Updated: March 15, 2006

Investigator:

Arlene C. Neuman, Ph.D.
New York University School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology

Purpose of this study:

To develop new methods and technologies for the field evaluation of advanced hearing aids.

Project Description:

Hearing aid users rate sound quality and benefit of hearing aids in real environments using a wearable computer system, while we obtain a simultaneous acoustic recording of the environment. This technique will enable the collection of information about how well a hearing aid works in different environments for people with differing degrees of hearing loss. The efficacy of the method will be evaluated in a number of experiments. Once perfected, this methodology could be used by manufacturers and researchers when testing the feasibility of new signal processing techniques and by clinicians in evaluating efficacy of devices for individuals with hearing loss. Ultimately, the information obtained using this methodology should lead to the ability to improve user performance and satisfaction with hearing aids in multiple environments.

Project Progress:

The development of software for categorizing environmental sounds for use in the field evaluation unit is in progress. Experiments have been carried out to determine how the difference in location between the environmental microphone and the hearing aid microphone affected the frequency response of the environmental microphone. This data was necessary to determine a correction between the probe microphone output and the environmental microphone. The experimental measures revealed that the difference between the location of the environmental microphone and the hearing aid microphone resulted in large differences between the output as a function of azimuth. After attempting several solutions, the decision has been made to use behind-the-ear hearing aids for the experiment so that the environmental microphone can be placed adjacent to the hearing aid microphone. This solution should make a straightforward correction between the environmental and probe microphone frequency response.

Recent publications or presentations:

Neuman, A.C. (2006). A new approach to the field evaluation of hearing aids. 2006 Meeting of the American Auditory Society, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Compton-Conley, C., Neuman, A. C., Killion, M.C. and Levitt, H. (2004) Performance of Directional Microphones for Hearing Aids: Real-World vs. Simulation, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 440-455.