Hearing aid effect verification device and hearing aid effect verification method using same

Abstract

To provide a hearing aid effect confirming device and a hearing aid effect confirming method using the same capable of reducing the psychological burden of a subject and completing the adjustment of the first fit of a hearing aid in a shorter time in an examination, and to provide the hearing aid effect confirming device capable of being miniaturized, simplified, made light in weight, made inexpensive, carried and examined anywhere.SOLUTION: In the hearing aid effect checking device 1, the reproduction unit 2 includes a sound source holding unit that holds the test sound source 4, the sound source reproduction unit 5 that can reproduce the test sound source 4 as a test sound in a plurality of stages in which sound pressure level differs by 0dB or more, preferably 4dB or more, in a range of 1dB to 80dB, and the operation unit 8 that operates the sound source reproduction unit so as to alternatively reproduce a plurality of auditorily different sounds in stages. 2 to 10 stages of the test sound source 4 in which sound pressure level differs by 1dB or more, preferably 4dB or more, in a range of 0dB to 80dB are held. The test sound source 4 is individually reproduced, and the operation unit 8 can alternatively reproduce the test sound source 4 in two to ten stages.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a testing technique for confirming the effectiveness of wearing a hearing aid, and in particular to a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device that makes testing more efficient, and a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method that uses the same. [Background technology]

[0002] When a hearing aid is sold, it is necessary to confirm its effectiveness based on objective and subjective evaluation methods after fitting it to the wearer's hearing ability. The environment for confirming the hearing aid effectiveness requires, for example, a measurement room 100 shown in Figure 4(B) or an equivalent space filled with rectangular shapes, a playback device such as an audiometer, a speaker 7, and a sound level meter (sound level meter: compliant with JIS C1509-1 or IEC61672-1) 500.

[0003] When checking the effectiveness of a hearing aid in a sound field, it is desirable to do so in a quasi-anechoic room where there is little noise and little reverberation of the measurement sound. However, it is desirable that the actual measurement room 100 satisfy the following conditions. 1. Noise does not affect the measurement results. 2. The degree to which the reverberation of the measurement sound does not affect the measurement. 3. There is no psychological pressure that may affect the judgment of the wearer 20. Specifically, it is desirable that the noise level be 50 dB(A) or less, that measures be taken to prevent the measurement sound from reverberating within the measurement room 100 (such as attaching thick curtains to the windows and walls, using sound-absorbing materials for the ceiling and walls, and carpeting the floor), and that an area of ​​about 2 m x 3 m be secured. Furthermore, the sound source speaker 7 is set at the same height as the center of the head of the wearer 200, and the distance 300 between them is 0.5 m to 1 m. It is desirable that the distance 400 between them and the wall is about 1 m in consideration of reverberations.

[0004] In hearing aid fitting tests using a playback device such as an audiometer and sound level meter 500, the sound level meter 500 is placed at a height corresponding to the center of the head of the wearer 200, facing the speaker 7. The playback device such as an audiometer requires setting of the hearing level dial value. In the case of a hearing threshold measurement, a warble tone (or band noise) of each frequency is generated from the speaker 7, and in the case of a speech intelligibility measurement, a calibration reference tone recorded with a test word list is generated from the speaker 7, and the sound pressure level of the sound level meter 500 is measured. Calibration is performed so that the difference between the hearing level dial value and the sound pressure level at the reference point is the reference value in a free sound field (ISO 389 7 or ANSI S3.6). In the case of speech audiometry, a wide range of detailed settings are required, such as setting the reference value to 10 dBSPL (70 dBHL = 80 dBSPL).

[0005] As shown in Figure 5 and Notation 1, speech intelligibility is measured using a playback device such as the audiometer and a sound level meter 500, and it is preferable that there is no decrease in intelligibility as the sound pressure increases over a wide range from a low sound pressure of about 40 dB to 70 dB or 80 dB, and the fit is judged to be insufficient if the best intelligibility when wearing the hearing aids within the measurement range is 15% or more lower than the value for the bare ear. If the intelligibility when wearing the hearing aids is more than +10% higher than the result for the bare ear, the fit is good, if it is within ±10%, the fit is acceptable, and if it is worse than -10%, the fit is judged to be insufficient and the adjustment should be reviewed.

