scholarly journals Implementation of a fully implantable middle-ear hearing device chip

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 399-413
Author(s):  
Jyung Hyun Lee ◽  
Dong Wook Kim ◽  
Ki Woong Seong ◽  
Myoung Nam Kim ◽  
Jin-Ho Cho
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Middle Ear ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Cmos Process ◽  
Verilog Hdl ◽  
Pulse Density ◽  
Implantable Microphone ◽  
Hearing Device ◽  
Point Fast Fourier Transform ◽  
Signal Processor

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recently, with the increase in the population of hearing impaired people, various types of hearing aids have been rapidly developed. In particular, a fully implantable middle ear hearing device (F-IMEHD) is developed for people with sensorineural hearing loss. The F-IMEHD system comprises an implantable microphone, a transducer, and a signal processor. The signal processor should have a small size and consume less power for implantation in a human body. METHODS: In this study, we designed and fabricated a signal-processing chip using the modified FFT algorithm. This algorithm was developed focusing on eliminating time delay and system complexity in the transform process. The designed signal-processing chip comprises a 4-channel WDRC, a fitting memory, a communication 1control part, and a pulse density modulator. Each channel is separated using a 64-point fast Fourier transform (FFT) method and the gain value is matched using the fitting table in the fitting memory. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The chip was designed by Verilog-HDL and the designed HDL codes were verified by Modelsim-PE 10.3 (Mentor graphics, USA). The chip was fabricated using a 0.18 μm CMOS process (SMIC, China). Experiments were performed on a cadaver to verify the performance of the fabricated chip.

scholarly journals An Efficient MAC Architecture using Multiplier for DSP and DIP Operations

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.16) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
P Rahul Reddy ◽  
Pandya Vyomal N ◽  
Abhishek Choubey
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Digital Signal ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Hardware Architecture ◽  
Verilog Hdl ◽  
Medical Discipline ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
Wallace Tree Multiplier

DSP operations are very important part of engineering as well as medical discipline. For the designing of DSP operations Multiplication is play important role to perform signal processing operations. Multiplier is one of the critical components in the area of digital signal processing and hearing aids. So the objective is to design an efficient MAC hardware architecture using multiplier with assistance of compressors by conserving less area, power and delay. In this paper, efficient hardware architecture of MAC using a modified Wallace tree multiplier is proposed. The proposed MAC uses multiplier with novel compressor designs and adders as primitive building blocks for efficient application. Further, the Verilog-HDL coding of 8 bit MAC architecture and their FPGA implementation by Xilinx ISE 14.4 Synthesis Tool on Virtex7 kit have been done. The proposed compressor and adder based architecture used to be applied to MAC unit and in comparison to the previous design MAC unit and verified that the proposed architecture have reduce in terms of area, delay and power. The high performance is obtained by using a new hierarchical structure, these adders are called compressors.  These compressors make the multipliers faster as compared to the conventional design used in Engineering, Science & Technology as well as medical discipline.

Experiences with Implantable Hearing Devices and a Presentation of a New Device

1986 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Hough ◽  
Jack Vernon ◽  
Kenneth Dormer ◽  
Bob Johnson ◽  
Tom Himelick
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ear ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
New Device ◽  
Hearing Devices ◽  
Bone Stimulator ◽  
External Canal ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Hearing Device

Following animal experiments, anatomic examinations, and histologic studies, an implantable hearing device was developed. This device, the temporal bone stimulator (TBS), uses an inductive coil without percutaneous connection that transmits bone-conducted vibrations to the inner ear. Ten patients have been implanted and followed by the Central Ear Research Institute. The TBS is effective and may have wide application in producing amplification in good sound fidelity when used in patients who have external canal, middle ear, or eustachian tube disease that is poorly corrected by surgery or conventional hearing aids. The utilization of similar principles of electromagnetic transfer of energy directly to the ossicles appears reasonable and is potentially highly rewarding for those who have sensorineural hearing impairments with thresholds greater than 40 dB. The enormous potential benefits derived from the application of these implantable hearing devices is worthy of the greatest effort in future otologic investigation.

scholarly journals A Vibro-Acoustic Hybrid Implantable Microphone for Middle Ear Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1117
Author(s):  
Ki Seong ◽  
Ha Mun ◽  
Dong Shin ◽  
Jong Kim ◽  
Hideko Nakajima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Middle Ear ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Micro Electro Mechanical System ◽  
Acoustic Sensors ◽  
Human Temporal Bone ◽  
Implantable Microphone

To develop totally implantable middle ear and cochlear implants, a miniature microphone that is surgically easy to implant and has a high sensitivity in a sufficient range of audio frequencies is needed. Of the various implantable acoustic sensors under development, only micro electro-mechanical system-type acoustic sensors, which attach to the umbo of the tympanic membrane, meet these requirements. We describe a new vibro-acoustic hybrid implantable microphone (VAHIM) that combines acceleration and sound pressure sensors. Each sensor can collect the vibration of the umbo and sound pressure of the middle ear cavity. The fabricated sensor was implanted into a human temporal bone and the noise level and sensitivity were measured. From the experimental results, it is shown that the proposed method is able to provide a wider-frequency band than conventional implantable acoustic sensors.

