Online Hearing Aid Fitting via Software Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing aid fitting systems are complex and require specialized instruments and professional expertise, making them unsuitable for self-administration by non-expert users and resulting in high costs due to the need for multiple clinical visits.
Innovation Solution
An online fitting system that allows non-expert users to interactively adjust hearing aid parameters using a programmable hearing device and a computing device connected to a remote server, delivering sound segments and enabling subjective assessments to refine fitting parameters without clinical instrumentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional hearing aid fitting systems are used with specialized instruments and professional expertise, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the clinical fitting environment through software that simulates professional fitting procedures. The system uses computer-generated test signals and virtual acoustic environments to replicate the functionality of expensive specialized instruments, allowing non-experts to perform fittings with precision comparable to clinical settings without requiring actual REM instruments or soundproof chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical and acoustic measurement systems with software-based signal processing. Instead of using physical probe tubes, REM microphones, and acoustic transducers, the system uses digital signal generation and analysis through standard computer speakers and microphones, substituting mechanical measurement infrastructure with computational methods that achieve comparable precision.
2Measurement precision
If conventional hearing aid fitting systems are used with specialized instruments, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables consumers to perform their own hearing aid fittings without professional assistance. The software provides step-by-step guidance through the fitting process, allowing users to conduct hearing evaluations, adjust parameters, and optimize their devices independently at home, eliminating the need for multiple visits to clinical settings and empowering users to take control of their own hearing health.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms a specialized clinical instrument into a universal tool that can be operated by anyone with a standard computer. The software consolidates multiple professional functions (hearing threshold testing, real-ear measurement, parameter adjustment, verification) into a single integrated application that runs on consumer devices, making advanced hearing aid fitting capabilities universally accessible.
3Measurement precision
If multiple clinical visits are required for hearing aid fitting, then measurement precision and professional oversight are improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs all necessary hearing aid fitting procedures in a single session at home, eliminating the need for multiple sequential clinical visits. The software conducts complete hearing evaluations, initial fittings, verification measurements, and parameter optimizations all in one continuous process that can be completed within hours rather than requiring separate appointments days or weeks apart, dramatically reducing the time loss associated with travel and scheduling.
4Reliability
If conventional fitting systems requiring professional services are used, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates software-based replicas of professional fitting functions that can run on standard consumer computers. The system uses virtual acoustic environments, computer-generated test signals, and algorithmic parameter optimization to replicate the reliability of clinical fittings without requiring the expensive physical infrastructure of soundproof rooms, calibrated acoustic transducers, and specialized measurement instruments.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes a programmable hearing device configured to deliver a sequence of outputs in-situ, each output corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the outputs are delivered according to fitting parameters programmed into the programmable hearing device, and a computing device communicatively coupled online to a remote server. The computing device may be configured to receive a consumer input indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output corresponding to the sound segment being assessed, wherein the fitting application is configured to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input.