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Partnership Forms to Enhance Hearing Aids

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Seven businesses and a nonprofit research institute have partnered to improve the functionality and comfort of hearing aids through light-based imaging and manufacturing technologies.

The 3D-PolySPRINT project started in June and is coordinated by Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG.

Parnters include Kind Hörgeräte GmbH & Co. KG, OptoMedical Technologies GmbH, Materialise GmbH, Dreve ProDiMed GmbH, microTec Gesellschaft für Mikrotechnologie mbH, LPKF Laser & Electronics AG and Lazer Zentrum Hannover eV (LZH). Sennheiser and Kind will be the end users.

Kickoff
Participants at the 3D-PolySPRINT project kickoff meeting in July. Courtesy of Sennheiser.

The collaboration will develop noncontact imaging and combined multimaterial 3D printing processes to manufacture otoplastics optimally adapted to the auditory canal.

Today, hearing aids and individualized in-ear headsets are created by taking a mold of the ear, which is digitized and used to manufacture the otoplastic.

The 3D-PolySPRINT project will explore ways to use optical coherence tomography (OCT) to make a digital image of the auditory canal without having to create a mold. LZH's Image-Guided Laser Surgery group is developing software to convert raw image data into a construction file.

Otoplastics will be created using two additive manufacturing processes: spray coating and laser transfer printing (LTP). LZH's Laser Micromachining Group is developing the necessary process and examining new materials for suitability.

Combining these technologies could speed up the manufacturing process and provide customers with hearing aids that are more comfortable and durable, and that provide better sound quality, according to LZH.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

 


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Published: October 2015
Glossary
additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional objects by adding material layer by layer. This is in contrast to traditional manufacturing methods, which often involve subtracting or forming materials to achieve the desired shape. In additive manufacturing, a digital model of the object is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and this digital model is then sliced into thin cross-sectional layers. The...
optical coherence tomography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in medical and scientific fields to capture high-resolution, cross-sectional images of biological tissues. It provides detailed, real-time, and three-dimensional visualization of tissue structures at the micrometer scale. OCT is particularly valuable in ophthalmology, cardiology, dermatology, and various other medical specialties. Here are the key features and components of optical coherence tomography: Principle of...
BusinessEuropeGermanyLZHLaser Zentrum Hannoveradditive manufacturinglaser transfer printingLasersindustrialmaterials processingOCToptical coherence tomographyImagingBiophotonicsOptoMedicalLPKFlight speedEuro News

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