Hearing Aid Connectivity to Consumer Electronics

助听器与消费电子产品的连接

• 批准号: 7480898
• 负责人: DANIEL S HEDIN
• 金额: $ 12.62万
• 依托单位: ADVANCED MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-04-01 至 2008-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7480898
• 关键词: Adoption; Adverse effects; American; Area; Cellular Phone; Consumption; Contracts; Coupling; Custom; Data; Devices; Ear; Electronics; Environment; Face; Gray unit of radiation dose; Hearing; Hearing Aids; Hearing Impaired Persons; Hybrids; Individual; Industry; Life; Link; Magnetism; Manufacturer Name; Medical Electronics; Methods; Minnesota; Music; Nature; Noise; Output; Pattern; Performance; Phase; Physiologic pulse; Power Sources; Pulse taking; Radio; Range; Rate; Research; Research Personnel; Resistance; Resources; Running; Signal Transduction; Simulate; Solutions; Source; Speed; Standards of Weights and Measures; Structure; System; Technology; Television; Universities; Wireless Technology; analog; base; design; digital; experience; hearing impairment; interest; miniaturize; novel; simulation; size; sound; transmission process

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project will apply novel ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless impulse radio technology to provide connectivity from consumer electronics devices directly to micro- behind-the-ear (micro-BTE) hearing aids. In hearing aids, capturing sound close to the source before it is combined with background noise offers better signal to noise ratio. In the case of consumer electronics devices, hearing aid users encounter difficulties with sound quality when using the integrated speakers of such devices. These devices often provide an audio output which offers a low noise signal. The proposed device will digitize this signal from the audio port before noise is added and transmit it digitally directly to the hearing aid. Existing methods to transmit audio signals to hearing aids from consumer electronics devices include Bluetooth, magnetic coupling (digital and analog), and FM. FM radios are prone to interference and distortion and are being replaced by digital wireless solutions. Bluetooth is too high of power to be directly integrated into hearing aids and so these solutions require larger batteries in modules external to the hearing aid. Magnetic coupling can be made low power but can only transmit for short distances. There are many reasons why previous connectivity systems have experienced poor adoption rates and most are related to the intermediate relay module found in current solutions. The proposed solution will be the first to eliminate this relay module allow direct long-range transmission to a micro BTE hearing aid. The proposed wireless technology will offer larger distances (15 ft.) than magnetic coupling solutions and lower power (<200uW) than all digital alternatives. This technology can be integrated directly into micro-BTE hearing aids. The transmitter module will also be miniaturized around a standard audio plug for a discrete (< 0.3 in3), easy to use device. Project Narrative More than 28 million Americans suffer from or face imminent hearing loss. The segments of hearing aid users that can receive the greatest benefit from the proposed technology are the estimated 10% of hearing-impaired persons suffering signal-to-noise-ratio loss. These individuals have a reduced ability to hear in acoustically noisy environments.

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目将应用新型超宽带（UWB）无线脉冲无线电技术，提供从消费电子设备直接到微型耳后（微型BTE）助听器的连接。在助听器中，在接近声源的声音与背景噪声结合之前捕获声音可以提供更好的信噪比。在消费电子设备的情况下，助听器用户在使用这种设备的集成扬声器时遇到音质方面的困难。这些设备通常提供低噪声信号的音频输出。所提出的设备将在添加噪声之前从音频端口接收该信号，并将其直接数字传输到助听器。将音频信号从消费电子设备传输到助听器的现有方法包括蓝牙、磁耦合（数字和模拟）和FM。调频收音机容易受到干扰和失真，正在被数字无线解决方案所取代。蓝牙功率太高，无法直接集成到助听器中，因此这些解决方案需要助听器外部模块中的更大电池。磁耦合可以被制成低功率，但只能传输短距离。先前的连接系统的采用率很低的原因有很多，大多数都与当前解决方案中的中间中继模块有关。拟议的解决方案将是第一个消除这种中继模块，允许直接远程传输到微型BTE助听器。拟议的无线技术将提供更大的距离（15英尺）。比磁耦合解决方案更好，比所有数字替代方案功耗更低（<200uW）。这种技术可以直接集成到微型BTE助听器中。发射器模块还将围绕标准音频插头进行小型化，以实现分立（< 0.3 in3）、易于使用的设备。超过2800万美国人患有或面临即将发生的听力损失。助听器用户中能够从所提出的技术中获得最大利益的部分是估计10%的听力受损者遭受信噪比损失。这些人在嘈杂的环境中听力下降。