Patent ID: 7139404

Claim:
An earpiece auditory device comprising: a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user, wherein said behind-the-ear component comprises a module including processing circuitry in communication with a microphone port located outside the ear canal of the user; a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component including a speaker electrically connected to the processing circuitry and being shaped to fit into the ear canal of the user; and a connector physically coupling said behind-the-ear component to said completely-in-canal component, said connector having at least one end detachably physically coupled to said behind-the-ear component or said completely-in-canal component, wherein said connector is designed to include a portion of said connector within the ear canal of the user, and said connector being sufficiently rigid so as to allow said connector to be used to insert and remove the completely-in-canal component from the ear canal of the user.