Patent ID: 7606382

Claim:
A modular system for assembling an earpiece auditory device tailored to a user, the system comprising: a plurality of behind-the-ear components from which a behind-the-ear component may be selected, wherein each of the behind-the-ear components comprises a module including processing circuitry including a communications port operable to communicate with an external device; and a plurality of connectors from which a connector of sufficient length may be selected to physically couple a selected behind-the-ear component, when the selected behind-the-ear component is placed behind the ear of the user, to a in-canal component when the in-canal component is placed inside the ear canal of the user, wherein the in-canal component provides substantial attenuation of ambient sounds in the ear canal of the user and includes a speaker, and at least a portion of the connector of sufficient length is sufficiently rigid so as to allow the connector of sufficient length to be used to insert and remove the in-canal component from the ear canal of the user.