[0006] [Table 1]

[0007] In addition to the speech intelligibility measurement, the objective evaluation methods include measurement of hearing thresholds, measurement of speech recognition time (SRT) during hearing aid use, and simple methods for estimating hearing thresholds using hearing aid characteristic charts and audiograms. In particular, speech intelligibility measurements involve outputting the Japanese syllabary (kana) sounds such as "a," "i," and "u" at a sound pressure of 60 dB to 80 dB, and the effectiveness of hearing aid use can be confirmed by the accuracy rate of the results of writing them down. In addition to the objective evaluation methods, a subjective evaluation method is also required, in which the wearer 200 is asked to provide a questionnaire to determine whether environmental noise levels are within a tolerable range and whether hearing comprehension has improved under various conditions. In the subjective evaluation method, the wearer 200 evaluates their hearing before and after hearing aid use by filling out a questionnaire 600, such as that shown in Figure 7, while varying the noise level. The objective and subjective evaluation methods require volume adjustments and amplifier circuit adjustments on playback devices such as audiometers before the test, and the test items are diverse, requiring approximately 20 to 30 minutes to adjust each parameter of the hearing aid (such as the equalizer or noise cancellation function).

[0008] One example of a technology for improving the workability of hearing aid fitting is the hearing aid effectiveness measurement device described in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 7-95695). This hearing aid effectiveness measurement device consists of a sound-insulating cup with an open end, large enough to completely enclose the entire auricle where the hearing aid is worn, and a signal generator located inside the sound-insulating cup that outputs test sounds. The sound-insulating cup is circular, with sound-absorbing material lining its inner wall and cushioning material attached to the periphery of the opening. The sound-insulating cup is placed over each ear so that the cushioning material completely encloses the auricle where the hearing aid is worn, and the test sound is applied to the ear where the hearing aid is worn. If the hearing aid is worn in both ears, the other ear is tested in the same manner. The characteristic diagram allows for easy and accurate measurement of whether the hearing aid is optimally fitted for wear.

[0009] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (JP 2017-175581 A) discloses a hearing aid adjustment device, a hearing aid adjustment method, and a hearing aid adjustment program. The hearing aid adjustment device adjusts parameters including the gain of the hearing aid and includes an input device for inputting adjustment operations for the parameters, and a processor for calculating clarity when the hearing aid is worn or not worn by the wearer. The processor calculates a first clarity using a first gain according to the adjustment operation, calculates a second clarity before the adjustment operation, assists in adjusting the hearing aid based on the first clarity and the second clarity, and can suppress a decrease in clarity due to the adjustment operation of the hearing aid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-95695 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-175581 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, the hearing aid effectiveness measuring device in Patent Document 1 surrounds the entire auricle of the wearer with the sound-insulating cup, and depending on the wearer, if the conditions are different from normal environments and the wearing of the sound-insulating cup causes discomfort, there is a risk that subjective evaluations will vary from person to person, and the evaluation may differ from that in an environment where the sound-insulating cup is not worn.

[0012] Furthermore, the hearing aid fitting device of Patent Document 2 includes a processor, display, input device, etc., making the device complex, large, and expensive. Furthermore, during the first fit and fine adjustment process, guidance is displayed for each frequency band on the display, and the hearing aid fitter must perform the fine adjustment operation while looking at the guidance, which requires the hearing aid fitter to fully master the operation of the hearing aid fitting device.

[0013] In view of these circumstances, the present invention seeks to provide a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device that reduces the psychological burden on the subject during testing, reduces the amount of time required for first-fit adjustment of the hearing aid, and enables testing to be completed in a shorter time, as well as a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method that uses the same.The present invention seeks to provide a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device that is smaller, simpler, lighter, and less expensive, and can be carried around so that testing can be done anywhere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The present invention provides a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device that includes a playback unit that holds a test sound source and can play back the test sound source as test sounds at multiple levels with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB, and an operation unit that operates the playback unit to selectively play back one of the test sounds at each level.

