EP1843632A2 - Appareil auditif - Google Patents

Appareil auditif Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1843632A2
EP1843632A2 EP07105065A EP07105065A EP1843632A2 EP 1843632 A2 EP1843632 A2 EP 1843632A2 EP 07105065 A EP07105065 A EP 07105065A EP 07105065 A EP07105065 A EP 07105065A EP 1843632 A2 EP1843632 A2 EP 1843632A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
frequency
sound
ear
hearing aid
oscillation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP07105065A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1843632A3 (fr
Inventor
Manfred Pfeiler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sivantos GmbH
Original Assignee
Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH filed Critical Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
Publication of EP1843632A2 publication Critical patent/EP1843632A2/fr
Publication of EP1843632A3 publication Critical patent/EP1843632A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
    • H04R25/75—Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
    • H04R25/45—Prevention of acoustic reaction, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback
    • H04R25/453—Prevention of acoustic reaction, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback electronically

Definitions

  • hearing aids are increasingly gaining acceptance, as has long been the case with the visual aids, ie the glasses.
  • hearing aids are often more necessary for the hearing impaired than visual aids for the visually impaired in order to fully exercise a profession and / or to be able to participate in social life.
  • Hearing instruments have achieved on the basis of microelectronics and data processing a high level of development, which relates to the recording of the sound signals, their processing and transmission in the ear of the hearing impaired. Due to their miniaturization as behind-the-ear (BTE) or in-the-ear (ITE) devices, these hearing aids are inconspicuous to wear, which plays a role in the safe occurrence of a hearing aid wearing person.
  • BTE behind-the-ear
  • ITE in-the-ear
  • Hearing aids are sound amplifiers in which a microphone converts acoustic signals into electrical signals, in the simplest case amplifies them and feeds the amplified electrical signals to an electro-acoustic transducer, which converts the electrical signals into acoustic ones.
  • the electrical signals may be subjected to signal processing prior to conversion to acoustic, with which one seeks to compensate for specific hearing disorders, e.g. by increasing signal components in frequency ranges in which the hearing loss is impaired.
  • the IdO devices usually consist of a housing, in which all components such as microphone, amplifier, signal processing and an electro-acoustic transducer (listener) are housed.
  • BTE devices are constructed in two parts, namely from the housing to be worn behind the ear and the hearing module located in the ear. This is the sound signals either via existing in a hose connection air or Gas column or supplied by means of an electrical line, in which case the electro-acoustic transducer or receiver is located in the hearing module.
  • Fig. 1 shows the simplified diagram of an ITE device 1, wherein the microphone is located in the interior of the housing 2 at the point 3 and at the point 4 of the electro-acoustic transducer, which converts the amplified and processed electrical signals into acoustic, and which is also referred to below as a handset or acoustic radiator, and which is in the case of a BTE in the hearing module.
  • the microphone at the point 3 of the acoustic wave train 5 runs to the listener at the point 4 emits the acoustic wave train 6.
  • the contact between the wall of the ear canal and / or the wall of parts of the auricle on the one hand and the form-fitting shaped housing of the hearing aid on the other hand or the receiver module serves the necessary soundproofing for acoustic decoupling of the microphone and the hearing module, and thus the avoidance of feedback.
  • the sound waves in the auditory canal one comes from the listener in the hearing device or in the hearing aid Hearing module to the drum field with a low acoustic sound power (and thus a low power consumption of the device), which supports the aforementioned acoustic decoupling.
  • the hearing aid is compared by its character again with the visual aid. Glasses are often used only as needed. A person with farsighted eyes will usually put on glasses only for reading, so that in his field of vision where he sees without glasses unsharp, but the recognition of details is significant to achieve the full visual acuity for viewing.
  • One of the reading glasses in a particularly important point about comparable hearing aids would be one that the signal components with such frequencies for which the hearing shows no weaknesses, the direct access to the drum field allowed, the signal components of the other frequencies but picks up from the sound field, in their Amplitude changes, which is usually gain means, and adds to the sound field. With this property would be connected as it were assumption that the hearing aid or his hearing should not be introduced positively into the ear canal.
  • the hearing aids of the prior art do not have such properties. This is certainly also a reason why many people with increasing hearing loss (contrary to the well-founded advice of hearing aid professionals) only decide to use a hearing aid if it is e.g. becomes essential for normal conversation.
  • the hearing aid 1 and its associated listening module by means of a set over the auricle 7 holder 8 as close to the entrance but still before the entrance of the to place the skull bone 9 passing through and ending at the eardrum 10 outer ear canal 11?
