Benefit of a new hearing device utilizing cartilage conduction
Benefit of a new hearing device utilizing cartilage conduction
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DOI：
10.1016/j.anl.2012.12.003
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发表时间：
2013-10-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
Iwakura, Takashi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nishimura, Tadashi;Hosoi, Hiroshi;Iwakura, Takashi
目的：我们之前的研究表明，即使没有固定压力，通过将换能器连接到耳软骨也可以有效地传输声音。这种声音传输的新方法由 Hosoi 于 2004 年发现，被称为软骨传导 (CC)。 CC 甚至可以用于因持续性耳漏或耳闭锁而无法使用气导助听器的听力受损患者。本研究对采用CC的原型助听器进行了研究。方法：4名手术后出现持续性耳漏、获得性耳道闭锁等情况的患者参加了本研究。安装了 CC 助听器，并通过听力测试和访谈评估了其益处。结果：所有受试者的阈值和语音识别分数均有所提高。然而，对于持续性耳漏的受试者，由于其严重的听力损失和输出水平的限制，很难根据目标增益获得增益。另一方面，在患有获得性耳闭锁的患者中，在低于 2 kHz 的频率下获得了意想不到的大增益。这些巨大的增益可能是由软组织填充术后空间引起的。没有受试者抱怨与换能器连接相关的疼痛，尽管骨导 (BC) 助听器通常会出现此类问题。这一功能被认为是 CC 助听器的优点之一。结论：听力测试和访谈的结果表明，CC 助听器有潜力作为听力障碍的有用放大设备。不幸的是，如果不涉及软组织通路，当前的设备对于严重听力损失的患者来说是不够的。输出水平的提高将导致开发出可靠的 CC 助听器，作为 BC 助听器或骨锚式助听器的替代品。 (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. 保留所有权利。
Objective: Our previous study demonstrated that sound was effectively transmitted by attaching a transducer to the aural cartilage even without fixation pressure. This new method for sound transmission was found by Hosoi in 2004, and was termed cartilage conduction (CC). CC can be utilized even in hearing-impaired patients who cannot use air-conduction hearing aids owing to continuous otorrhea or aural atresia. A prototype hearing aid employing CC was investigated in this study.Methods: Four patients with conditions such as continuous otorrhea and acquired aural atresia after surgery participated in this study. The CC hearing aid was fitted, and its benefits were assessed by audiometric tests and interview.Results: Thresholds and speech recognition scores improved in all subjects. However, in subjects with continuous otorrhea, it was difficult to obtain the gains according to the target gains owing to their severe hearing loss and the limitation of the output level. On the other hand, unexpectedly large gains were obtained below 2 kHz in the patient with acquired aural atresia. These large gains were probably caused by soft tissue filling the postoperative space. No subjects complained of pain associated with the attachment of the transducer, although such problems are usually observed for a bone-conduction (BC) hearing aid. This feature is considered one of the advantages of the CC hearing aid.Conclusion: The results of the audiometric tests and interview suggest that the CC hearing aid has potential as a useful amplification device for hearing disability. Unfortunately, if the soft tissue pathway is not involved, the current device is insufficient for the patients with severe hearing loss. The improvement of the output level will lead to develop a reliable CC hearing aid as an alternative to BC hearing aids or bone anchored hearing aids. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.