• Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.267-274
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• 2018

Objectives. Two main digital signal processing technologies inside the modern hearing aid to provide the best conditions for hearing aid users are directionality (DIR) and digital noise reduction (DNR) algorithms. There are various possible settings for these algorithms. The present study evaluates the effects of various DIR and DNR conditions (both separately and in combination) on listening comfort among hearing aid users. Methods. In 18 participants who received hearing aid fitting services from the Rehabilitation School of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences regularly, we applied acceptable noise level (ANL) as our subjective measure of listening comfort. We evaluated both of these under six different hearing aid conditions: omnidirectional-baseline, omnidirectional-broadband DNR, omnidirectional-multichannel DNR, directional, directional-broadband DNR, and directional-multichannel DNR. Results. The ANL results ranged from -3 dB to 14 dB in all conditions. The results show, among all conditions, both the omnidirectional-baseline condition and the omnidirectional-broadband DNR condition are the worst conditions for listening in noise. The DIR always reduces the amount of noise that patients received during testing. The DNR algorithm does not improve listening in noise significantly when compared with the DIR algorithms. Although both DNR and DIR algorithms yielded a lower ANL, the DIR algorithm was more effective than the DNR. Conclusion. The DIR and DNR technologies provide listening comfort in the presence of noise. Thus, user benefit depends on how the digital signal processing settings inside the hearing aid are adjusted.

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2005년도 창립60주년 기념 추계 학술대회
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• pp.174.1-174.1
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• 2005

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.209-214
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• 2016

Binaural hearing aids with a voice transmitter have been widely used to enhance sound quality in noisy environment. However, this system has a limitation on sound-source localization. In this study, we investigated automatic directional-gain control method using geomagnetic sensors to provide directional information to binaural hearing aid user. The loudness gains of two hearing aids were differently controlled based on the directional information between a speaker position and a viewing direction of hearing aids user. This relative directional information was measured by two geomagnetic sensors on hearing aids user and a speaker. The results showed that the loudness gains were accurately controlled and could provide directional information based on the cue of interaural level differences.

• 한국음향학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.123-129
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• 2017

본 논문은 보청기의 지향성 알고리즘을 실시간으로 실현한 내용을 다루었다. 기존의 시간 영역에서의 시간 지연 기법에 의한 지향성 실현을 디지털 필터 방식으로 처리함으로써 시간 지연 적용이 불가능한 일반 DSP(Digital Signal Processing) 칩으로도 유사한 지향성 패턴을 가능하게 하였다. 시간 지연 기법과 디지털 필터 기법을 각각 Matlab(Matrix laboratory) 기반으로 비교 검증한 후에, 이를 CSR 8675 블루투스 DSP IC(Digital Signal Processing Integrated Circuit) 칩 펌웨어로 실현하고 검증해보였다. 스마트폰으로의 원격 무선 제어 기능으로 스마트 자향성 보청기의 사용자 접근 편의성을 강화시켰다.

• 한국소음진동공학회논문집
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2006

The most recent trend on digital hearing aid is to increase the ratio of signal to noise by directivity or to develop noise reduction algorithm inside DSP IC chip. This paper designed, fabricated and tested a digital hearing aid directivity testing device in which a micro-mouse-like the stepping motor with a speaker rotates around an examinant. Both ears of the examinant were fixed with ITE hearing aids in order to respond to receiving sound. The experimental results were compared with those of a boundary element method program for verification. The diameter of the directivity testing device was 2 m and the micro-mouse was precisely controlled by PICBASIC micro processor.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2005년도 추계학술대회논문집
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• pp.469-474
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• 2005

The most recent trend on digital hearing aid is to increase the ratio of signal to noise by directivity or to develop noise reduction algorithm inside DSP IC chip. This paper designed, fabricated and tested a digital hearing aid directivity testing device in which a micro-mouse-1ike the stepping motor with a speaker rotates around an examinant. Both ears of the examinant were fixed with ITE hearing aids in order to response to receiving sound. The experimental results were compared with a boundary element method program for verification. The diameter of the directivity testing device was 2 [m] and the micro-mouse was precisely controlled by PICBASIC micro processor.

• 대한전자공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전자공학회 2005년도 추계종합학술대회
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• pp.411-414
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• 2005

The most recent trend on digital hearing aid is to increase the ratio of signal to noise by directivity or to develop noise reduction algorithm inside DSP IC chip. This paper designed, fabricated and tested a digital hearing aid directivity testing device in which a micro-mouse-like the stepping motor with a speaker rotates around an examinant. Both ears of the examinant were fixed with ITE hearing aids in order to response to receiving sound. The diameter of the directivity testing device was 2 [m] and the micro-mouse was precisely controlled by PICBASIC micro processor.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.24-33
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• 2013

To enhance the speech perception of hearing aid users in noisy environment, most hearing aid devices adopt various beamforming algorithms such as the first-order differential microphone (DM1) and the two-stage directional microphone (DM2) algorithms that maintain sounds from the direction of the interlocutor and reduce the ambient sounds from the other directions. However, these conventional algorithms represent poor directionality ability in low frequency area. Therefore, to enhance the speech perception of hearing aid uses in low frequency range, our group had suggested a fractional delay subtraction and integration (FDSI) algorithm and estimated its theoretical performance using computer simulation in previous article. In this study, we performed a KEMAR test in non-reverberant room that compares the performance of DM1, DM2, broadband beamforming (BBF), and proposed FDSI algorithms using several objective indices such as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement, a segmental SNR (seg-SNR) improvement, a perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ), and an Itakura-Saito measure (IS). Experimental results showed that the performance of the FDSI algorithm was -3.26-7.16 dB in SNR improvement, -1.94-5.41 dB in segSNR improvement, 1.49-2.79 in PESQ, and 0.79-3.59 in IS, which demonstrated that the FDSI algorithm showed the highest improvement of SNR and segSNR, and the lowest IS. We believe that the proposed FDSI algorithm has a potential as a beamformer for digital hearing aid devices.

• 음성과학
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.197-202
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• 2005

The cochlear implantation(CI) as an useful tool for aural rehabilitation in bilateral severe to profound hearing impairment. However, CI prefer to usually one ear in spite of bilateral hearing impaired. because of the various characteristics of hearing loss, the hearing conservation for the future possibility, and socioeconomic condition of hearing impaired person and their families. The unilateral CI has limitations such as a directional loss, a difficult speech understanding in noise and a neural plasticity. These limitations will be overcome by hearing aid(HA) which is familiar with hearing impairer. but HA fitting for bimodal-binaural hearing are difficult because the difference output characteristic of HA and CI. This study will be confirm realities of use of HA in unilateral cochlear implantee. For this goal, 25(m:f=10:15) child participated who are used to HA for 1 to 17 months. We had telephone interviews with their mother about use of HA, change of auditory performance and own voice. As the results, hearing threshold levels of unimplanted ear, the use of a appropriate HA, implanted and aided hearing threshold level(HTL) are must be considered for successful biomodal-binaural hearing. Especially, implanted and aided HTL should be very useful parameter for a prediction of HA effect and a criterion of selection for bilateral cochlear implantation.