Cleanable in‐the‐ear electroacoustic transducer

Abstract

A hearing aid including a microphone, an adjustable amplifier, and a transducer comprising an acoustic driver driving a diaphragm disposed within an acoustic chamber, all mounted in an in-the-ear housing having a sound outlet passage leading from the acoustic chamber into the user's ear canal, is provided with a cleaning passage that is accessible from the outside of the housing and that connects to the inner end of the sound outlet passage, through a portion of the acoustic chamber. Throughout internal cleaning is effected by pumping a solvent through the continuous conduit formed by the cleaning passage, the acoustic chamber, and the sound outlet passage, without disassembly of the hearing aid.