[0015] The hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device stores test sound sources with multiple levels of sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB in the playback unit. Therefore, test sounds with each sound pressure value can be easily reproduced by simply operating the operation unit selectively, providing superior operability compared to conventional sound pressure value manipulation using continuous adjustment. Furthermore, because the playback unit can select and reproduce test sound sources with multiple levels of sound pressure values ​​for each sound pressure value, hardware and software such as circuits required for continuous adjustment of sound pressure values ​​using conventional amplifiers are no longer necessary, resulting in further simplification. The test sound source is sound source information for the test sound. The test sound source is information that becomes a test sound source with multiple levels of sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB, which is effective for confirming hearing aid effectiveness. The test sound source can be sound source information recorded on a recording medium or storage medium such as a CD, DVD, non-volatile memory, or hard disk. The test sound source can be information that becomes a test sound source with multiple levels of sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, within the range of 0 dB to 100 dB that is effective for standard pure tone audiometry, and / or a test sound source with multiple levels of sound pressure values ​​that differ by 2 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more and 20 dB or less, and particularly preferably 5 dB or more and 10 dB or less, within the range of 40 dB to 70 dB that is effective for audiometry tests to measure hearing aid effectiveness.

[0016] The playback unit plays back the stored test sound source as a test sound. The playback unit stores the test sound source and plays back the test sound source as test sounds at multiple levels with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB. Storing the test sound source means storing electronic information that can be converted into sound in a reproducible manner on a recording medium or the like. The playback unit can be a player consisting of hardware such as a CPU, memory, disk drive, hard disk drive, etc., and software such as an operating system, driver software, and application software.

[0017] The playback unit can hold the test sound source by, for example, a phonograph, record, optical recording, electrical recording, magnetic recording, digital recording, etc. The test sound source can be held on a cloud or a server, etc., and downloaded to a storage medium, etc., provided in the playback unit via a communication device provided in the playback unit. The playback unit can hold the test sound source and play it back as test sounds with multiple levels of sound pressure difference of 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 40 dB effective for standard pure tone audiometry, and / or test sounds with multiple levels of sound pressure difference of 2 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 40 dB to 70 dB effective for audiometry tests to measure hearing aid effectiveness.

[0018] The test sound may be any one selected from a plurality of test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB, and reproduced using an amplifier or attenuator, starting from the test sound source with one frequency and one sound pressure value, to a sound selected from a plurality of test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB. The test sound may be any one selected from a test sound source with 2 to 40 sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 40 dB, which is effective for standard pure-tone audiometry, and / or a test sound selected from a plurality of test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 2 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 40 dB to 70 dB, which is effective for hearing tests to measure hearing aid effectiveness, and reproduced.

[0019] The operation unit operates the playback unit. The operation unit selectively plays back one of a plurality of test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in a range of 0 dB to 80 dB. The operation unit alternatively plays back the test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ in a plurality of levels, which are held by the playback unit. The operation unit can operate the amplifier, attenuator, etc., so as to play back the single test sound source held by the playback unit as a test sound with one sound pressure value selected from a plurality of sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in a range of 0 dB to 80 dB. The operation unit can selectively play back one of two to 40 test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 40 dB, which is effective for standard pure tone audiometry, and / or one of multiple test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 2 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 40 dB to 70 dB, which is effective for confirming the hearing aid effectiveness in hearing aid effectiveness measurement.

[0020] The present invention provides a hearing aid effect confirmation device that has a playback unit that holds 2 to 10 test sound sources with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB and can play back the test sound sources individually, and an operation unit that selectively plays back one of the 2 to 10 test sound sources held by the playback unit.

[0021] The test sound source is a sound source of test sounds stored in the playback unit, with sound pressure values ​​ranging from 0 dB to 80 dB and differing by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in 2 to 10 levels. The test sound source can be a recording medium or storage medium on which information about the test sounds is recorded. Furthermore, the test sound source can be a recording medium or storage medium on which information about the test sounds is recorded in a plurality of partitioned tracks. The test sound source can be a recording medium or storage medium that allows audio information to be recorded, partially erased, rewritten, or overwritten.

