• Korean Journal of Audiology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 2020

Background and Objectives: Bilateral microphones with contralateral routing of signal (BiCROS) hearing aid is an option for hearing rehabilitation in individuals with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL). The clinical factors influencing the trial and purchase of BiCROS were investigated. Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 78 patients with ASNHL who were recommended to use BiCROS and analyzed the demographic and audiological factors influencing the trial and purchase of BiCROS. Results: Among the 78 patients, 52 (66.7%) availed of the free BiCROS trial and 21 (26.9%) purchased BiCROS. The mean pure tone audiometry (PTA) air conduction (AC) threshold of the better- and worse-hearing ears were 44.2±12.8 dB and 90.7±22.5 dB HL, respectively. The decision for trial or purchase of BiCROS was not influenced by age, sex, duration of hearing loss of the worse-hearing ear, or PTA AC threshold or speech discrimination score of both ears. The first and third quartiles of the PTA AC thresholds for the better-hearing ear of BiCROS buyers were 38.75 dB and 53.75 dB HL, respectively. The counterpart values for the worse-hearing ear were 72.50 dB and 118.75 dB HL, respectively. Conclusions: The clinical factors analyzed in this study were found to be irrelevant to the trial and purchase of BiCROS in patients with ASNHL. Nevertheless, the distribution range of the auditory thresholds of the subjects using BiCROS can be a useful basis for the counseling of patients with ASNHL and selection of candidates for BiCROS use.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
• /
• 2005.11a
• /
• pp.454-455
• /
• 2005

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.115-126
• /
• 2016

Audiometric calibration is a prerequisite for securing the reliability of audiometric test results by checking the internal consistency of the relevant instrument. The purpose of this review is to help instrument operators understand the calibration procedure of aural acoustic immittance instrument which is frequently used for objective assessment. By referring to the latest international standards and the national standards relevant to the aural acoustic immittance instrument, the following parameters will be reviewed: 1) introduction of performance characteristics, 2) detailed procedure of the calibration method. According to the newest international and national standards [IEC 60645-5 (2004), ANSI S3.39-1987 (R2012)], the aural acoustic immittance instrument basically includes six components: 1) calibration cavity, 2) acoustic immittance analysis system, 3) probe assembly/unit and signal, 4) pneumatic air-pressure pump system, 5) acoustic reflex activator system and 6) tympanogram and acoustic reflex plotting system, each of these components should meet set standards. The result of behavioral hearing tests is influenced by various complex factors including the examinee's cooperation, background noise of the examination room, measurement method, skill level of the audiologist and calibration status, but the objective hearing tests is more influenced by the calibration status of the instrument than any other factors. The audiologist should take full responsibility for the reliability of the hearing test result, so he/she should carry out the calibration check and adjustments of aural acoustic immittance instrument periodically and maintain the instrument continuously by referring to the newest standards and the manufacturer's instruction manual.

• Smart Media Journal
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 2018

This paper presents a study on adapting optical communication technology using infrared ray for the enhancement of hearing aids in noisy environment. The transmitter module containing microphone and infrared ray-emitting diode converts audio signal to infrared optical signal and sends it out in the air. The receiver module located in a distance receives the infrared signal, converts it to electrical signal, and transfers it to an input of a digital hearing aid. Especially, the receiver module needs to be small, low voltage, and consume low power since it will be attached to hearing aids. Experiments with applying infrared communication technology of digital modulation method and analog non-modulation method show that the analog non-modulation method is adequate for infrared communication of approximately 5m distance indoor. Prototypes of transmitter module and receiver module were manufactured, and internal parameters of the digital hearing aid were adjusted to confirm normal transmit-receive operation of audio signals.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
• /
• 1976.06a
• /
• pp.87.1-87
• /
• 1976

Bekesy measured the sound transformation system of the middle ear 49 years ago. According to his reports, a ratio between the size of ear drum and the size of oval window is 17 : 1, and the lever function of the ossicles is physiologically 1.3 : 1. Therefore, the hearing might be aggravated to 27.5㏈ in the case of the vanishment of 3 ossicles. In 1952, Wullstein reported 5 types of tympanop-lasty and the fourth type among them was especially named for the sound-protection. The oval window is only exposed by the sound pressure and the round window is not exposed. According to the application by this idea, the post-operative hearing might be improved until 27.5㏈. Mean while, in 1942, Onchi verified through his experiment that the results of Bekesy's measurement was not completely conformed to Onchi result. Bekesy measured the sound pressure on the stapes plate of the oval window, on the other hand, Onchi measured the sound pressure on the surface of the perilymph of the oval window after removing the stapes plate(Fig. 1).(Figure omitted) The difference of their experiment is recognized that the impedance of the stapes plate exists or not (Fig. 1). Both Audiogrums are compared as Fig. 2. The result of IV type of tympanoplasty is success ful in 54% as the Table 1. (Table Omitted) The reason of unsatisfactory is caused by the thick and unmovable window-membrane and by the closing of air passage to the round window. The closing of the air passage to the round window is occurred by the adhesion between the grafting membrane and the surface of promontorium. In order to preserve this adhesion, I produce to transplantate the mucous membrane of the lip to the bone surface of tympanic cavity after removing the granulation tissue of the tympanic cavity and to form a membranous canal for the sake of air passage (Fig. 3). (Figure Omitted) The post-operative hearing by this method is shown as Fig. 4, 5. In other words, the post-operative sound pressure entered into the cochlea directly, by way of the oval window only, not by way of the round window, as a theorie of the sound protection. (Figure omitted)

