A Low-Cost and Convenient Solution for Hearing Aid Shell Manufacturing

助听器外壳制造的低成本、便捷的解决方案

• 批准号: 9905577
• 负责人: Steven Yi
• 金额: $ 78.99万
• 依托单位: XYKEN, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-30 至 2021-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9905577
• 关键词: 3-Dimensional; 3D Print; Academic Medical Centers; Address; Adoption; Adult; Affect; Aging; Algorithmic Software; Algorithms; American; Baltimore; Caring; Cellular Phone; Chronic; Clinical; Collaborations; Communities; Custom; Data; Development; Devices; Dimensions; Ear; Elderly; Emotional; Evaluation; External auditory canal; Face; Goals; Growth; Health; Health care facility; Hearing Aids; Image; Imagery; Impairment; Industrialization; Industry; Intervention; Laboratories; Lead; Legal patent; Life; Location; Manufacturer Name; Medicine; Methods; Modeling; Nature; Online Systems; Outcome; Patients; Phase; Population; Prevalence; Printing; Process; Provider; Public Health; Refit; Reporting; Research Personnel; Shipping; Site; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Structure; System; Systems Development; Technology; Testing; Three-Dimensional Imaging; Time; Training; United States National Institutes of Health; Wearable Computer; Withdrawal; aging population; base; community center; cost; data acquisition; design; experience; handheld mobile device; hearing impairment; help-seeking behavior; imager; impression; improved; manufacturing process; mobile computing; next generation; off-patent; phase 2 designs; process optimization; processing speed; programs; prototype; psychologic; social; sound; success; three-dimensional modeling; tool; trend

Project Summary: We propose in this SBIR effort to develop a mobile platform based, low-cost, yet highly accurate 3D scanner for audiologists or dispensers to quickly capture ear structure and locally optimize custom-fit hearing aid shell design through rapid prototyping. Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing seniors. Untreated hearing loss has been shown to lead to physical, social, emotional, and psychological problems. Unfortunately, fewer than 20 percent of those with hearing loss who require intervention and treatment seek help for their condition. Reasons for this grim situation are expensive hearing aid cost, ineffective hearing aid shell fitting optimization process, and inadequate centers or offices especially in poor and underserved communities. These have in fact generated significant barriers in affordability, adoption, and accessibility for hearing aid sufferers. The proposed solution will have the following impact and significance: effectively reduce hearing aid cost through a mobile 3D imaging framework; significantly improve ear shell fitting outcome through localized shell optimization and rapid prototyping; provide more accessible care facilities and better educational influence; and make web based direct customer purchase of custom-fit hearing aid a reality. Hearing loss is a public health issue and is among the leading public health concerns especially for the increasing aging population. Approximately 17 percent of American adults, or 36 million people, report some degree of hearing loss. Among American adults 20 and older, hearing loss is expected to increase from 44 million in 2020 (15 percent of adults) to 73.5 million by 2060 (23 percent of adults).The increase will be greatest among older adults, according to the researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. In 2020, 55 percent of all adults with hearing loss will be 70 or older. In 2060, that rate will jump to 67 percent. Before seeking a hearing aid, most hearing aid users had lived with hearing loss for more than 10 years and their impairment had progressed to moderate-to-severe levels. Undoubtedly, the development of a low cost and ubiquitous mobile platform based hearing aid shell optimization and rapid prototyping method will significantly lower the barriers for the much needed care.

项目总结： 在这项SBIR工作中，我们建议开发一个基于移动平台的、低成本但高度精确的移动平台 3D扫描仪，适用于听力专家或配送器，可快速捕获耳朵结构并局部优化定制 通过快速成型进行助听器外壳设计。听力损失是第三种最常见的慢性疾病 老年人面临的健康状况。未经治疗的听力损失被证明会导致身体上的，社交上的， 情绪和心理问题。不幸的是，只有不到20%的听力损失患者 需要干预和治疗的人根据自己的情况寻求帮助。造成这种严峻局面的原因是 助听器成本昂贵，助听器外壳安装优化过程效率低下，且不足 中心或办公室，特别是在贫穷和服务不足的社区。这些实际上已经产生了 助听器患者在可负担性、采用率和可获得性方面存在重大障碍。建议数 解决方案将产生以下影响和意义：通过 移动3D成像框架；通过本地化耳壳显著改善耳壳适配效果 优化和快速成型；提供更方便的护理设施和更好的教育 影响；并使基于网络的客户直接购买定制助听器成为现实。 听力损失是一个公共卫生问题，尤其是主要的公共卫生问题之一。 以应对日益增长的老龄化人口。大约17%的美国成年人，即3600万人， 报告某种程度的听力损失。在20岁及以上的美国成年人中，听力损失预计会 从2020年的4400万(占成年人的15%)增加到2060年的7350万(占成年人的23%)。 约翰·霍普金斯医学院的研究人员称，老年人的这一比例增幅最大。 在巴尔的摩。到2020年，所有听力损失成年人中将有55%的人年龄在70岁或以上。到2060年，这一比率将 跃升至67%。在寻求助听器之前，大多数助听器使用者都患有听力损失 10年以上，他们的损害已发展到中到重度水平。毫无疑问， 基于低成本和泛在移动平台的助听器外壳优化和开发 快速成型方法将显著降低急需护理的门槛。