Patent ID: 7668325

Claim:
A hearing system comprising: a shell having an outer surface and an open inner chamber, said outer surface configured to conform to an inner wall surface of the ear canal; an input transducer disposed inside of the shell, wherein said input transducer captures ambient sound, including high frequency spatial localization cues, that enters the ear canal of the user and converts the captured sound into electrical signals; and a transmitter assembly that receives the electrical signals from the input transducer, the transmitter assembly comprising a signal processor that has a frequency response bandwidth in a 6.0 kHz to 20 kHz range, the transmitter assembly configured to deliver filtered signals to an output transducer positioned in a middle or inner ear of the user, the filtered signals being representative of the ambient sound received by the input transducer, wherein openings in the shell allow ambient sound to pass through the open chamber and bypass the input transducer to directly reach the middle ear of the user; and wherein the open chamber of the shell houses at least a portion of the transmitter assembly, and the shell comprises a first end that is configured to be positioned adjacent to an entrance of the ear canal and a second end that is configured to be positioned in proximity to the tympanic membrane, wherein the second end comprises one or more of said openings that allow the ambient sound from outside the entrance of the ear canal to directly reach the middle or inner ear of the user.