[0022] The hearing aid effect confirmation device can be housed in a lightweight housing with an easy-to-carry size and shape, and the playback unit can have speakers and / or headphones worn by the subject. The hearing aid effect confirmation device can simultaneously emit ambient sound based on a source of ambient environmental sound such as noise, in addition to a test sound based on the test sound source. The playback unit can store multiple ambient environmental sound sources such as everyday noises and background noises, and select one or more of the ambient environmental sound sources to play (or play multiple selected ambient environmental sound sources simultaneously).

[0023] The present invention can be a hearing aid effect confirmation device, wherein the playback unit has a sound source storage unit that stores test sound sources of 2 to 10 levels with different sound pressure values, and a sound source playback unit that selectively plays back the test sound sources stored in the sound source storage unit, and the operation unit has a playback switch that operates the sound source playback unit to play back one test sound source selected from the 2 to 10 levels of test sound sources stored in the sound source storage unit.

[0024] The sound source storage unit stores the test sound source. The sound source storage unit can be a recording medium or storage medium such as a CD, DVD, nonvolatile memory, or hard disk. The sound source storage unit can have a wired transceiver or a wireless transceiver and antenna, communication software, reader / writer hardware and reader / writer software for recording, deleting, etc. the test sound source, and can receive and update the test sound source from an external transmitter.

[0025] The sound source playback unit plays the test sound source stored in the sound source storage unit. The sound source playback unit can be composed of various players such as a CD player, a DVD player, a CPU, a memory, a media drive device, driver software, a media player, playback software, etc. The sound source playback unit can include, for example, a player that reads and outputs the test sound source, an amplifier or amplifier that amplifies the output of the player, a control unit that controls the player and amplifier, and a speaker that receives a signal from the amplifier and outputs sound. It is preferable that the speaker output the entire frequency range of the test sound source, from low to high frequencies, from a single speaker.

[0026] The play switch operates the sound source play unit. The play switch operates the sound source play unit to play one test sound source selected from the multiple levels of test sound sources stored in the sound source storage unit. The play switch can be a plurality of play switches or play buttons (e.g., 2 to 10 corresponding to each level), one for each of the multiple levels (e.g., 2 to 10 levels) of test sound sources. The play switch can operate the sound source play unit to play one test sound source selected from 2 to 5 levels of test sound sources stored in the sound source storage unit, for example. The play switch can be 2 to 5 play switches or play buttons, one for each of the test sound sources having sound pressure values ​​that differ in 2 to 5 levels in a range of 40 dB to 80 dB.

[0027] The present invention may be the hearing aid effect confirmation device, wherein the test sound source is recorded information of a reading voice. By playing back the reading audio, the subject can predict the next words based on the content and story of the reading. For example, if the "yo" or "za" in "Good morning, everyone" is difficult to hear, the hearing aid can supplement the audio and allow the subject to hear sounds closer to everyday life, thereby making it more efficient to confirm the effectiveness of the hearing aid. The reading audio can be a voice of a man, woman, adult, elderly person, or child, reading aloud or reciting verse or prose such as a story, piece of writing, poetry, news, or critique. The reading audio can also be replaced with the audio of a storytelling performance such as rakugo, stand-up comedy, kodan, or manzai.

[0028] The hearing aid effect verification device may be configured so that the sound source storage unit stores test sound sources of multiple read voices that differ in sound pressure value, frequency, content or story, male voice, female voice, reading speed, etc. The playback unit may have a content selection control circuit, content selection control device, or content selection control unit that can select and output one test sound source based on the content or story from among the multiple test sound sources with different contents or stories. The playback unit may have a gender selection control circuit, gender selection control device, or gender selection control unit that can select either a male voice or a female voice from the multiple test sound sources of male voices or female voices. The playback unit may also have a speed selection control circuit, speed selection control device, or speed selection control unit that can select one reading speed from the multiple test sound sources with different reading speeds.

[0029] The present invention provides a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method that uses the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device, which performs a pre-listening distinction test process in which one test sound source is selectively played back from the test sound sources with gradually different sound pressure values, and a post-listening distinction test process in which another test sound source different from the one test sound source is selectively played back from the test sound sources with gradually different sound pressure values.

