• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 2018

Purpose : Aim of the this study was conducted to determine whether hearing aids are responsible for the quality of life by comparing quality of life between the elderly who are suspected of difficulty in hearing selected by Hearing Handicap Inventory of Elderly (HHIE) without using hearing aids and who are using hearing aids. Methods : For the study, two groups of 33 people were analyzed for independent t-test based on whether they wore Hearing Aids (HA) or not whom wearing hearing aids (hearing aids users) and suspected difficulty in hearing. who are attending the Religious organization Senior Welfare Center in the OO region. Result : The quality of life of hearing aid users is generally observed to be higher than that of non-users in general, and by the section, psychological (p=0.019) and living environment (p=0.032) were appeared statistically signigicant. The elderly showed a significant difference. In the section, "Operation Satisfaction (p=0.038)" in the physical health area, "relationship of reason (p=0.018)" in the social relationship area, "Economic margin (p=0.021)" in the environmental area, "Information accessibility (p=0.020)", In the psychological area, hearing aid was used for "self satisfaction (p=0.033)", "concentration of work (p=0.045)". Conclusion : The use of hearing aids by hearing loss elderly improves the quality of life in the psychological health and living environment section.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.19-25
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• 2004

Hearing aids play an very important role in aural rehabilitation for hearing impaired person who could not be medically treated. Especially, hearing aids with dynamic range compression (level dependent frequency response: LDFR) method concentrated dynamic output range of receiver into the narrowing dynamic range of sensorineural hearing impaired person. Thus, if aided hearing threshold level is improved and uncomfortable loudness level rises, then the users of hearing aids are favored with extended dynamic range. This study aims to evaluate audiological benefits in dynamic range compression hearing aids. To achieve this, pure tone and speech audiometry were examined to 15 children and 3 adults with narrow dynamic range moderate-to-severe binaural sensorineural hearing loss.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2006.10c
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• pp.241-243
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• 2006

In this research, we tried to implement a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)-based hearing aids fitting system to manipulate hearing aids-fitting parameters in the user's local environment. Due to the inherent portability of PDA system, we can consequently perform the hearing aids fitting operation without visiting a special site.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2014

In order to understand those factors to influence the hearing-impaired in connection with their using hearing aids, this study analyzed a total of 521 hearing-impaired people examined by a fourth-year Korea panel survey of employment for the disabled. For the analysis, the study, first, used Andersen-Newman service use model to categorize any influential factors into precedence factors, possibility factors and desire factors, and second, in order to look into how these factors would work on the hearing-impaired's using the hearing aids, the study conducted the logistic regression analysis. According to the results of the analysis, in terms of the precedence factors, when the hearing-impaired people are older and more highly-educated, they would be happier to use the hearing aids while when it comes to the possibility factors, when the gross income of these people is lower but when they are more willing to accept the fact that they have a disability, they would have a fewer problems with using the hearing aids. In addition, regarding the desire factors, when the hearing-impaired people can hear relatively better than the other hearing-impaired, they would be more significantly willing to use the hearing aids. In the light of what has been learned, the study discussed the limits of its research and proposed implications.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.215-221
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• 2017

Audiological rehabilitation by itself can provide satisfactory services through acquisition of background information on hearing loss, audiological evaluation, analysis of electroacoustic characteristics of hearing aids, and determining acoustic gain. However, hearing can be exacerbated, and sound pressure level of hearing aids can be lowered. Moreover, breakdown of hearing aids can happen. Therefore, the early detection of hearing loss and regular follow-up observations are very important. The aim of this study concern the direction of effective audiological rehabilitation by checking the clinical cases where hearing aids fitting failures were found.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.11c
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• pp.577-579
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• 2004

Digital hearing aids enclose $6{\sim}8$ tiny components. Those electromechanical components are individually wired by soldering which is a manual labor and sometimes causes components' damage by heating. This paper suggests a PCB design for overcome these problems. Several PCBs are designed and manufactured and circuited to produce ITE(In The Ear) type hearing aids which are inserted in the ear canal. The most optimal size of the PCB design for the ITE hearing aid is presented in this paper.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.1012-1015
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• 2004

Digital hearing aids enclose $6{\sim}8$ tiny components. Those electromechanical components are individually wired by soldering which is a manual labor and sometimes causes components' damage by heating. This paper suggests a PCB design for overcome these problems. Several PCBs are designed and manufactured and circuited to produce ITE(In-the-Ear) type hearing aids which are inserted in the ear canal. The most optimal size of the PCB design for the ITE hearing aid is presented in this paper.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.23-41
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• 2022

This case research investigates on how hearing aids, which is one of disability aids, is becoming a smart device, focusing on the case of Starkey Hearing Technologies(Starkey Inc.). Starkey, founded in 1967, has been a leader in innovating forms and functions of hearing aids, and has recently introduced the world's first hearing aid implemented with AI and biological sensors. In this study, history of disability aids, hearing aids(especially Starkey Inc.'s), smart wearable devices and smart earphones are compared. It has been found that recently, there has been a breakdown of boundaries between hearing aids and smart wearable devices in terms of their functions, since entertainment and life assistant functions are added to hearing aids. Based on this trend, the development model of disability aids and smart wearable devices are derived, and according social changes are discussed.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.37 no.6
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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.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.3
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• pp.50-56
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• 1998

Frequency transposition (FT) hearing system was designed for individuals with little or no residual hearing at high frequencies. This device compresses and shifts the wide-band, high frequency acoustic energy where important features for speech perception are concentrated to the audible, lower range of frequencies. The usefulness of the FT system was investigated for 12 patients (7 children and 5 adults) with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing losses compared with conventional hearing aids. Results suggest that the hearing impaired can benefit from the FT system with appropriate selection criteria and auditory (re)habilitation program.