Hearing Aids:Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing

助听器：计算​​机辅助设计与制造

• 批准号: 6845712
• 负责人: PING ZHUANG
• 金额: $ 13.7万
• 依托单位: GENEX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-09-01 至 2006-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6845712
• 关键词: bioimaging /biomedical imaging; biomedical equipment development; computer assisted patient care; computer program /software; digital imaging; hearing aids; hearing disorders; miniature biomedical equipment; three dimensional imaging /topography; video recording system

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): According to statistics from National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD), more than 28 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing impairment. It is estimated that over 260 million people are hearing impaired worldwide. Fortunately, many of these people can benefit from the use of a carefully fitted hearing aid. Current manufacturing processes for custom-fit shells of hearing aids is a highly labor-intensive, manual process. Each shell has to be made by skilled technicians using manual operations. The quality and consistencies of the fitting vary significantly with the technician's skill level. A typical process of producing a shell takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. Major drawbacks of the manual process include shortage of skilled workers and a long training time, product variances - lack of consistency of quality, slow production that is not scalable for mass production, and a high level of product remakes and returns. The primary objective of this SBIR effort is to investigate the feasibility of an automatic shell manufacturing (ASM) process for custom-fit hearing aids based on a novel 3D camera technology invented by Genex Technologies, Inc (GENEX). We propose to develop a low-cost high precision 3D camera that is able to acquire the 3D digital models of an ear impression and incorporate the customer-specific 3D data into shell design software. The computer-aided design of the shell is then sent to a rapid prototyping machine to build the custom-made shell directly. We have completed a successful Phase 1 project that demonstrated the feasibility of a turnkey ear impression digitization system, interface with CAD design software, and streamline the Rapid Prototyping technique for fabricating shell pieces. Our Phase 2 program is geared toward further improve the technology and working closely with hearing aid manufacturers to develop and test field deployable prototypes.

描述（由申请人提供）：根据美国国家耳聋和交流障碍研究所（NIDCD）的统计数据，超过2800万美国人患有某种类型的听力障碍。据估计，全世界有超过2.6亿人有听力障碍。幸运的是，这些人中的许多人可以从使用精心安装的助听器中受益。目前，定制助听器外壳的制造过程是一个高度劳动密集型的手工过程。每个外壳都必须由熟练的技术人员手工制作。装配的质量和一致性因技术人员的技能水平而有很大差异。制作一个贝壳的典型过程从开始到结束大约需要40分钟。手工工艺的主要缺点包括缺乏熟练工人和较长的培训时间，产品差异-缺乏质量一致性，生产速度慢，无法大规模生产，以及高水平的产品重制和退货。