  • the sound emitter or receiver located in the hearing device 1 in or listening module at the point 4 is naturally small and has, for example, an effective emitter surface with the longitudinal extent of about one cm.
  • the radiated sound waves are of comparatively large wavelength;
  • An acoustic oscillation of frequency 100 Hz has a wavelength of about 3.30 m at an acoustic velocity in air of about 330 m / s and about 0.33 m at 1000 Hz.
  • the sound radiator or earpiece of a hearing aid would be considered, as a first approximation, as a point radiator because of its comparatively very small dimensions, which therefore radiates uniformly in all directions according to FIG. 1, which is indicated by the wave train 6.
  • FIG. 1 which is indicated by the wave train 6.
  • this all-round radiation would be additionally reflected and scattered, which is indicated by the different proportions 6 'of wave trains.
  • feedback would be provided via the microphone and thus disorders of the hearing device user and his environment.
  • the hearing module could be compensated for by a higher amplification, with the additional power to be taken from the electric batteries appearing to be tolerable.
  • the susceptibility to unwanted feedback effects would even be increased.
  • the feedback can be kept low enough to avoid the use of undamped oscillations, acoustic signals will be emitted to the environment that are not intended for it.
  • the votes in the environment of the hearing aid 1 sound power would indeed kept to avoid unwanted feedback from the outset small and quickly with increasing distance from the hearing aid, because disproportionately, further downsize.
  • the signals contained in the sound power correspond to those from which they are derived; only that they have gone through the system of the hearing aid 1 and have been changed according to its characteristics.
  • the invention is based on the idea of using the physicischaktustician phenomenon of the so-called Tartini tones, as described by Georg Andreas Sorge, 1703 to 1778 (Literature: Wilhelm H. Westphal, textbook of physics, paragraph 90 "beats, combination tones", Springer-Verlag 1953 ).
  • Equation (24) expresses the signal resulting from the superposition of two sinusoidal oscillations with the different frequencies f 1 and f 2 through a sinusoidal oscillation of half the sum frequency, the amplitude of which changes according to a cosine oscillation of half the difference frequency.
  • a non-linear transmission process of a system is described in terms of system theory of communications engineering, which represents the transmission path from the entrance of the outer ear through the middle ear to the inner tube, in which the sensory or hair cells in the so-called Cortic organ the acoustic signal to transform a nervous, ie an electrical signal.
  • the nonlinear behavior of the entire transmission system may also involve other subsystems, such as the mechanics of sound propagation through the ossicular chain (hammer, anvil, stirrup) in the middle ear or sound conduction or signal transduction processes in the inner ear.
  • the transfer operation is a non-linear with the above-described consequence of the perception of a difference tone of the frequency f 1 - f 2 when the ear two tones with the frequencies f 1 and f 2 are fed, in addition to carry out these two tones even.
  • the tone of the frequency f 0 makes itself the difference tone of these two tones with the frequencies f 0 + f T and f T due to the described nonlinear behavior of the ear given transmission system for the ear noticeable.
  • the desired result remains the non-audible tone having the frequency f T in its amplitude constant and varies the amplitude of the also non-audible Summationstons with the frequency f 0 + f T is proportional to the amplitude of Zieltons with the frequency f 0, is reached.
  • the microphone 3 corresponds to all tones occurring in the sound field and sets this in an electrical signal, which is supplied to the subsystem 12 for pre-processing by filtering and amplification.
  • the tone of the frequency f 0 is filtered out of the frequency spectrum of the offered signal and, if necessary or expedient, its amplitude is changed in the sense of the given requirement of the hearing impairment, wherein the tone represents the frequency f 0 on a representative basis stands for a frequency spectrum of tones.
  • the sound of the frequency f 0 is supplied to the modulator or mixer 15 as well as the oscillation of the frequency f T generated in the oscillator or oscillator 13, in which the summation tone of the frequency f T + f 0 is generated. If the mixture also produces other combination tones, these are retained by means of the filter 16, whereas the summation tone of the frequency f T + f 0 and the tone of the frequency f T can pass the frequency filter 16 on the way to the adder 18, which adder 18, the frequency generated in the vibration generator 13 and in its amplitude constant vibration of the frequency f T is also supplied.
  • the subsystems 14 and 17 serve for an optionally necessary or expedient adaptation of the amplitude and phase position of the oscillation of the frequency f T before entering the mixer 15 or the adder 18.
  • the two oscillations of the frequencies f T + f 0 and f T as electrical signals, which he converts into acoustic signals, which in turn are supplied to the ear.
  • the difference tone of the frequency f 0 forms with sufficient strength of the incoming sound wave with the two oscillations of the frequencies f T + f 0 and f 0 as intended, the difference tone of the frequency f 0 .
  • the frequency f 0 is representative of a frequency band or a frequency spectrum (in the range of the audible frequencies).
