive insertion gain, and

an acoustic mass of a vent; and

g) adjusting a transfer function of the hearing device dependent on the property data, wherein steps b)-e) are repeated at least once using the adjusted transfer function.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein at least some of the input data relates to one of an audiogram of said user, geometry of the shape of said user's ear canal, a type of hearing device to be manufactured, a description of listening situations, said user's history, or said user's acoustic preferences;

wherein at least some of the target parameters relate to one of acoustic impedance, acoustic mass, a vent type, a receiver to be used, a microphone to be used, insertion gain characteristics, or feedback threshold; and

wherein at least some of the target data is one of a target active insertion gain, a target passive insertion gain, a target feedback threshold, a target acoustical vent mass, a target shape of said otoplastic, a target data of loudspeaker to be used, or a target data of a microphone or microphones to be used.

3. A method of manufacturing a hearing device comprising an otoplastic individually shaped for a user intended to be using the hearing device, said method comprising the steps of

a) providing input data for each of a set of input parameters, an algorithm, and a set of target parameters, wherein at least a portion of said input data are individual to said user, and wherein said target parameters are parameters related to acoustical properties of the hearing device;

b) determining target data for each of the set of target parameters by applying said algorithm to said input data;

c) iteratively designing a three-dimensional shape of said otoplastic in dependence of said target data, wherein a final iteration of the three-dimensional shape fulfills a pre-determined criterion indicative of the three-dimensional shape achieving said target data;

d) manufacturing said otoplastic according to the final iteration of the three-dimensional shape;

e) obtaining property data using said otoplastic, wherein said property data are descriptive of properties related to said manufactured otoplastic, and at least a portion of said property data is descriptive of properties related to said otoplastic inserted in an ear of said user;

and

g) adjusting a transfer function of the hearing device dependent on the property data, wherein steps b)-e) are repeated at least once using the adjusted transfer function.

4. A method of manufacturing a hearing device comprising an otoplastic individually shaped for a user intended to be using the hearing device, said method comprising the steps of

a) providing input data for each of a set of input parameters, an algorithm, and a set of target parameters, wherein at least a portion of said input data are individual to said user, and wherein said target parameters are parameters related to acoustical properties of the hearing device;

b) determining target data for each of the set of target parameters by applying said algorithm to said input data;

c) designing a suitable three-dimensional shape of said otoplastic in dependence of said target data by means of an otoplastic modelling software;

d) manufacturing said otoplastic according to said suitable three-dimensional shape, wherein said designing of step c) comprises:

k1) designing a preliminary three-dimensional shape of said otoplastic;

k2) determining, for said preliminary three-dimensional shape, achieved data for said target parameters;

k3) repeating steps k1) and k2) until a desired preliminary three-dimensional shape is identified, the desired preliminary three-dimensional shape fulfilling a pre-determined criterion indicative of an agreement between said achieved data and said target data; and

k4) selecting the desired preliminary three-dimensional shape identified in step k3) as the suitable three-dimensional shape designed in step c) and manufactured in step d).

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the steps of:

e) obtaining property data using said otoplastic, wherein said property data are descriptive of properties related to said manufactured otoplastic, and at least a portion of said property data is descriptive of properties related to said otoplastic inserted in an ear of said user, said property data being at least one of:

a rest volume between an otoplastic and the ear drum of the user,

a feedback threshold of the hearing device,

an active insertion gain,

a passive insertion gain, and

an acoustic mass of a vent; and

f) amending said algorithm in dependence of said property data, wherein said amending occurs between an iterative determination of target data and comprises at least one of:

i) defining an amended set of input parameters, and

ii) defining an amended set of target parameters,

 wherein, as a result of amending said algorithm, a functional dependency of the target data on the input data is changed.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said amending mentioned in step f) is carried out also in dependence of said target data.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said amending mentioned in step f) is carried out also in dependence of said input data.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said amending mentioned in step f) is carried out also in dependence of said achieved data.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said amending mentioned in step f) comprises evaluating those data in dependence of which said amending of said algorithm is carried out.

10. The method according to claim 5 , comprising the step of storing in a common storage unit at least a portion of those data in dependence of which said amending of said algorithm is carried out.

11. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said amending mentioned in step f) is carried out also in dependence on said input data.

12. The method according to claim 4 , wherein step k2) is carried out by said otoplastic modelling software.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said amending mentioned in step f) is carried out also in dependence on said achieved data.

14. The method according to claim 4 , wherein step c) comprises the step of designing a shape and size of an opening in said otoplastic, wherein said opening is one of:

a vent;

a hollow in said otoplastic forming a channel from outside of the hearing device to an input transducer of the hearing device; and

a hollow in said otoplastic forming a channel from an output transducer of the hearing device to the outside of the hearing device.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein step c) comprises the step of designing the shape, size and a location of the opening in said otoplastic to the outside that forms a portion of the vent of said hearing device, and which is arranged between two portions of said vent that are enclosed by said otoplastic.

16. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein at least some of the input data relates to one of an audiogram of said user, geometry of the shape of said user's ear canal, a type of hearing device to be manufactured, a description of listening situations, said user's history, or said user's acoustic preferences;

wherein at least some of the target parameters relate to one of acoustic impedance, acoustic mass, a vent type, a receiver to be used, a microphone to be used, insertion gain characteristics, or feedback threshold; and

wherein at least some of the target data is one of a target active insertion gain, a target passive insertion gain, a target feedback threshold, a target acoustical vent mass, a target shape of said otoplastic, a target data of loudspeaker to be used, or a target data of a microphone or microphones to be used.