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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8136530 | Correcting misshaped ears A system and method for correcting misshaped ears using a base section defining an opening dimensioned to accommodate the passage of the ear through the opening and a top section releasably engageable with the base section defining a compartment therebetween. A firs... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8118031 | Hearing protection device with damped material The invention provides a hearing protection device having an attenuating body composed of an elastomer with an increased glass transition temperature and a reduced glass-to-rubber transition temperature such that the damping factor of the material peaks at a higher ... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8113207 | Self-conforming sound attenuation earplug A self-conforming sound attenuation earplug for location in an ear canal. The earplug includes a stem. At least one support is joined with the stem and located between the stem ear end and the stem user end, and extends radially outward from the stem. A shell is mad... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8113208 | Apparatus and method for protecting earlobes of athletes An earlobe protector is described. The earlobe protector may be adhered to an athlete's ear when the athlete is wearing an earring. The protector can allow the athlete to participate in contact sports without removing the earring. ... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8079366 | Magnetic earplug An earplug includes a body, a post and a magnet. The body is made of a pliable material and includes a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is shaped to be positioned proximal to the user's middle ear and a distal end is shaped to be exposed to the extern... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8047207 | Orifice insertion devices and methods Methods and devices for sealing an orifice are provided. A sealing element is inserted into an orifice. A fluid is transferred into the sealing element. Fluid transfer into the sealing element is restricted when a pressure in the sealing element is greater than a th... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8020563 | Ultra thin ear plugs An ultra thin ear plug enables sound protection to be conveniently carried inside a wallet. The ear plug is made of a slow-recovery thin foam strip. The user rolls the strip into a cylinder, compresses the cylinder and inserts the compressed foam cylinder into the e... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7967015 | High resilience flanged earplug An earplug has a single very long main flange with a maximum diameter that is at least 80% of the length of the main flange, and at least 55% of the entire length of the earplug except for the stem. This allows the outside of the long flange to extend at a very smal... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7931027 | Earplug with engagement means An earplug for a hearing aid adapted for engagement with earpieces made of materials with a comparatively high hardness. The earplug comprises a resilient sleeve and a shell, the shell having an outer portion adapted to fit within a user's ear canal and a central bo... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7913696 | Self-fitting device for location in an ear canal A self-fitting device for location in an ear canal. The device includes a body having a body ear end, an opposite body user end, and a shaft extending from the ear end to the user end. A resilient bladder is joined with the body ear end and a chamber is defined insi... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7891360 | Earplug and manufacturing method An earplug that includes a piezoelectric element that converts electrical signals into oscillations; and a deformable material of which at least one segment is insertable into an external auditory canal of a person to ensure an acoustic seal by deformation, the piez... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7886745 | Self-fitting device for location in an ear canal A self-fitting device for location in an ear canal. The device includes a body having a body ear end, an opposite body user end, and a shaft extending from the ear end to the user end. A resilient bladder is joined with the body ear end and a chamber is defined insi... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7886744 | Tube-formed earplug with integral stem An earplug and a method of manufacturing the earplug are provided, the earplug including a sound attenuating element and a stem where the sound attenuating element includes a flange which extends rearwardly over a portion of the stem, and where the sound attenuating... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7793662 | Earplug An earplug (100) having an adjustable sound deadening rating is disclosed. The earplug (100) includes an ear piece (102) adapted to fit within a user's ear canal and a core (104). The core (104) has a predetermined sound deadening ... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7793663 | Method of forming an earplug by laser ablation and an earplug formed thereby Disclosed is an earplug that includes a sound attenuating portion and a feature formed by laser ablation, wherein the feature comprises a cavity formed in a first end of the sound attenuating portion including a cylindrical shape extending into the sound attenuating... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7743771 | Earplug with articulating stem and locking features A hearing protection device is provided including a stem, a protrusion formed on the stem, an articulation point formed on the stem, and a sound attenuating element including a cavity, where the protrusion is disposed in locking engagement within the cavity to relea... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7712469 | Detectable earplug and cord Earplugs (22, 24) and a combination (20) of a pair earplugs and a cord (26) that joins them, each can be detected by metal and/or magnetic detectors even if the parts of the combination becomes separated and fall into a batch of food, etc. Each ... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7681577 | Ear tip An improved ear tip for earphones and hearing protection is provided where comfort and occlusion of the ear are of most importance. The ear tip comprises an elastomer polymer resin material molded to form the material to the shape of the ear canal. A chamber is defi... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7537011 | Hearing protection device An earplug is provided including an elongated stem including opposite first and second ends, a flange element disposed circumferentially on the stem and extending from the first end toward the second end delimiting a space between the flange element and the stem, a ... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7475686 | Earplug An earplug comprising a foam composition containing a polyvinyl chloride resin and less than about 5 wt % monomeric phthalate, based on the total weight of the foam composition, is described. The foam composition may include a plasticizer containing less than or equ... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7370655 | Method of forming an earplug by laser ablation and an earplug formed thereby A method of forming an earplug is provided including removing a material of the earplug by laser ablation. An earplug is positioned proximate a laser, a portion of the earplug to be ablated is identified, the laser is activated so as to direct an emitted laser light... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7367422 | System and method for providing passive noise reduction A passive noise reduction apparatus has a headset with at least one ear cup attached to the headset, the ear cup having an ear side and a shell side. An inner shell, having a cup side and an outer side, is mounted to and substantially covers the shell side of the ea... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7328707 | Implant system and method for bulking tissue A system for placing an implant in the body includes an elongated member having at least one inner lumen extending from a proximal end portion of the member to an opening in a distal end portion of the member. At least one compressible implant is in the inner lumen ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7314047 | Hearing protection device An earplug is provided including an elongate stem component having a first end and an opposite second end, a first flange disposed on the stem proximate the first end, a second flange disposed on the stem adjacent the first flange, a third flange disposed on the ste... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7313245 | Intracanal cap for canal hearing devices An acoustically permeative intracanal cap is adapted to be worn semi-permanently deep in the ear canal for shielding a hearing device positioned deeper within the ear canal against moisture and debris infiltration. The intracanal cap conforms circumferentially to th... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7305992 | Conforming earplug An earplug of the type that has a stem (12) and a plurality of flanges (21–23), is constructed to be stiff enough to be easily inserted into the ear canal, and to thereafter press with minimal force against the walls of the ear canal for comfort. The... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7264081 | Hearing protection earplug In a hearing protection earplug for insertion into the ear canal ear composed of a soft material, especially a foam material, having a cavity that is open toward the outside, it is provided, with a view to achieving additionally increased wearing comfort accompanied... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7243650 | Custom fitted mask configured for coupling to an external gas supply system and method of forming same According to one embodiment, a method of forming a custom fitted mask configured for coupling to an external gas supply system includes applying a first sheet of deformable material against a contact portion of a user's face surrounding the user's nostrils while the... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7240765 | Customized hearing protection earplug with an acoustic filter and method for manufacturing the same The invention relates to a hearing protection earplug, comprising a hard shell (10) having an elasticity of from shore D 85 to shore D 65 and having an outer surface individually shaped according to the measured inner shape of the user's outer ear and ear can... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7220372 | Dual density earplug An earplug (10) that includes a soft foam body (12) and a stiffener (14) in the body, is produced by a method that has minimum steps and that results in an earplug of attractive design and that uses a minimum of material. One method includes mol... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7210484 | Baffled earplug An earplug (10) with a body front portion (22) for insertion into a person's ear canal, has a pocket (30) to increase comfort and is constructed to enhance noise attenuation. The pocket, which allows easier compression of the body front portion ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7198133 | Ear coupler A one-piece, transparent flexible ear coupler for use with hearing evaluation is disclosed. It includes an annular side wall and a bottom wall forming an acoustic chamber. A flexible adhesive-backed flange is disposed on the periphery of the ear coupler. The flange ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7192544 | Earplug with molded-in stiffener Earplugs with soft foam bodies and with stiffeners in the bodies, are molded by suspending the stiffener in the body mold cavity using a pin (60) that extends into a passage (56) at the rear of the body. Each stiffener is tapered in diameter, with a re... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7185655 | Underwater ear prophylactic The present invention provides a prophylactic for the ear during activities in and around water or other liquid medium where the ear is subject to infection and barotraumas. It has an outer ear section that fits tight in a user's outer ear and a watertight downwardl... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7185734 | Hearing protection earplug, use of such an earplug and method for manufacturing such an earplug The invention relates to a hearing protection earplug, comprising a shell for being worn at least in part in the ear canal of a user and a faceplate (12) at the outer end of the shell or within a cavity of the shell having an outer opening, wherein the facepl... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7182087 | Dual position hearing protection device The present invention is a dual position hearing protection device. In one position, the device provides substantial sound attenuation and hearing protection. In the second position, an opening in the device permits sounds to enter the ear of the user relatively uno... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7156099 | Nostril filtering system A nostril filtering system is described for providing clean, filtered air for breathing in through the nose. The filtering system includes a soft, pliable filter material held in a flexible frame that can be inserted into each nostril of a user. In the case of foul ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7112192 | Tampon with an overwrap or overwraps having both masking and wicking properties An improved absorbent catamenial tampon is disclosed comprising an overwrap with both a masking region and a wicking region. The compressed absorbent member of the tampon has an inner region, an exterior surface, and an insertion end opposed to a withdrawal end. The... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7107993 | Earplug An earplug composed of an injected molded resilient polymeric material for insertion into an ear canal by a fingertip of a user, including an elongated member having a nose portion formed as a curved front end. An open cup shaped rearward extending flange located at... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7096872 | Ear plugs and method of forming same A process for forming a foamed thermoplastic earplug, comprising the steps of extruding a foamed body of thermoplastic material; shaping the foamed thermoplastic material; and at least partially separating the resulting shaped material for forming individual earplug... | 08/29/2006 |
