JP6078782B2 - Hearing aid fitting system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a hearing aid fitting system for fitting a hearing aid.

  In this type of conventional hearing aid fitting, a technique is known in which the comfort level and discomfort level of a hearing impaired person is measured, and based on the results, a target sound pressure level suitable for the hearing impaired person is output from the hearing aid ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-179965 A

  The above conventional technique is useful in that an appropriate sound pressure level can be set in accordance with the hearing level of the hearing impaired person.

  However, the upper limit of the sound pressure level for howling varies depending on individual differences caused by the shape of the ear canal and pinna of the hearing impaired and the type of eartips attached to the hearing aid. At the sound pressure level set from the level, howling may occur from the hearing aid.

  This howling problem can be dealt with by actually measuring the feedback amount, which is the magnitude of the sound returning from the receiver to the microphone when fitting the hearing aid.

However, in the conventional methods, it is necessary to separately operate the measurement of the hearing level and the confirmation of the feedback, and it takes time for fitting the hearing aid, which is a burden on the user and the fitter.

  Therefore, the present invention provides howling that occurs depending on individual differences caused by the shape of the ear canal, pinna, etc. of the hearing impaired, and generation conditions that vary depending on the type of eartip attached to the hearing aid. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hearing aid fitting system that can reduce the risk of howling by reducing the burden on the user and the fitter by measuring the possibility of this.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a microphone, a hearing aid processor connected to the microphone, a receiver connected to the hearing aid processor, and a measurement sound from the receiver connected to the hearing aid processor. A measurement sound generator for generating, a measurement sound detector connected to the microphone and detecting the measurement sound emitted from the receiver, connected to the measurement sound generator and the measurement sound detector, and A howling prediction unit that predicts howling from the sound pressure information output from the generation unit and the sound pressure information detected by the measurement sound detection unit, and a notification that notifies the user when the howling occurrence is predicted by the howling prediction unit Means, thereby achieving the intended purpose.

  As described above, the present invention provides a microphone, a hearing aid processor connected to the microphone, a receiver connected to the hearing aid processor, and a measurement sound connected to the hearing aid processor and generating a measurement sound from the receiver. A generator, a measurement sound detector connected to the microphone and detecting the measurement sound emitted from the receiver, connected to the measurement sound generator and the measurement sound detector, and output from the measurement sound generator A howling prediction unit that predicts howling from the sound pressure information detected and the sound pressure information detected by the measurement sound detection unit, and a notification unit that notifies the user when the howling prediction is predicted by the howling prediction unit When fitting the possibility of howling due to the shape of the ear canal of the hearing impaired and the type of eartips attached to the hearing aid It can be determined.

  That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hearing aid fitting system that can reduce the risk of howling by reducing the burden on the user and the fitter.

The figure explaining the use condition of this invention Configuration diagram of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the display part 5 of this invention

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a hearing aid of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
In FIG. 1, the hearing aid 1 is attached to the ear of the user 2 and is connected to the fitting device 4 via the connection box 3 in this state.

  The fitting device 4 includes a display unit 5 that displays various fitting parameters required for fitting. The fitter 6 uses a mouse 7 as an input unit to display various fitting parameters displayed on the display unit 5. Fitting work is performed while adjusting.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the fitting system of the present embodiment.

  First, in the hearing aid 1, a microphone 8 that collects external sounds, an A / D converter 9 that converts analog audio data output from the microphone 8 into digital audio data, and an output from the A / D converter 9. Hearing aid processing unit 10 that controls each hearing aid processing and the overall movement of hearing aid 1 with respect to the digital audio data, and D that converts the digital audio data output from hearing aid processing unit 10 into analog audio data The A / A converter 11 and a receiver 12 that outputs analog audio data output from the D / A converter 11 as air vibrations are provided as functions of a general hearing aid.

  Further, connected to the hearing aid processing unit 10, generates a measurement sound when instructed by the hearing aid processing unit 10, and uses the measurement sound via the hearing aid processing unit 10, the D / A converter 11, and the receiver 12. A measurement sound generation unit 13 that outputs sound that can be heard by the person 2 and a measurement sound detection unit 14 that is connected to the hearing aid processing unit 10 and detects whether or not the ambient sound collected by the microphone 8 includes the measurement sound. And the sound pressure level of the measurement sound detected by the measurement sound detector 14 and the sound pressure level of the measurement sound output by the measurement sound generator 13 to predict whether howling will occur or not. Part 15 is provided.

  The hearing aid 1 is connected to the fitting device 4 via the connection box 3.

  The fitting device 4 includes a control unit 16 that controls the entire operation of the fitting device 4, a mouse 7 that is connected to the control unit 16, and for inputting various information by the fitter 6, and the fitting device 6 and the user 2 for fitting. And a display unit 5 for presenting various information. In addition, an adjustment memory 17 is provided for storing the hearing data and fitting parameters of the user 2 at the time of fitting.

  The fitting parameters set by the fitting device 4 are written to the hearing aid 1 via the hearing aid writing unit 18 of the connection box 3. Information on the hearing aid 1 is input to the fitting device 4 via the hearing aid reading unit 19 of the connection box 3.

  Here, a specific fitting operation will be described.

  The fitter 6 operates the fitting device 4 so as to output measurement sounds set to a plurality of sound pressures in order from the hearing aid 1.

  The fitter 6 is set to output the first measurement sound at a sound pressure equivalent to 20 dBHL with a small sound pressure, and operates the fitting device 4 so as to output from the hearing aid 1. The user 2 evaluates whether the measurement sound is audible or too loud.

  Next, the measurement sound is output at a sound pressure equivalent to 25 dBHL, and the user 2 evaluates whether the measurement sound is audible or too loud.

