SBIR Phase II: Software Technology for Improved Perception of Speech/Audio to Self Personalize Hearing Aids/Devices

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是潜在地为听力损失的人提供个性化的听力保健。提供定制的放大设备和应用程序解决方案，使用户能够更清楚地理解语音，可能会避免与听力专家的预约，并允许用户从手机控制他们的听力。听力损失通常与就业减少和潜在的收入减少有关。一种有效的放大装置可能会使轻到中度听力损失的人改善他们的就业和收入。此外，这项技术可以消除某些人群在医疗系统中感受到的不适，并提供与他们的听力相关的个性化授权。这项SBIR第二阶段项目旨在以传统助听器解决方案的一小部分成本，在用户舒适的家中提供个性化的声音配置文件。这种自适应技术有别于大多数非处方药或直接面向消费者的听力解决方案，因为新技术允许助听器在各种不同的收听环境中个性化声音配置文件。技术目标是允许用户在现场优化声音环境的声音配置文件，并标准化软件平台，使其能够与任何硬件制造商建立合作伙伴关系，以扩大可以帮助人们清晰听力的产品套件。拟议的项目将继续开发该技术，包括：增加在自适应过程中调整的频率范围，包括在自适应过程中调整非线性增益参数，以及允许用户获得不同收听环境的配置文件。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to potentially provide personalized hearing health care for those with hearing loss. Providing a customized amplification device and app solution that allows the user to understand speech more clearly may avoid audiologist appointments and allow the user to take control of their hearing right from their phone. Hearing loss is often associated with decreased employment and potentially lower income. An effective amplification device may enable those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss to improve their employment and earnings. Additionally, this technology may remove the discomfort that certain populations experience within the medical system and provide individualized empowerment in relation to their hearing.This SBIR Phase II project seeks to deliver personalized sound profiles from the comfort of the user’s home at a fraction of the cost of traditional hearing aid solutions. This self-fitting technology differentiates is differentiaed from the majority of over-the-counter or direct-to-consumer hearing solutions as the new technology allow the hearing aid enable personalize sound profiles in a variety of different listening environments. The technological goals are to allow users to optimize sound profiles in situ for live sound environments, and to standardize the software platform to enable partnerships with any hardware manufacturer in order to expand the suite of products that can help people hear clearly. The proposed project will continue the development of the technology including: increasing the range of frequencies that are adjusted during the self-fitting process, including the adjustment of non-linear gain parameters in the self-fitting process, an allowing users to obtain profiles for different listening environments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.