Using limitations of the auditory system to optimize hearing-aid design

Authors

  • Julie Neel Weile Clinical Evidence & Communication, Oticon A/S Headquarters, Smørum, Denmark
  • Michael Nilsson Clinical Evidence & Communication, Oticon A/S Headquarters, Smørum, Denmark
  • Thomas Behrens Clinical Evidence & Communication, Oticon A/S Headquarters, Smørum, Denmark

Abstract

Recent research has demonstrated that people with hearing impairment have limited ability to take advantage of temporal fine structure information (Strelcyk and Dau, 2009; Hopkins and Moore, 2011). This means that they will not be able to fully utilize auditory cues, such as interaural time differences and detailed pitch perception, which rely on such information. On the other hand, this reduced ability can also be used to improve on certain aspects of hearing-aid functionality. One such area is feedback suppression. Many of the latest hearing-aid introductions feature feedback suppression algorithms which apply a slight frequency shift to de-correlate the hearing-aid output from the input and thus minimize the risk of feedback. This paper will review evidence on temporal fine-structure abilities and relate this to how hearing-aid feedback systems can be designed to achieve a dual goal: to optimize the perceived sound quality of the listener with hearing impairment, whilst minimizing the occurrence of feedback.

References

Ardoint, M., Sheft, S., Fleuriot, P., Garnier, S., and Lorenzi, C. (2010). “Perception of temporal fine-structure cues in speech with minimal envelope cues for listeners with mild-to-moderate hearing loss,” Int. J. Audiol., 49, 823-831.

Hietkamp, R.K., Andersen, M.R., Kristensen, M.S., Pontoppidan, N.H., and Lunner, T. (2010). “The TFS1-test reveals mild hearing loss,” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

Hopkins, K., and Moore, B.C.J. (2007). “Moderate cochlear hearing loss leads to a reduced ability to use temporal fine structure information,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 122, 1055-1068.

Hopkins, K., and Moore, B.C.J. (2011). “The effects of age and cochlear hearing loss on temporal fine structure sensitivity, frequency selectivity, and speech reception in noise,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 130, 334-349.

Moore, B.C.J. (2007). “The role of temporal fine structure in normal and hearing impaired hearing,” in Auditory Signal Processing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners, 1st International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, Helsingør, Denmark.

Moore, B.C.J., and Sęk, A. (2009). “Development of a fast method for determining sensitivity to temporal fine structure,” Int. J. Audiol., 48, 161-171.

Strelcyk, O., and T. Dau (2009). “Relations between frequency selectivity, temporal fine-structure processing, and speech reception in impaired hearing,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 125, 3328-3345.

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Published

2013-12-15

How to Cite

Weile, J. N., Nilsson, M., & Behrens, T. (2013). Using limitations of the auditory system to optimize hearing-aid design. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 4, 255–262. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2013-27

Issue

Vol. 4 (2013): Auditory Plasticity - Listening with the Brain

Section

2013/5. Design and evaluation of hearing-aid signal processing

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