  By repeating such an operation, the minimum sound pressure and the maximum sound pressure corresponding to the hearing ability of the user 2 are measured. The measurement sound includes at least one of a pure tone including a voice frequency band, a wobble tone, and a narrow band noise.

  Here, a detailed fitting method will be described using the fitting screen of FIG. This figure is a fitting screen displayed on the display unit 5 and is a graph with the horizontal axis representing frequency and the vertical axis representing hearing level. In the present embodiment, the frequency on the horizontal axis is measured with respect to seven frequencies of 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz, and 8 kHz. In actual hearing aid processing, the gain corresponding to the hearing ability of the user 2 is adjusted for each of these bands.

  In the line 20 shown above the graph, all the seven frequencies to be measured are set to 20 dBHL as default setting values at the start of hearing measurement. Further, the circles in this graph are knobs that can be moved up and down by pinching with the mouse 7 or the like.

  Now, in actual hearing measurement, it starts from 1 kHz. When the knob 21 is moved to 30 dBHL using the mouse 7, a measurement sound of 30 dBHL of 1 kHz is output from the receiver 12. The user 2 evaluates whether or not the measurement sound can be heard. If the user 2 does not hear the measurement sound, the user 2 further moves the knob 21 and proceeds the evaluation with the measurement sound having a larger hearing level.

  Thus, when the hearing level that can be satisfied by the user 2 at 1 kHz is determined, the same evaluation is advanced in the order of 2 kHz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz, 500 Hz, 250 Hz, and 125 Hz.

  Now, the line 22 is the final set value obtained as a result of the fitting proceeding in the above procedure.

  Δ marks 23 and 24 drawn at 2 kHz indicate hearing levels at which howling may occur in the fitting operation. This is notified as a Δ mark when there is a possibility that howling will occur in the process of obtaining the evaluation of the user 2 by moving the knob marked with a circle.

  The fitter 6 determines the upper limit value that can be set for the user 2 by confirming this Δ mark. For example, if the difference between the Δ mark and the ○ mark is too large, it can be determined whether it is not correctly worn on the ear, or may not be adaptable with this hearing aid. If the eartip used is an open type, it can be considered to replace it with a closed type eartip.

  Next, the following method is used to determine whether or not howling occurs.

  For example, when the sound pressure level of the measurement sound output from the receiver 12 is output at X dB, the sound from the receiver is attenuated and returned to the microphone 8, and the sound pressure level is input at Y dB. Further, when the gain of the hearing aid 1 is set to AdB, it is determined that howling occurs when A> X−Y is satisfied.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the possibility of howling is determined based on the level at which the measurement sound output from the receiver 12 is fed back to the microphone 8 while the hearing aid 1 is worn on the ear of the user 2. Therefore, it is possible to provide a hearing aid fitting system that can reduce the risk of howling even if the generation condition varies depending on the shape of the ear canal of the deaf person and the type of the eartip attached to the hearing aid.

  In the present embodiment, the fitting device is described separately from the hearing aid, but a configuration in which input means and notification means are incorporated in the hearing aid, such as a pocket type hearing aid, may be employed.

  In the present embodiment, the measurement sound is described as an example of threshold measurement. However, the measurement sound for measuring the comfort level or the discomfort level may be used.

  As described above, the present invention provides a microphone, a hearing aid processor connected to the microphone, a receiver connected to the hearing aid processor, and a measurement sound connected to the hearing aid processor and generating a measurement sound from the receiver. A generator, a measurement sound detector connected to the microphone and detecting the measurement sound emitted from the receiver, connected to the measurement sound generator and the measurement sound detector, and output from the measurement sound generator A howling prediction unit that predicts howling from the sound pressure information detected and the sound pressure information detected by the measurement sound detection unit, and a notification unit that notifies the user when the howling prediction is predicted by the howling prediction unit When fitting the possibility of howling due to the shape of the ear canal of the hearing impaired and the type of eartips attached to the hearing aid It can be determined.

  That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hearing aid fitting system that can reduce the risk of howling by reducing the burden on the user and the fitter.

  Therefore, utilization as a hearing aid fitting system is expected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hearing aid 2 User 3 Connection box 4 Fitting apparatus 5 Display part 6 Fitter 7 Mouse 8 Microphone 9 A / D converter 10 Hearing aid processing part 11 D / A converter 12 Receiver 13 Measurement sound generation part 14 Measurement sound detection part 15 Howling prediction part 16 Control Unit 17 Adjustment Memory 18 Hearing Aid Writing Unit 19 Hearing Aid Reading Unit 20 Line 21 Knob 22 Line 23 Δ Mark 24 Δ Mark

Claims (4)

A microphone,
A hearing aid processor connected to the microphone;
A receiver connected to the hearing aid processing unit;
A measurement sound generating unit connected to the hearing aid processing unit and generating a measurement sound from the receiver;
A measurement sound detection unit connected to the microphone and detecting the measurement sound emitted from the receiver;
A howling prediction unit that is connected to the measurement sound generation unit and the measurement sound detection unit and predicts howling from sound pressure information output from the measurement sound generation unit and sound pressure information detected by the measurement sound detection unit;
A notification unit for notifying a user when howling is predicted by the howling prediction unit ;
The notification unit is a hearing aid fitting system that displays information related to setting of a hearing level and information related to a hearing level that may cause howling . The hearing aid fitting system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement sound generated by the measurement sound generator includes at least one of a pure tone including a sound frequency band, a wobble tone, and a narrow band noise. The hearing aid fitting system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit is a display device such as a liquid crystal. The hearing aid fitting system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit is the receiver that outputs a warning sound.

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