Digital Hearing Aid Technology
Each level of technology will be discussed to assist in the selection of an appropriate level that ensures the hearing(s) are worn. Purchasing too little technology to meet the long term listening need can be a costly mistake. however, it is not always efficient to purchase top-of-the-line models when their effectiveness is more than is required.
Basic Level
One of the greatest attractions of digital hearing aids is that the basic simple design models are sufficient for many wearers. They may need is some help only sometimes. they may need the high frequencies amplified with the soft input sounds (soft speech) more than moderate voice levels with loud sounds not being amplified at all. The basic level certainly works for many people. The key to a successful selection of an appropriate digital hearing aid is to understand the advantages of higher levels and the reason these levels may provide greater effectiveness and as a result greater wearer satisfaction.
While basic level simply design open ear digital hearing aids are the least expensive, their ultimate value to some wearers who require more assistance is questionable. After all, if the hearing aid(s) end up in the bureau drawer there will be no cost savings. Instead, such a mistake only ensures that even more money will be needed to alleviate hearing difficulty.
Additional Digital Hearing Aid Technology
Multiple programs - allows the wearer to change the hearing aid's performance to accommodate changing needs. For example, a program can be devoted to enhance especially soft voices, while another may be designed to hear music or TV better. The digital hearing aid's flexibility will depend on the number of programs that are available in that model. The optimum number of programs has been debatable for many years. Too few and the hearing aid's effectiveness is limited and too many with subtle changes and the wearer is more likely not to select the different programs. Usually three to four programs is sufficient to satisfy most people's listening needs and tastes.
Multiple Microphones - are the single most effective technology to improve a hearing aid's ability to enhance a speaker's voice in front over other competing noise behind. Most often this technology is coupled with multiple microphones so that the wearer can choose omni-directional amplification (hearing amplified sounds all around) when the environment is quiet, and directional amplification when the listening environment becomes complex with competing noise.
Multiple channels - is simply how the frequency range of the hearing is sliced and the number of slices. Probably the easiest way to describe this is that it is similar to the graphic equalizer on a home stereo. Are there just three channels for low pitch, mid pitch, and high pitch categories, or should there be more channels? The number of channels can range from two to thirty-two. As with multiple programs, there has been debate over years regarding the optimum number of channels. Depending on the configuration of the audiogram, there will be diminishing returns as the number of channels are increased. Too much emphasis may have been placed on the number of channels by digital hearing aid manufacturers because of potential prospect experience with multiple channels in home stereo equipment. Therefore, multiple channels would be more likely easily understood than other digital hearing aid technology. Living and working in complex listening environments with constantly changing input levels, competing noise levels and acoustic conditions is completely different from listening conditions found in recording studios or sound stages, where the sound quality benefit of increasing the number of channels can be more easily heard. It would be great if an increasing the number of channels in digital hearing aids was strongly related to improving the quality of sound as in digital recording equipment, but that isn't the case.
Speech Enhancement - this term will encompass the digital hearing aid technology that suppresses noise and tries to recognize speech and optimize speech clarity. they can also be referred to as artificial intelligence. All of the major digital hearing aid manufacturers encompass this technology in their digital hearing aids. Some manufacturers introduce speech enhancement in their mid-price range products and increase its sophistication at higher level products, while some may reserve it for their high-end devices. Each hearing aid manufacturer has a different name for their speech enhancement technology so that it becomes a distinctive feature to differentiate their products from competitors. Not every manufacturer has demonstrated the same ability. Some may do a better job enhancing speech.
Adaptability - refers to the multiple microphone digital hearing aids ability to choose the best directional microphone characteristics or pattern for any given acoustic environment. This is done to reduce the most prominent noise source.
Automatic - by activating the automatic microphone feature in the multiple microphone digital hearing aid, the most effective microphone system will be selected that is best suited for a particular listening environment. For example, when the classifier detects speech in noise, the directional adaptive frequency specific mode of the microphone system is turned on. With the automatic microphone activated, the hearing instrument user does not need to change listening programs manually in order to change from omni-directional mode to directional mode, but the hearing aid selects the optimal directional characteristics.
Data Tracking and Learning - enables the hearing aid to provide insight into a patient's overall and daily use of hearing instrument, program choice, and typical listening environments. Many data tracking and learning systems record:
- Hours of use and average use of hearing instrument: this data helps to find out whether the patient is following the wearing schedule.
- Percentage of use of the programs: this information assists the fitter in optimizing program settings for each individual patient.
- Acoustic environment: Logs the listening environment of the hearing instrument user as identified by the hearing instrument. Program settings should be chosen according to the individual's most frequent occurring environments.
Remote Controls - these are very useful if the wearer doesn't want to reach up to open ear digital hearing aids to make adjustments in volume or other performance parameters. A prospective wearer has to be realistic about what way of making adjustments will be used. If the wearer will not use adjustments on the hearing instrument then a remote control that allows access to the adjustment will make amplification more effective. On the other hand, if a remote control is perceived as another hassle or something more to remember, then the wearer should seriously consider open ear hearing aids that will automatically adjust to accommodate changing noise levels and changing acoustic environment or have a memory button to allow changes with just a touch of the finger.