The Development of a Biologically-Inspired Directional Microphone for Hearing Aids

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.N. Miles ◽  
R.R. Hoy
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Directional Microphone

Performance of Directional Microphone Hearing Aids in Everyday Life

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (06) ◽  
pp. 295-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary T. Cord ◽  
Rauna K. Surr ◽  
Brian E. Walden ◽  
Laurel Olson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Directional Hearing ◽  
Directional Microphones ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Directional Microphone ◽  
Perceived Performance ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Directional Hearing Aids

This study explored the use patterns and benefits of directional microphone technology in real world situations experienced by patients who had been fitted with switchable omnidirectional/directional hearing aids. Telephone interviews and paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used to assess perceived performance with each microphone type in a variety of listening situations. Patients who used their hearing aids regularly and switched between the two microphone configurations reported using the directional mode, on average, about one-quarter of the time. From brief descriptions, patients could identify listening situations in which each microphone mode should provide superior performance. Further, they reported encountering listening situations in which an omnidirectional microphone should provide better performance more frequently than listening situations in which the directional microphones should be superior. Despite using the omnidirectional mode more often and encountering situations in which an omnidirectional microphone should provide superior performance more frequently, participants reported the same level of satisfaction with each microphone type.

Effectiveness of Directional Microphones and Noise Reduction Schemes in Hearing Aids: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (07) ◽  
pp. 473-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Bentler
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Noise Reduction ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Directional Microphones ◽  
Directional Microphone

A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to find evidence of real-world effectiveness of directional microphone and digital noise reduction features in current hearing aids. The evidence was drawn from randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized intervention studies, and descriptive studies. The quality of each study was evaluated for factors such as blinding, power of statistical analyses, and use of psychometrically strong outcome measures. Weaknesses in the identified studies included small sample size, resultant poor power to detect potentially worthwhile differences, and overlapping experimental conditions. Nine studies were identified for directional microphones, and the evidence (albeit weak) supports effectiveness. Two studies were identified for the noise reduction feature, and the evidence was equivocal. For the researcher, such a systematic review should encourage the careful consideration of appropriate methodologies for assessing feature effectiveness. For the clinician, the outcomes reported herein should encourage use of such a systematic review to drive clinical practice.

scholarly journals Benefit From Directional Microphone Hearing Aids: Objective and Subjective Evaluations

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Sung Park ◽  
Il Joon Moon ◽  
Sun Hwa Jin ◽  
Ji Eun Choi ◽  
Yang-Sun Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Directional Microphone ◽  
Subjective Evaluations

Directional-microphone hearing aids

2000 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustav H. Mueller ◽  
Todd A. Ricketts
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Directional Microphone

Left-Right and Front-Back Spatial Hearing with Multiple Directional Microphone Configurations in Modern Hearing Aids

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (09) ◽  
pp. 791-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne Carette ◽  
Tim Van den Bogaert ◽  
Mark Laureyns ◽  
Jan Wouters
Keyword(s):  
Sound Localization ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Binaural Cues ◽  
Directional Microphone ◽  
Spectral Cues ◽  
Localization Performance ◽  
Asymmetric Configuration

Background: Several studies have demonstrated negative effects of directional microphone configurations on left-right and front-back (FB) sound localization. New processing schemes, such as frequency-dependent directionality and front focus with wireless ear-to-ear communication in recent, commercial hearing aids may preserve the binaural cues necessary for left-right localization and may introduce useful spectral cues necessary for FB disambiguation. Purpose: In this study, two hearing aids with different processing schemes, which were both designed to preserve the ability to localize sounds in the horizontal plane (left-right and FB), were compared. Research Design: We compared horizontal (left-right and FB) sound localization performance of hearing aid users fitted with two types of behind-the-ear (BTE) devices. The first type of BTE device had four different programs that provided (1) no directionality, (2–3) symmetric frequency-dependent directionality, and (4) an asymmetric configuration. The second pair of BTE devices was evaluated in its omnidirectional setting. This setting automatically activates a soft forward-oriented directional scheme that mimics the pinna effect. Also, wireless communication between the hearing aids was present in this configuration (5). A broadband stimulus was used as a target signal. The directional hearing abilities of the listeners were also evaluated without hearing aids as a reference. Study Sample: A total of 12 listeners with moderate to severe hearing loss participated in this study. All were experienced hearing-aid users. As a reference, 11 listeners with normal hearing participated. Data Collection and Analysis: The participants were positioned in a 13-speaker array (left-right, –90°/+90°) or 7-speaker array (FB, 0–180°) and were asked to report the number of the loudspeaker located the closest to where the sound was perceived. The root mean square error was calculated for the left-right experiment, and the percentage of FB errors was used as a FB performance measure. Results were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: For the left-right localization task, no significant differences could be proven between the unaided condition and both partial directional schemes and the omnidirectional scheme. The soft forward-oriented system and the asymmetric system did show a detrimental effect compared with the unaided condition. On average, localization was worst when users used the asymmetric condition. Analysis of the results of the FB experiment showed good performance, similar to unaided, with both the partial directional systems and the asymmetric configuration. Significantly worse performance was found with the omnidirectional and the omnidirectional soft forward-oriented BTE systems compared with the other hearing-aid systems. Conclusions: Bilaterally fitted partial directional systems preserve (part of) the binaural cues necessary for left-right localization and introduce, preserve, or enhance useful spectral cues that allow FB disambiguation. Omnidirectional systems, although good for left-right localization, do not provide the user with enough spectral information for an optimal FB localization performance.

scholarly journals Directional microphone hearing aids

2003 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 9-10
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Bentler
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Directional Microphone

Low-Frequency Gain Compensation in Directional Hearing Aids

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Ricketts ◽  
Paula Henry
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Directional Hearing ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Directional Microphone ◽  
Listening Environments ◽  
Gain Compensation

Hearing aids currently available on the market with both omnidirectional and directional microphone modes often have reduced amplification in the low frequencies when in directional microphone mode due to better phase matching. The effects of this low-frequency gain reduction for individuals with hearing loss in the low frequencies was of primary interest. Changes in sound quality for quiet listening environments following gain compensation in the low frequencies was of secondary interest. Thirty participants were fit with bilateral in-the-ear hearing aids, which were programmed in three ways while in directional microphone mode: no-gain compensation, adaptive-gain compensation, and full-gain compensation. All participants were tested with speech in noise tasks. Participants also made sound quality judgments based on monaural recordings made from the hearing aid. Results support a need for gain compensation for individuals with low-frequency hearing loss of greater than 40 dB HL.

scholarly journals Real-world performance of directional microphone hearing aids

2003 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Walden ◽  
Rauna K. Surr ◽  
Mary T. Cord
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Real World ◽  
Directional Microphone
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