[0030] The pre-listening discrimination test process selectively plays one test sound source from among the test sound sources with gradually varying sound pressure values, eliminating the need for sound pressure value adjustment as in the past, shortening test time and improving test efficiency. The pre-listening discrimination test process can selectively play one test sound source from among 2 to 10 test sound sources with different sound pressure values ​​in a range of 40 dB to 80 dB for different frequencies, such as 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz. The pre-listening discrimination test process can selectively play one test sound source from among 2 to 5 test sound sources with different sound pressure values ​​in the range of 50 dB to 70 dB for different frequencies, such as 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz.

[0031] In the post-listening discrimination test step, when a test sound source different from the one test sound source is selectively played back from the test sound sources having stepwise different sound pressure values, the test sound played back in the pre-listening discrimination test step and the test sound played back in the post-listening discrimination test step have stepwise different sound pressure values, making it easier for the test subject to distinguish more clearly. In the post-listening discrimination test step, for example, a test sound source different from the one test sound source can be selectively played back from the test sound sources having 2 to 10 stepwise different sound pressure values ​​for each different frequency, such as 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz. The post-listening discrimination test step can selectively play back one test sound source different from the one test sound source among two to five test sound sources with different sound pressure values ​​in the range of 50 dB to 70 dB for each different frequency, for example, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, 6000 Hz, etc.

[0032] In the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method of the present invention, a neck speaker is worn around the neck of the wearer, and surrounding environmental sounds such as the hustle and bustle of town, conversations in a store, the sound of dishes, sounds from a construction site, noise from a factory or airport, etc. are played back through the neck speaker, making it possible to test the ease of hearing aids in everyday environmental sounds or under noisy conditions. Alternatively, in the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method of the present invention, a single speaker and / or headphones in the playback unit of the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device of the present invention can simultaneously play surrounding environmental sounds such as noise in addition to the test sound based on the test sound source. [Effects of the Invention]

[0033] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device that reduces the psychological burden on the subject during testing, reduces the labor required for first-fit adjustment of the hearing aid, and enables testing to be completed in a shorter time, as well as a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method that uses the same.It is also possible to provide a hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device that is smaller, simpler, lighter, and less expensive, and can be carried around so that testing can be done anywhere. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are block diagrams showing the basic configuration of a hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 of the present invention. (A) is a block diagram showing the most basic configuration of a hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 of the present invention. (B) is a block diagram of a hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 in which multiple test sound sources 4 are stored in a sound source storage unit 3. [Figure 2] Block diagram of a hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 having a playback switch 9 corresponding to each test sound source 4. [Figure 3] Block diagram of the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 in which the playback switch 9 operates the amplifier 6 [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 and a measurement room 100 according to the present invention; [Figure 5] Speech hearing level - speech intelligibility graph [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a questionnaire 610 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a questionnaire 600 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Hereinafter, the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 according to this embodiment and the hearing aid effect confirmation method using the same will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (Hearing aid effectiveness verification device 1) In particular, this embodiment is a hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 that has a playback unit 2 that holds a test sound source 4 and can play back the test sound source 4 as test sounds with multiple levels of sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in the range of 0 dB to 80 dB, and an operation unit 8 that operates the playback unit 2 so as to selectively play back one of the multiple, stepwise different audible sounds.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1(A), (B), 2 and 4(A), the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 has a sound source storage unit 3, a sound source playback unit 5 and an operation unit 8. The sound source storage unit 3 stores a test sound source 4. The sound source storage unit 3 can be removable media such as a CD (registered trademark: Compact Disc), a DVD (registered trademark: Digital Versatile Disc), or a flash memory, as well as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The sound source storage unit 3 can be non-volatile memory that can be overwritten or not.

