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Want to learn more about hearing aids and the technology that is used in digital hearing aids? Browse through our Audio / Video Demonstrations below. If you would like to learn more, contact us and we can show you this in person. We also have additional information in our Hearing Aids Helpful Answers section.

• Video of Dr. David Citron Talking About Audiology and Hearing Aid Technology
  
• Overview of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids from Better Hearing Institute
  
• Tour of GN Resound – How Hearing Aids Are Made
  
• Digitally Matched Dual Microphones
  
• Adaptive Directionality
  
• Laser Noise Reduction
  
• Digital Feedback Reduction
  
• Feedback Reduction with Phone Use
  
• Live Speech Mapping

Video of Dr. David Citron Talking About Audiology and Hearing Aid Technology
This video was produced as a supplement to a textbook on hearing and hearing disorders. It features Dr. David Citron talking about various aspects of Audiology and hearing aid technology.
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Overview of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids from Better Hearing Institute
This 9.5 minute PBS documentary "Spotlight on Hearing Loss", which is introduced by Internet co-founder Dr. Vinton Cerf, discusses the value of hearing as well as the hearing healthcare process and the making of hearing aids.
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Tour of GN Resound – How Hearing Aids Are Made
This video tour takes you to the headquarters of GN Resound in Minnesota. You get to see how a hearing aid is made from start to finish.
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Digitally Matched Dual Microphones
Generally hearing aids amplify sound with one microphone that picks up all sound from all around. Some devices have two microphones. In noisy situations, hearing impaired people will notice a dramatic improvement in understanding with two microphones. The front microphone will make the DECISION to emphasize the sound in front (where you are looking) and the back microphone will pick up and reduce the sounds from your sides and behind. This shift in the balance of sound will greatly aid understanding. This technology is not available in all sizes of hearing instruments. This video visually shows how the microphones can change their focus as the noise changes.

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Adaptive Directionality
Not all dual (directional) microphones systems are the same. Listen to this audio demonstration (recorded through hearing aids) to hear the difference.

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Laser Noise Reduction
Of course, people are not always kind enough to be noisy behind you. Sometimes the noise and the sound you want to hear come from the same direction. To aid this problem, digital devices also have a fast acting noise reduction system. Generally noise tends to be steady and generally noise tends to fluctuate.

Our digital devices have the ability to automatically make very fast DECISIONS about what is noise-like and what is speech-like. Most digital devices employ some type of strategy like this. Listen to this audio demonstration (recorded through hearing aids) to hear the difference.

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Digital Feedback Reduction
What is that whistling sound? Do any of you have hearing aids that whistle or know anyone that has this problem? Why do hearing aids whistle?

When a sound is picked up by the microphone, amplified by the amplifier and delivered through the speaker. If too much sound leaks out around the hearing aid the microphone picks up the amplified sound and amplifies it over and over until the point of distortion. This is the same thing you hear when someone is using a PA system and the volume is turned up too loud or the microphone is brought next to the speaker.

How do we solve this? If we turn down the volume, what happens? It is too soft. If we move the microphone away from the speaker what happens? The problem is solved.

Remember, all hearing aids have a microphone, an amplifier and a speaker. The degree of your hearing loss will dictate how much we need to turn up sound for you to hear. If you loss is mild or moderate, you can probably wear any style of hearing device without feedback. However, if you have more of a loss, we will have to deliver more power. Of course, the challenge is to give power without feedback. In smaller devices, if we turn up the power, we will fight feedback. If we move the microphone and speaker apart (different style of device) we can deliver more power without feedback. The other issue related to this is the sound of your voice. Generally we try to provide a vent in the devices to make you feel less plugged up. However, this can also provide a path for amplified sound to leak back to the microphone and cause feedback if the power needed is higher and the microphone and speaker are close together (as what we see in smaller hearing aid styles).

Digital hearing aids help solve this problem with feedback suppression algorithms. This allows you to reduce the volume for just the feedback without turning down the volume for other sounds. Listen to this audio demonstration (recorded through hearing aids) to hear the difference.

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Feedback Reduction with Phone Use

Feedback can also occur when using the phone. Even though you have not turned up the volume, sound leaking out around the hearing aid reflects of the phone as it is brought to you ear and gets focused back into the microphone causing feedback.

Listen to this audio demonstration (recorded through hearing aids) to hear the difference that digital feedback reduction can provide when using the phone. (pull audio and graphics from slide show).

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Live Speech Mapping

Visible or Live Speech Mapping (LSM) is a new technique used to verify the accuracy of the hearing aid fit, and is the "gold standard" for measurement in hearing aid care. In this procedure, a small microphone is threaded into the ear canal and located near the eardrum. Patients experience a "tickle" or "bump" sensation when the microphone is properly in place. At that point, the hearing aid is connected and "turned on" using a programming computer. Speech, music and other sounds are then presented to the listener's hearing aid and the results are measured at the eardrum.



These results are displayed in real time on a video monitor which also displays the patient's hearing thresholds, uncomfortable listening levels and the amount of sound necessary to make vowels and consonants audible. If needed, the hearing aid is adjusted while results of those adjustments are monitored on the video screen.

If the patient reports difficulty hearing a specific voice (ie, their spouse), that person's voice can be measured and adjusted directly at the eardrum to make sure that the hearing aid system is properly programmed (within the limits of the hearing loss).

LIVE SPEECH MAPPING has become an important part of our first-class hearing care and South Shore Hearing Center. Ask at your next office visit to have a demonstration of the LSM technology and how it can help you hear better!

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