Design of Virtex-7 FPGA-Based High-Speed Signal Processor Carrier Board

2015 ◽  
Vol 719-720 ◽  
pp. 534-537
Author(s):  
Wen Hua Ye ◽  
Huan Li
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Digital Signal Processing ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Digital Signal ◽  
Signal Processing System ◽  
High Speed Adc ◽  
High Speed Data ◽  
Processor Speed ◽  
Signal Processor

With the development of digital signal processing technology, the demand on the signal processor speed has become increasingly high. This paper describes the hardware design of carrier board in high-speed signal processing module, which using Xilinx's newest Virtex-7 FPGA family XC7VX485T chip, and applying high-speed signal processing interface FMC to transport and communicate high-speed data between carrier board and daughter card with high-speed ADC and DAC. This design provides a hardware implementation and algorithm verification platform for high-speed digital signal processing system.

Use of hearing AIDS

1976 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 45-46
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Middle Ear ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Conductive Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Lip Reading ◽  
Conductive Hearing

Up to 3 million people in Britain might be helped by hearing aids.1 2 Most are over 65 years of age, but some are infants. All should be referred to specialist centres for assessment as soon as possible. Hearing aids generally help most in disorders of the middle ear (conductive hearing loss); they can also help those with sensorineural and other forms of hearing loss. The use of an aid often needs to be supplemented by lip reading and other means of auditory training.1 3

Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device Phase II Results

2008 ◽  
Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. P57-P57
Author(s):  
Drew M Horlbeck ◽  
Herman A Jenkins ◽  
Ben J Balough ◽  
Michael E Hoffer
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Sound Field ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Hearing Device

Objective The efficacy of the Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device (MET) was assessed in adult patients with bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Methods Surgical insertion of this totally implanted system was identical to the Phase I study. A repeated-measures within-subjects design assessed aided sound field thresholds and speech performances with the subject's own, appropriately fit, walk-in hearing aid(s) and the Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device. Results Six- and 12-month Phase II data will be presented. Ten patients were implanted and activated as part Phase II clinical trial. Three patients were lost to long term follow-up due to two coil failures and one ossicular abnormality preventing proper device placement. No significant differences between preoperative (AC = 59 dB, BC = 55 dB) and postoperative (AC = 61 dB, BC = 54 dB) unaided pure tone averages were noted (p < 0.05). Pure tone average implant aided thresholds (41 dB) were equivalent to that of walk-in-aided (37 dB) condition with no significant difference (p < 0.05) between patients’ walk-in-aided individual frequency thresholds and implant-aided thresholds. Word recognition scores and hearing in noise scores were similar between the walk-in-aided and for the implant-aided condition. Patient benefit scales will be presented at all end points. Conclusions Results of the Otologics MET Fully Implantable Hearing Device Phase II trial provide evidence that this fully implantable device is a viable alternative to currently available hearing aids in patients with sensorineural hearing loss.

Fitting Frequency-Lowering Signal Processing Applying the American Academy of Audiology Pediatric Amplification Guideline: Updates and Protocols

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (03) ◽  
pp. 219-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Scollie ◽  
Danielle Glista ◽  
Julie Seto ◽  
Andrea Dunn ◽  
Brittany Schuett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Frequency Response ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Sensation Level ◽  
Response Level ◽  
Strong Basis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Signal Processors

Background: Although guidelines for fitting hearing aids for children are well developed and have strong basis in evidence, specific protocols for fitting and verifying technologies can supplement such guidelines. One such technology is frequency-lowering signal processing. Children require access to a broad bandwidth of speech to detect and use all phonemes including female /s/. When access through conventional amplification is not possible, the use of frequency-lowering signal processing may be considered as a means to overcome limitations. Fitting and verification protocols are needed to better define candidacy determination and options for assessing and fine tuning frequency-lowering signal processing for individuals. Purpose: This work aims to (1) describe a set of calibrated phonemes that can be used to characterize the variation in different brands of frequency-lowering processors in hearing aids and the verification with these signals and (2) determine whether verification with these signal are predictive of perceptual changes associated with changes in the strength of frequency-lowering signal processing. Finally, we aimed to develop a fitting protocol for use in pediatric clinical practice. Study Sample: Study 1 used a sample of six hearing aids spanning four types of frequency lowering algorithms for an electroacoustic evaluation. Study 2 included 21 adults who had hearing loss (mean age 66 yr). Data Collection and Analysis: Simulated fricatives were designed to mimic the level and frequency shape of female fricatives extracted from two sources of speech. These signals were used to verify the frequency-lowering effects of four distinct types of frequency-lowering signal processors available in commercial hearing aids, and verification measures were compared to extracted fricatives made in a reference system. In a second study, the simulated fricatives were used within a probe microphone measurement system to verify a wide range of frequency compression settings in a commercial hearing aid, and 27 adult listeners were tested at each setting. The relation between the hearing aid verification measures and the listener’s ability to detect and discriminate between fricatives was examined. Results: Verification measures made with the simulated fricatives agreed to within 4 dB, on average, and tended to mimic the frequency response shape of fricatives presented in a running speech context. Some processors showed a greater aided response level for fricatives in running speech than fricatives presented in isolation. Results with listeners indicated that verified settings that provided a positive sensation level of /s/ and that maximized the frequency difference between /s/ and /∫/ tended to have the best performance. Conclusions: Frequency-lowering signal processors have measureable effects on the high-frequency fricative content of speech, particularly female /s/. It is possible to measure these effects either with a simple strategy that presents an isolated simulated fricative and measures the aided frequency response or with a more complex system that extracts fricatives from running speech. For some processors, a more accurate result may be achieved with a running speech system. In listeners, the aided frequency location and sensation level of fricatives may be helpful in predicting whether a specific hearing aid fitting, with or without frequency-lowering, will support access to the fricatives of speech.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document