[0037] The test sound source 4 is recorded information of test sounds, and can be, for example, recorded information of test sounds with 2 to 10 different sound pressure levels in the range of 40 dB to 80 dB. The test sound source 4 can be recorded information of nine test sounds: 40 dB, 45 dB, 50 dB, 55 dB, 60 dB, 65 dB, 70 dB, 75 dB, and 80 dB. Alternatively, the test sound source 4 can be recorded information of five test sounds: 50 dB, 55 dB, 60 dB, 65 dB, and 70 dB. Furthermore, the test sound source 4 can be recorded information of three test sounds: 50 dB, 60 dB, and 70 dB.

[0038] The test sound source 4 can be analog information or digital information, for example, a data file in any music format such as WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MPEG, MP3, MP4, AAC, WMA, etc. The test sound source 4 records recording information of each test sound with gradually different sound pressure values ​​on each of a plurality of tracks set in the sound source storage unit 3, and can read the recording information of each test sound with any one sound pressure value from the corresponding track and output it to the sound source playback unit 5.

[0039] The test sound source 4 may be a voice reading a story. It may also be audio information such as "aiueo" (Japanese aloud) or "iroha ni ho he to" (Japanese alphabet). For example, the test sound source 4 may be a male voice and a female voice recorded on different tracks, and the operation unit 8 may have buttons for selecting the male voice and the female voice, allowing the male voice or the female voice to be selected and played back. Alternatively, the test sound source 4 may be text information, and the operation unit 8 may have buttons for selecting the male voice and the female voice. The sound source playback unit 5 may include an input / output unit, a memory unit, a control unit, a calculation processing unit, and text-to-speech software, and the text-to-speech software may be capable of selecting the male voice or the female voice, and generate a voice with a selected sound pressure value in the male or female voice based on the text information.

[0040] The sound source reproducing unit 5 can have a player 50 that reads and reproduces the test sound source 4 stored in the sound source storage unit 3, an amplifier unit (amplifier) ​​6 that amplifies the output of the player 50, a reproducing unit (speaker) 7 that receives the signal amplified by the amplifier 6 and converts it into sound, and a control unit 51 that controls the player 50 and amplifier 6. The control unit 51 can be, for example, an IC, an LSI, a microcomputer having a CPU and memory, a relay circuit, a trigger circuit, or the like.

[0041] The operation unit 8 operates the control unit 51. The operation unit 8 may be a playback switch 9 provided in the same number as the number of the test sound sources 4, so that one of the plurality of test sound sources 4 having stepwise different sound pressure values ​​corresponds to one of the test sound sources 4. The operation unit 8 may be, for example, a total of three playback switches 9, so that one of the three test sound sources 4 having stepwise different sound pressure values ​​corresponds to one of the test sound sources 4. The three playback switches 9 may be operated to emit sounds of respective sound pressure levels, for example, quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), and loud (70 dB).

[0042] 2, in the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1, when one of the play switches 9 is operated, the control unit 51 controls the player 50. The player 50, controlled by the control unit 51, reads and outputs one of the three test sound sources 4 stored in the sound source storage unit 3, for example, quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), and loud (70 dB), which have sound pressure values ​​that vary in three steps of 10 dB increments within a range of 50 dB to 70 dB.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the amplifier 6, under the control of the control unit 51, outputs the test sound information stored in the sound source storage unit 3, for example, one of the sound pressure values ​​of quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), or loud (70 dB), corresponding to whichever of the playback switches 9 was operated. The speaker 7, having received the test sound information, can output the test sound, for example, one of the sound pressure values ​​of quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), or loud (70 dB), corresponding to whichever of the playback switches 9 was operated, without the need for adjusting the sound pressure value.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4(A), the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 can have a main body 10 consisting of a rectangular cubic or rectangular parallelepiped housing made of corkboard. The main body 10 has one speaker 7 on the front, and three playback switches 9 and a power button 80 on the top. The power button 80 can be used to turn the main power on and off. Each of the three playback switches 9 has a sound pressure level display 90 for quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), and loud (70 dB).