  • the subsystem 19 serves for a possible adaptation of the signals in amplitude and phase position to the receiver 4 ', possibly also as a function of the frequency.
  • the filter 16 would in any case also have to allow the oscillation of the frequency f T to pass.
  • the shape of the sound-emitting surface of the electro-acoustic oscillator from the handset 4 'and / or by dividing this surface in sectors that experience different, eg phase-offset controls, the intensity of the sound waves emitted by the oscillator can be influenced direction dependent in that, as shown in FIG. 4, the acoustic vibrations 6 generated by the receiver 4 'of the hearing device 1 are preferably radiated in one direction, which illustrates a comparison with the situation illustrated in FIG. 1 and already achieves a planar oscillator surface of the receiver 4' in the simple case can be.
  • the arrangement shown here thus allows, on the one hand, that a part of the sound field applied from the outside to the ear reaches it directly.
  • the hearing aid 1 tones of certain frequencies, in the example f 0 are selected, amplified and converted in frequency, in order then to be passed on to the ear in such a way that in the ear the tones of the selected frequencies, in the example f 0 , be perceived reinforced.
  • This process corresponds to a visual aid, which allows a direct view as well as a correction with its design; In the simplest case, this is a pair of reading glasses with low lenses, over the edge of which one can look away.
  • the subsystem 12 may additionally be preceded by a bandpass or lowpass filter which allows only signals with frequencies in the audible frequency range to enter the subsequent part of the system chain.
  • An optimization effect could also contribute to supplying the ear not only oscillations of the frequencies f T + f 0 and f T , but also still derived from the same mixing oscillation of the frequency f T - f 0 , in which case all three vibrations to a Spectrum could be combined, which represents a frequency-modulated carrier frequency of the frequency f T in a classical manner with the frequency f 0 .
  • frequency band conflicts could occur, because the vibrations supplied to the ear should remain above the audible frequency range, which can certainly be regarded as more individual.
  • the application of the arrangement described could also go beyond equalizing hearing impairments in terms of improved information extraction from a disturbed acoustic signal.
  • the arrangement could e.g. be designed so that from a broadband sound signal with disturbing noise a band to be preferred in the audible frequency range by means of the hearing aid 1 only noise-adjusted and then fed to the ear reinforced without obstructing the original sound field direct access to the ear.
  • an oscillator or vibration generator 20 is introduced into the arrangement according to FIG. 6 described with reference to FIG. 6, with which the oscillation of the frequency f st simulates the tinnitus disturbance, this oscillation of the frequency f st via a subsystem 21 for adjusting the amplitude and phase of an adder 22 supplies, to which also the above-described oscillations of the frequency f 0 of the listening area converge.
  • Both vibrations with the frequencies f st and f 0 are now subject to the same frequency conversion by the mixer 15 and are finally supplied in this converted form the listener 4 'for conversion into sound.
  • Amplitudes and phase position of this oscillation f st are then adjusted with the subsystem 21 so that the tinnitus noise is a minimum or disappears.
  • Sound signals from the outside of the microphone with the frequency of the tinnitus tone are to be regarded as non-synchronous with the tinnitus vibration, which means that they have the chance of being perceived when the tinnitus signal is compensated.
  • the oscillation of the frequency f st can in principle also be for several oscillations with different frequencies, for which then several oscillations must be generated in the system to compensate for the tinnitus signal, by multiple execution of the vibrator 20 with associated subsystem 21 for adjusting amplitude and phase.
  • the ear When in their nature and intensity temporally changing ear noise, which are therefore not represented by one or more sinusoidal oscillations of constant frequency and amplitude, the ear is often offered an "informal noise" to mask the tinnitus noise or a background music.
  • the method described above and by means of FIG. 5 could also be used for this purpose by the combination with a hearing correction of the affected frequency ranges while still not blocking access for sound waves transmitted from the outside to the ear.
  • a use would also be conceivable without hearing correction in view of the fact that persons in the environment of the system user are not disturbed by the masking noise.
  • the use of two oscillators would be conceivable, both of which work from the outset in the range of higher frequencies considered, and one of which generates a vibration of the carrier frequency f T and the other one oscillation of a frequency whose difference to the carrier frequency f T of the frequency of compensating Tinnitustons.
  • the sine wave generated by the second-mentioned oscillator would be adjusted for amplitude and phase either on the oscillator itself or in a downstream subsystem to be provided for this purpose.
  • this task could also be the second one Take over oscillator, optionally in conjunction with a modulator.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Soundproofing, Sound Blocking, And Sound Damping (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
EP07105065A 2006-04-07 2007-03-28 Appareil auditif Withdrawn EP1843632A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102006016440A DE102006016440A1 (de) 2006-04-07 2006-04-07 Hörgerät

