PROGRAMMABLE TACTILE AID FOR THE DEAF

尽管人工耳蜗植入取得了成功，特别是 对于语言后退化的人，触觉设备仍然是 治疗各种人群耳聋的重要工具 也有很多原因目前有五个以上 不同的可穿戴触觉设备服务于这些需求， 越来越明显的是，听力学家适合他们， 负责维修和维护的技术人员无法 有效地处理不同的设计，因为 他们遇到每一种类型的频率。一个可靠的 该装置是可编程的，以使所有的模拟 现在正在使用的处理范例， 类似于助听器，将大大简化， 改进其应用和维护。除此之外， 能够集中努力，合理化和澄清每一个 不同的处理类型，因为它们适用于不同的人群。 毫无疑问，这种合理化的努力早已结束 到期此外，所提出的设计，这是基于一个数字平台， 将能够评估新的处理方法和/或变化 在现有的基础上，通过简单地改变 编程. 拟定商业应用： 这项工作的商业潜力是扩大使用触觉 为聋人准备的设备。目前，支持发行版的限制 这些设备的使用限制了它们的使用， 市场

In spite of the success of cochlear implants, particularly with postlingually deafened individuals, tactile devices continue to be important tools for dealing with deafness for a variety of populations and for a variety of reasons. At present there are more then five different wearable tactile devices servicing these needs, and it has become increasingly evident that audiologists fitting them and technicians responsible for repairing and maintaining them are unable to deal effectively with the different designs because of the infrequency with which they encounter each type. A single reliable device which is programmable to enable simulation of all of the processing paradigms now being used and which utilizes a technology more similar to hearing aids, would go a long way to simplifying and improving their application and maintenance. Beyond this, it would enable a focused effort to rationalize and clarify the use of each of the different processing types as they apply to different populations. There is little doubt that this effort of rationalization is long over due. Also, the proposed design, which is based on a digital platform, would enable the evaluation of new processing methods and/or variations on existing ones, in a very convenient way by simply varying the programming. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The commercial potential of this work is to expand the use of tactile devices for the deaf. At present, limitations in support an distribution of these devices is limiting their use to less than 1% of the potential market.