Hearing Prosthesis Assistance for Speech Perception in Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing prostheses, such as cochlear implants, struggle to effectively enhance sound perception in noisy environments and adjust settings based on ambient conditions, leading to suboptimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a hearing prosthesis and a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone or smartwatch, that captures sound input, processes it, and provides real-time adjustments or notifications to enhance sound perception by analyzing ambient noise and suggesting settings changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hearing aids use air conduction to amplify sound, then sound transmission to the cochlea is achieved, but effectiveness in noisy environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a portable electronic device as an intermediary between the acoustic environment and the hearing prosthesis. This device captures ambient sound, processes it to identify speech signals, and provides assistance data to the prosthesis, thereby mediating the harmful effect of noisy environments on sound perception
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the portable device continuously monitor the acoustic environment, analyze speech signals, and provide real-time assistance data back to the hearing prosthesis. This feedback loop enables dynamic adaptation to changing acoustic conditions, improving reliability in noisy environments
2Reliability
If hearing prostheses convert sound to electrical stimulation, then sound perception is restored, but adaptability to different acoustic conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the hearing prosthesis system dynamic by introducing real-time environmental analysis through the portable device. The system continuously adapts its processing based on detected speech signals and acoustic conditions, allowing the prosthesis to dynamically adjust its performance rather than operating with fixed parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The portable electronic device performs preliminary action by pre-processing ambient sounds to identify speech signals before they reach the hearing prosthesis. This advance preparation of assistance data allows the prosthesis to better process and interpret speech in challenging acoustic environments
3Use of energy by moving object
If hearing aids amplify all sounds, then overall sound level increases, but speech intelligibility in noise deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing enhanced processing resources specifically toward speech signals rather than uniformly amplifying all sounds. The portable device identifies speech portions in the acoustic environment and provides targeted assistance data, allowing the hearing prosthesis to enhance speech intelligibility while maintaining natural sound quality in other frequency ranges
Data Source
AI summary
A system, including a signal input, a processor a signal output, wherein the processor is configured to generate an instruction related to data related to a recipient of a sensory prosthesis based on input into the signal input, and the signal output is configured to output data indicative of the instruction.