Self-Fitting Hearing Aid with Real-Ear Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hearing aids require real-ear analyzers and professional assistance for adjustments, which are inefficient and prone to errors due to individual ear characteristics, limiting the availability of accurate, real-time, and customized hearing solutions for hearing-impaired individuals.
Innovation Solution
A self-fitting hearing compensation device with real-ear measurement using transducers and wireless communication to perform gain compensation, calculating energy distribution, and adjusting filter parameters for personalized hearing aid settings without the need for a real-ear analyzer or professional assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional real-ear analyzer with probe is used for hearing aid adjustment, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and requirement for professional assistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the real-ear measurement function from the complex conventional real-ear analyzer system and integrates it directly into the hearing aid device itself. The hearing aid includes an ear canal microphone that measures real-ear responses internally, eliminating the need for external probe microphones and real-ear analyzers. This extraction principle reduces device complexity while maintaining measurement accuracy by embedding the measurement capability within the hearing aid.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearing aid device performs multiple functions: it provides hearing amplification, conducts real-ear measurements, processes measurement data, and automatically adjusts its own fitting parameters. By making the hearing aid universal and multi-functional, the system eliminates the need for separate professional equipment and assistance, resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and system complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional real-ear test is performed in audiometric testing room with hearing professional, then measurement reliability is improved, but productivity and immediate availability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing aid system performs self-measurement and self-adjustment of fitting parameters. The embedded ear canal microphone captures real-ear responses, the processor analyzes the data, and the system automatically adjusts amplification parameters without requiring a hearing professional to perform manual measurements or adjustments. This self-service capability maintains reliability while dramatically improving productivity and immediate availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the ear canal microphone continuously monitors real-ear responses, the processor compares measurements against target criteria, and the hearing aid automatically adjusts its parameters. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures reliable measurements and adjustments can be performed quickly and accurately without professional intervention, resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
3Ease of operation
If average ear information is used in software prediction, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision of fitting accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the parameters used for fitting predictions. Instead of relying solely on static average ear data, the system incorporates real-time measurements from the ear canal microphone to capture individual ear canal characteristics. The processor uses these actual measurements to adjust and refine the fitting parameters, transitioning from generic average values to personalized parameters that account for individual variations in ear anatomy, thereby improving fitting accuracy while maintaining ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate, real-time, and automated hearing aid adjustments in a non-audiometric environment, providing customized solutions for hearing-impaired individuals without the need for specialized equipment or professionals.
Implementation Method 1
a first transducer configured to receive a first test signal from a device and convert the first test signal into a first electrical signal
Implementation Method 2
a second transducer connected to the first hearing compensation module, wherein the second transducer converts the gain-compensated first electrical signal into sound and transmits the sound into an ear canal
Implementation Method 3
a third transducer configured to synchronously convert the sound transmitted in the ear canal into a second electrical signal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1-1
Figure 2
AI summary
A self-fitting hearing compensation device with real-ear measurement is provided and includes: a first transducer, which receives a first test signal from a device and converts the first test signal into a first electrical signal; a first hearing compensation module, which is connected to the first transducer and performs gain compensation on the first electrical signal; a second transducer, which is connected to the first hearing compensation module, converts the gain-compensated first electrical signal into sound, and transmits the sound into an ear canal; and a third transducer, which synchronously converts the sound transmitted in the ear canal into a second electrical signal, so as to transmit the second electrical signal to the device via a wireless transmission network. In addition, a self-fitting hearing compensation method and a computer program product are also provided.