Patent ID: 7600604

Claim:
A user-disposable member for placement within the auditory anatomy of a user, the user-disposable member comprising: a polymeric foam body having a central longitudinal axis, the polymeric body including a first portion having a peripheral outer surface located radially outward from the central longitudinal axis, and a second portion having a peripheral outer surface located radially outward from the central longitudinal axis; wherein the peripheral outer surface of the first portion has surface characteristics providing a first coefficient of friction between the peripheral outer surface of the first portion and a surface of an ear canal, and the peripheral outer surface of the second portion has surface characteristics providing a second coefficient of friction between the peripheral outer surface of the second portion and the surface of the ear canal, the second coefficient of friction being less than the first coefficient of friction, the surface characteristics of the peripheral outer surface of the first portion being dissimilar from the surface characteristics of the peripheral outer surface of the second portion.