System and method for embedding conductive traces into hearing assistance device housings
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for embedding a conductive trace for a hearing assistance device housing. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of forming a hearing assistance device housing. The housing is constructed of plastic including a photo conductive dopant, in various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the housing is laser printed to activate the photo conductive dopant on the surface of the plastic to provide a conductive trace on a surface of the housing. The housing is plated using an electroless process to increase the conductivity of the conductive trace, in various embodiments.
1. A method of forming a hearing assistance device housing, comprising:
constructing the housing of laser direct structuring (LDS) compatible plastic including a photo conductive dopant;
laser printing the housing to activate the photo conductive dopant along a path traced by the laser on the surface of the plastic to provide a conductive trace on a surface of the housing; and
plating the housing using an electroless process to increase the conductivity of the conductive trace to provide a first conductive portion of the housing along the path traced by the laser for use as a radio frequency antenna and a second conductive portion of the housing to provide radio frequency shielding.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the housing includes using a fused filament fabrication (FFF) process.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the housing includes using a photo positive paint to print copper traces on the housing.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the housing includes using a photo activated paint that is adapted to be laser activated and electroless plated.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace on a surface of the housing includes providing the conductive trace on an inside surface of the housing.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace on a surface of the housing includes providing the conductive trace on an outside surface of the housing.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace on a surface of the housing includes providing the conductive trace on an outside surface followed by a high resistive protective layer to minimize body loading and degradation to the antenna material.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace includes providing an antenna.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the antenna includes providing a radio frequency (RF) antenna.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace includes providing a magnetically coupled resonant loop structure.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace includes providing a hearing assistance circuit.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductive trace includes providing RF shielding.
13. A hearing assistance device, comprising:
an enclosure including a faceplate and a shell attached to the faceplate;
a conductive trace embedded in the shell, the conductive trace formed by:
constructing the shell of laser direct structuring (LDS) compatible plastic including a photo conductive dopant;
laser printing the shell to activate the photo conductive dopant along a path traced by the laser on the surface of the plastic to provide the conductive trace on an inside surface of the shell; and
plating the shell using an electroless process to increase the conductivity of the conductive trace to provide a first conductive portion of the housing along the path traced by the laser for use as a radio frequency antenna and a second conductive portion of the housing to provide radio frequency shielding.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the conductive trace includes an antenna.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the antenna includes a radio frequency (RF, antenna.
16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the conductive trace includes a magnetically coupled resonant loop structure.
17. The device of claim 13 , wherein the conductive trace includes a hearing assistance circuit.
18. The device of claim 13 , wherein the conductive trace includes RF shielding.
19. The device of claim 13 , wherein the photo conductive dopant includes a photo positive paint.
20. The device of claim 13 , wherein the shell includes a custom in-the-ear (ITE) shell.
21. The device of claim 13 , wherein the shell includes a custom completely-in-the-canal (CIC) shell.
22. The device of claim 13 , wherein the shell includes a custom invisible-in-canal (IIC) shell.