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 can have a sound pressure control unit 60 in the sound source playback unit 5. The sound pressure control unit 60 controls the amplifier 6 under the control of the control unit 51, which is operated from the playback switches 9 of the operation unit 8. When any one of the playback switches 9 is operated, the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 has the control unit 51 control the player 50 to read and output the test sound source 4 stored in the sound source storage unit 3. The amplifier 6 can be configured not to adjust the sound pressure value, but to only perform a certain level of amplification to ensure accurate output from the speaker 7. The sound pressure control unit 60, under the control of the control unit 51, controls the amplifier 6, and the amplifier 6, under the control of the sound pressure control unit 60, outputs the test sound information amplified to one of the sound pressure values, for example, quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), or loud (70 dB), corresponding to whichever one of the playback switches 9 has been operated. The speaker 7, having received the test sound information, outputs the test sound amplified to one of the sound pressure values, for example, quiet (50 dB), normal (60 dB), or loud (70 dB), corresponding to whichever one of the playback switches 9 has been operated.

[0046] The hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 may have a frequency conversion unit (not shown) in the sound source reproduction unit 5, which may, for example, generate test sounds with stepwise different sound pressure values ​​for each of a plurality of stepwise different frequencies. The hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 may have a frequency conversion unit (not shown), such as a frequency conversion circuit or variable resistor, in the sound source reproduction unit 5, which may, for example, generate test sounds with stepwise different sound pressure values ​​of 50 dB, 60 dB, and 70 dB for each of a plurality of stepwise different frequencies, such as 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz. The playback switch 9 may have a frequency conversion switch, such as a dial switch, button switch, or slide switch, that operates the frequency conversion unit (not shown).

[0047] (Method for checking hearing aid effect using hearing aid effect checking device 1) As shown in Figures 2, 4(A) and 4(B), when implementing the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method using the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device 1, it is desirable to use a measurement room 100. The measurement room 100 should have an area of, for example, about 2m x 3m, and should be equipped with thick curtains on the windows and walls, sound-absorbing material on the ceiling and walls, carpet on the floor, etc. to minimize echoes of measurement sounds, and the noise level within the room should be kept below 50dB A.

[0048] The speaker 7 of the hearing aid effect confirmation device 1 is set at the same height as the center of the head of the wearer 200, and the distance 300 between the center of the head of the wearer 200 and the speaker 7 is set to 0.5 m to 1 m. It is desirable that the distance 400 from the center of the head of the wearer 200 to the wall and the distance 400 from the speaker 7 to the wall be about 1 m in consideration of echoes.

[0049] The hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method includes a pre-listening discrimination test step of selectively playing one test sound from the three test sounds with gradually varying sound pressure values. The pre-listening discrimination test step involves, for example, operating one of the three playback switches 9 to select one of the three playback switches 9, generating one test sound (one of the soft (50 dB), normal (60 dB), or loud (70 dB) test sounds) corresponding to the selected one playback switch 9, for example, the soft (50 dB) test sound, and performing the test.

[0050] The hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method performs the post-hearing discrimination test step following the pre-hearing discrimination test step. The post-hearing discrimination test step selectively plays back one test sound different from the one test sound among the three test sounds with gradually varying sound pressure values. The post-hearing discrimination test step can, for example, select one of the two playback switches 9 other than the one playback switch 9 selected in the pre-hearing discrimination test step, and generate one test sound corresponding to the one playback switch 9 selected in the post-hearing discrimination test step (either normal (60 dB) or loud (70 dB) other than the soft (50 dB)), for example, a loud (70 dB) test sound corresponding to the one playback switch 9 selected in the post-hearing discrimination test step.

[0051] The hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method can further perform an intermediate hearing test process between the early hearing test process and the late hearing test process, in which one of the two playback switches 9, one for low volume (50 dB) and one for high volume (70 dB), is selected and operated to select normal volume (60 dB), generating the normal (60 dB) test sound and conducting the test.

[0052] The test sound played when each of the playback switches 9 is pressed can be a single sound from the Japanese alphabet, such as "a," "i," or "u." However, it is preferable that the test sound be audible as a whole, such as a story or a meaningful word or phrase. Even in everyday conversation, a single sound (single sound) from the Japanese alphabet is rarely uttered, so this test sound is intended to confirm that conversations and speech can be heard. Furthermore, the sound pressure of a human voice in everyday conversation is typically around 60 dB, with a soft voice at around 50 dB and a loud voice at around 70 dB. Therefore, it is desirable to configure the device so that pressing the three playback switches 9 plays back a story, word, or phrase at a sound pressure of 50 dB, 60 dB, or 70 dB.

