New Developments in Hearing Technology

Dave Gordey, M. Sc. AUD (c)

Let’s Talk About…..

New Features of Hearing Aids Directionality Noise Reduction Adaptation Manager Datalogging New Designs And Next Generation in Hearing

What is Directionality?

Two microphones Optimal Port spacing Optimal mic alignment

A good way to improve speech in noise!

Dir

ect

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DI)

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First Generation -Manual Directionality

Underlying assumptions

Target is in front Noise is elsewhere Manual switching required

Microphone Directionality

Now - Automatic Directionality

Switches automatically between omni-directional and fixed directional microphones.

Uses Artificial Intelligence to make decisions.

Noise Reduction

Noise interferes with speech understanding

Likely linked to auditory fatigue

Most environments have some noise present

Noise Reduction

1.Modulation Based NoiseManagement

2. Tristate Noise Management

Two Types

Speech

Noise

Speech + Noise

“Looks like noise”

Minimal Modulations

Highly Modulated

First Generation of Noise Reduction - Modulation Detection

Tristate Noise Reduction

Automatic Adaptation Manager

Automatic transition to the target prescription

Customizable transition time (start and end-time)

Smooth adaptation for a smoother acclimatization

SKI-Slope Losses

Focus on more than just audibilityLess gain in HFMore gain in MFMore focus on transition region

Data logging

Hearing aid has a built in “artificial memory”Tells us about:

Hearing aid use

Operation of on/off switch

Battery consumption

Introducing Delta. . .

The look of the future

Delta

Design Nothing like a traditional

hearing aid Fits Mild to Moderate-Severe

Understanding in noise Excellent bandwidth Advanced directionality

Sound quality and comfort Open fitting/Micromold Speaker in the ear State-of-the-art automatics

How can people with hearing loss become hearing

empowered?

Answer

Connecting them to the Near World and the Far World

The Near World

Hearing our friends, family and colleagues in different environments.

Hearing and understanding the sounds of our world

Living in the soundscape.

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Connecting to the Far World

The Far World

The world is going wireless

Multimedia is now a big part of our life

Professional and Personal Lives

We all need access to the far world

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Ramsdell and WWII Veterans

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•Social

•Signal/Warning

•Primitive

Disconnected from their Soundscape

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The importance of auditory spatial resolution

(or why it’s good to know where sounds come from..)

Demo with lights out

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Speech understanding in noise:

De-construct the auditory scene, find the voice of interest

Not just identifying components, but “following a voice”

Speech events have little or no meaning in isolation – Meaning accumulates over time…

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What is the most important mechanism to maintain a

persons Soundscape?

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Hint #1

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Hint #2

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Two ears are better than one

Binaural hearing gives us a sense of place Binaural hearing allows us to localize

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Localization ability: Maintains SoundScape Improves Speech/Noise

Binauaral hearing is most important for good localization ability

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How do Hearing Aids Currently

Affect Localization ability

Video

Excitement and Innovation….

Binaural Processing

Spatial Sound: Ensures that auditory system is sent

and accurate representation of the spatial environment

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Binaural DFC

Unique - First DFC system ever to benefit from binaural processing

Benefit- More precise feedback detection- Avoid “false positives” and common artifacts of conventional DFC systems.

Conventional

Epoq

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Extreme Bandwidth

Unique- Bandwidth extends up to ~10,000 Hz

Benefit- Improved sound quality- Better localization- Greater naturalness and fidelity.

Extended Bandwidth & Audibility

. . . can they hear it?

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Life Learning

Unique

1. Detailed learning of Volume Control preferences – in many different types of environments

Benefit - Convenience, ease of use- Discreetness (reduce need to use VC)- Volume is automatically adjusted to match each situation- Higher acceptance and long term satisfaction

Phone and Streamer Demo

video

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Streamer

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Streamer Benefits

Mobile phone: Hassle free, wire free. Listen with both ears

Connect to your IPOD - Stream music - directly into the hearing aids

Easy to Use.

Etc.

Summary

Questions?