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.153-159
• /
• 2007

Usually equal noise exposure is considered to cause symmetrical hearing loss, but some screening audiometries of employees who were exposed to noise showed asymmetry. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the distribution of asymmetrical hearing loss and the difference of air conduction level between left and right ear at the different frequencies (500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 6,000 Hz). Study subjects were 326 male employees who had participated in the noise-specific health examination from May to October, 2002. They were evaluated by otoscopic examination, pure tone audiometry and tympanometry. In all frequencies, hearing threshold level of left ear was worse than right ear. The mean interaural threshold differences between two ears were 0.83 dB at 500 Hz, 1.18 dB at 2,000 Hz, 2.29 dB at 3,000 Hz, 2.18 dB at 4,000 Hz, and statistically significant (p<0.05). The hearing loss of left ear was greater than right ear in occupationally noise-exposed workers. It is believed that left ear was more susceptible to noise damage than right ear

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.30 no.3 s.58
• /
• pp.623-629
• /
• 1997

This is cross-sectional study to evaluate a potential relationship between air conduction hearing threshold and blood viscosity in normal adult males(n=1677). We measured hearing threshold in frequency level at 500, 1000, 2000, 4000Hz by pure-tone audiometry and RBC profiles containing red cell number, hemoglobin, hematocrit. Blood viscosity are replaced by hematocrit that are one major factor of influencing blood viscosity. PTAs(pure-tone averages) are measured by hearing threshold averages level at 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz. Grades of PTAs(pure-tone averages) are divided three groups that are less then 10.0dB group, between 10.0-19.9dB group and excess 20.0dB. The results shows significant association among hematocrit, red cell number and hearing loss(age adjust by ANACOVA).

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.24 no.7
• /
• pp.379-386
• /
• 2005

Among various kinds of hearing aids which have been developed so far. the conventional air conduction hearing aids have some problems such as the acoustic distortion, an howling effect due to acoustic feedback. Another type of hearing aid. the cochlear implant system can be applied to the profound imparied person. However. it shows the disadvantage that there is no possibility of recovery of the acoustic organ such as ossicle. On the other hand. the implantable middle ear heaving device directly vibratos the ossicular chain and has better sound qualify. good cosmetics for appearance. and wide frequency responses so that it can overcome the defects or the conventional hearing aids. In this paper, a mathematical modeling and a momentum equation derivation of the DET has been performed. For the optimization of the structure dimension generating maximal vibrating force of the DET. the computer simulation using a finite element analysis (FEA) software has been performed. Also. the vibrating transducer has been designed to make the frequency characteristics or the transducer be similar to those of the normal middle ear. Through the experimental results, the measured vibration characteristics of the DET has been evaluated to verify the performance for the application to implantable middle ear hearing devices.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.136-145
• /
• 1999

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic slovents and noise on hearing loss. We selected organic solvents exposed group of 32 cases, noise exposed group of 31 cases, both noise and solvent exposed group of 31 cases, and control group of 53 cases and studied the relation between exposure level of noise and organic solvents and degree of hearing loss. The results were as follows. The subjects under investigation were exposed to noise and organic solvents under threshold limit values and the amount of urinary hippuric acid excretion were also under biological exposure indices. In case of noise, both noise and organic solvents exposed group and noise exposed group were more exposed than organic solvents exposed group(p<0.05). When urinary hippuric acid excretion were concerned, both noise iud organic solvents exposed group and organic solvents exposed group showed higher values than noise exposed group(p<0.05). In comparison of mean auditory threshold values by frequency, on the air conduction test, both noise and organic solvents exposed group showed significantly higher hearing loss than noise exposed group in 500Hz of right ear, 500 and 2000Hz of left ear(p<0.05). Forty-three cases among 147 subjects were regarded as hearing loss group and average age(42.6years) of hearing loss group was higher than normal groups average age of 38.0 years. Urinary hippuric acid excretions of hearing loss group were significantly higher than normal group(p<0.05). Thirty-eight percent(12cases) of noise exposed group, 40.6 $\%$(13cases) of organic solvents exposed group, 51.6 $\%$(16cases) of both noise and organic solvents exposed group, and 3.8 $\%$(2cases) of unexposed group were regarded as hearing losers. Exposed groups showed higher incidence of hearing loss than unexposed group but there were no significant differences among the exposed groups. The variables showing significant correlation with hearing loss were age and the amount of hippuric acid in urinary excretion. When age were adjusted for the purpose of seeing the effects of hearing losses due to organic solvent, urinary excretion of hippuric acids was the only variable with significant correlation with hearing loss (p<0.05). When odds ratio to hearing loss between control and exposed groups was considered, noise exposed group showed 6.1 times (95 $\%$ CI: 3.3-8.7), organic solvents exposed group showed 7.4 times (95 $\%$ CI: 3.5-14.6) and both noise and organic solvents exposed group showed 17.2 times(95% CI: 5.6-31.8) higher values than unexposed group(p<0.01). Above results suggest that health screening test of hearing loss is also needed in organic solvents exposed workers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
• /
• 1999.06a
• /
• pp.127-132
• /
• 1999

The inlet pressure build-up at the leading edge of bearings which have discontinuous lubrication surface is analyzed theoretically. The analyses of Inlet pressure build-up is obtained by means of full Navier-stokes equations. Beam-warming method is used to solve navier-stokes equations. The results show that inlet pressure is above atmosphere pressure in front of leading edge of hearing.