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1843632A2 true EP1843632A2 (fr) 2007-10-10
EP1843632A3 EP1843632A3 (fr) 2009-12-23

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Family Applications (1)

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EP07105065A Withdrawn EP1843632A3 (fr) 2006-04-07 2007-03-28 Appareil auditif

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US (1) US20070237347A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1843632A3 (fr)
DE (1) DE102006016440A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4478743A1 (fr) * 2023-06-12 2024-12-18 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif
EP4335117A4 (fr) * 2021-05-04 2025-03-05 Texas Institute of Science, Inc. Prothèse auditive et son procédé d'utilisation

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102007042106A1 (de) * 2007-09-05 2009-03-26 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Frequenztransformation durch nichtlineare Prozesse in der Cochlea
DE102017203947A1 (de) 2017-03-09 2018-09-13 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Verfahren zum Betreiben einer Hörhilfevorrichtung sowie Hörhilfevorrichtung
US12563331B2 (en) 2022-03-30 2026-02-24 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. In-canal hearing device including sealed vibratory transducer

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4014872A1 (de) * 1990-05-09 1991-11-14 Toepholm & Westermann Tinnitus-maskiergeraet
US6173062B1 (en) * 1994-03-16 2001-01-09 Hearing Innovations Incorporated Frequency transpositional hearing aid with digital and single sideband modulation
US20030039370A1 (en) * 1996-07-17 2003-02-27 Norris Elwood G. Method and apparatus for eliminating audio feedback
US5889870A (en) * 1996-07-17 1999-03-30 American Technology Corporation Acoustic heterodyne device and method
JPH11164384A (ja) * 1997-11-25 1999-06-18 Nec Corp 超指向性スピーカ及びスピーカの駆動方法
US6610019B2 (en) * 2001-03-02 2003-08-26 Daniel S. J. Choy Method and apparatus for treatment of monofrequency tinnitus utilizing sound wave cancellation techniques
AU2002320572A1 (en) * 2002-07-17 2004-03-03 Daniel Choy Method and apparatus for treatment of monofrequency tinnitus utilizing sound wave cancellation techniques
US7945064B2 (en) * 2003-04-09 2011-05-17 Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Illinois Intrabody communication with ultrasound
DE102005012976B3 (de) * 2005-03-21 2006-09-14 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hörvorrichtung und Verfahren zur Windgeräuschunterdrückung

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4335117A4 (fr) * 2021-05-04 2025-03-05 Texas Institute of Science, Inc. Prothèse auditive et son procédé d'utilisation
EP4478743A1 (fr) * 2023-06-12 2024-12-18 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Procédé de fonctionnement d'un dispositif auditif et dispositif auditif

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20070237347A1 (en) 2007-10-11
EP1843632A3 (fr) 2009-12-23
DE102006016440A1 (de) 2007-10-11

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