Hearing Aids:Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing

描述(由申请人提供)：根据美国国家耳聋和沟通障碍研究所(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2.6亿人听力受损。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。目前定制的助听器外壳的制造工艺是高度劳动密集型的手工工艺。每个外壳都必须由熟练的技术人员使用手工操作来制造。配件的质量和一致性随技术人员的技能水平而显著不同。一个典型的生产贝壳的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熟练工人短缺和培训时间长、产品差异--缺乏质量一致性、生产速度慢且不能大规模生产，以及产品翻新和退货水平高。 这项SBIR工作的主要目标是研究基于Genex Technologies，Inc.(Genex)发明的新型3D相机技术的定制助听器自动外壳制造(ASM)工艺的可行性。我们建议开发一种低成本、高精度的3D相机，它能够获取耳朵印记的3D数字模型，并将客户特定的3D数据整合到贝壳设计软件中。然后，将外壳的计算机辅助设计发送到快速成型机，直接制造定制的外壳。我们已经完成了一个成功的第一阶段项目，该项目展示了交钥匙耳模数字化系统的可行性，与CAD设计软件的接口，并简化了用于制造壳件的快速原型技术。我们的第二阶段计划旨在进一步改进技术，并与助听器制造商密切合作，开发和测试现场可展开的原型。

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.