[0053] As described above, by selecting the playback switch 9, stories, words, or phrases are played at sound pressures of 50 dB, 60 dB, or 70 dB, and by checking whether they can be heard at each sound pressure, it is possible to confirm the effectiveness of a hearing aid in a manner that is substantially similar to an objective evaluation method, even though it is a subjective evaluation method. For this reason, it is desirable to add an item 611, as shown in Figure 6, to the questionnaire used in conventional subjective evaluations, to create a questionnaire 610 in which the subject writes whether they can hear soft voices (50 dB), normal voices (60 dB), and loud voices (70 dB). As a result, it is possible to confirm the effectiveness of a hearing aid in a simple and time-consuming manner as an alternative to measuring speech intelligibility using objective evaluation methods.

[0054] According to the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method using the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device 1, the operation of the playback switch 9 is simplified and the efficiency of the test is improved, so that, for example, the time required for the first fitting of a hearing aid can be reduced to around 5 to 10 minutes.

[0055] The hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method also operates the frequency conversion switch (not shown) in each of the first hearing classification test process, the middle hearing classification test process, and the last hearing classification test process to generate test sounds with gradually changing sound pressure values ​​of 50 dB, 60 dB, and 70 dB for each of several different frequencies, for example, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz, thereby enabling the effectiveness of the hearing aid to be confirmed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The hearing aid effectiveness confirmation device of the present invention and the hearing aid effectiveness confirmation method using it can be used to confirm the hearing aid effectiveness of people with normal hearing, standard pure tone audiometry tests, confirm the hearing aid effectiveness of hearing aid wearers, first fitting hearing aids, inspecting and fine-tuning hearing aids, and testing the performance of hearing aids. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Hearing aid effectiveness verification device 10 Same body 2 Regeneration Unit 3 Sound source holding part 4 Test sound source 5 Sound source playback section 50 Same Player 51 Control Unit 6 Amplifier (amplification section) 60 Sound pressure control section 7 Speaker (playback section) 8 Operation Unit 80 Same as power button 9 Playback switch 90 Sound pressure level display 100 measurement room 200 recipients 300 Distance between the center of the head of the wearer 200 and the speaker 7 400 Distance from the center of the head of wearer 200 (speaker 7) to the wall 500 Sound Level Meter 600 Traditional Questionnaire 610 Questionnaire used in this embodiment

Claims

1. a playback unit that holds a test sound source and is capable of playing back the test sound source as test sounds at multiple levels with sound pressure values ​​that differ by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in a range of 0 dB to 80 dB; an operation unit for operating the reproduction unit to selectively reproduce the test sounds at the plurality of stages; A hearing aid effect confirmation device having the above structure.

2. a playback unit that holds test sound sources of 2 to 10 levels, each of which has a sound pressure value that differs by 1 dB or more, preferably 4 dB or more, in a range of 0 dB to 80 dB, and can play back the test sound sources individually; an operation unit that selectively reproduces the test sound sources of 2 to 10 stages held by the reproduction unit; A hearing aid effect confirmation device having the above structure.

3. The regeneration unit comprises: a sound source storage unit that stores test sound sources with 2 to 10 different sound pressure levels; a sound source reproducing unit that selectively reproduces the test sound source stored in the sound source storage unit; and The operation unit a playback switch for operating the sound source playback unit to play back one test sound source selected from the test sound sources of 2 to 10 stages held in the sound source holding unit; 3. The hearing aid effect confirmation device according to claim 2.

4. 4. The hearing aid effect confirmation device according to claim 2, wherein the test sound source is recorded information of a reading voice.

5. a pre-listening test step of selectively playing one test sound source among the test sound sources having stepwise different sound pressure values; a post-listening differentiation test step of selectively playing back one test sound source different from the one test sound source among the test sound sources with stepwise different sound pressure values; A hearing aid effect confirmation method using the hearing aid effect confirmation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which performs the following steps.

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