Hearing Aid Fitting via Cognitive Soundmaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing aid fitting methods focus on objective sound quality and noise reduction, failing to adequately address the subjective cognitive interpretation of sound by the user's brain, leading to insufficient speech understanding in noisy environments, especially for those with hearing loss in the 30-50 decibel range.
Innovation Solution
A method and software program that utilize a graphical user interface to control DSP parameters through slidebars, incorporating a soundmap for simultaneous control, and consider the user's cognitive-hearing abilities by focusing on matching incoming sounds with current cognitive links in the brain, rather than relying solely on objective sound quality adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional hearing aid fitting methods focus on objective sound quality and noise reduction, then sound clarity is improved, but speech intelligibility in noisy environments remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional fitting approach by shifting focus from objective sound quality metrics to subjective cognitive interpretation. Instead of optimizing for noise reduction and sound clarity alone, the system optimizes for speech intelligibility and user perception in real-world listening environments, particularly for those with hearing loss in the 30-50 decibel range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by adjusting DSP settings based on cognitive-hearing abilities rather than traditional audiometric data alone. The system modifies gain, compression ratios, and frequency responses to match the user's cognitive processing capabilities, thereby improving speech understanding in noisy environments while maintaining sound clarity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple DSP parameters are adjusted individually during fitting, then sound quality optimization is possible, but fitting complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual parameter adjustments into a unified fitting process. By integrating cognitive-hearing ability assessment with DSP parameter optimization, the system simultaneously determines gain, compression ratios, and frequency responses based on the user's cognitive processing capabilities, reducing the complexity and time required for fitting while maintaining sound quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal fitting approach that works across different hearing loss profiles and cognitive abilities. The system uses a standardized cognitive-hearing assessment that can determine optimal DSP parameters for various users, making the fitting process more efficient and less complex while maintaining personalized sound quality optimization.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If hearing aid fitting eliminates frequencies in dead regions to improve signal to noise ratio, then background noise is reduced, but speech understanding in noisy environments remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach from eliminating frequencies in dead regions to optimizing the distribution of acoustic information across all frequencies based on cognitive-hearing abilities. The system adjusts gain and compression parameters to enhance speech intelligibility in noisy environments, particularly for those with hearing loss in the 30-50 decibel range, rather than simply removing problematic frequencies.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and software program is used by patients for fitting and refitting of a DSP-based hearing assistance device. An audiologist user interface and patient user interface include soundmaps and slidebars to control collections of hearing parameters within the DSP of the device. Based on cognitive testing and training of the patient, the range of adjustment allowed within at least the patient user interface is limited. The software therefore always maintains 100% safety for the patient and/or user to finetune the hearing aid parameters without worrying about selecting parameter values which would leading to slowing the cognitive learning of the patient.