Speech Recognition and Comfort Using Hearing Instruments with Adaptive Directional Characteristics in Asymmetric Listening Conditions

Mackenzie, Emma; Lutman, Mark E.

doi:10.1097/01.aud.0000188185.78217.c5

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…The amount of reduction, however, decreased as the number of noise sources increased. These findings were consistent with previous studies showing that adaptive directional microphones provided better directional benefits than fixed directional microphones with a few fixed or moving noise sources (Kompis and Dillier, 2001;Ricketts and Henry, 2002;Mackenzie and Lutman, 2005;Blamey et al, 2006;Maj et al, 2004Maj et al, , 2006.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Using hearing aid adaptive directional microphones to enhance cochlear implant performance

Chung

Zeng

2009

Hearing Research

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Using hearing aid adaptive directional microphones to enhance cochlear implant performance

Chung

Zeng

2009

Hearing Research

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“…This situation was investigated by Mackenzie and Lutman: The authors found that although the adaptive systems worked independently, there were no detrimental effects, as measured by sentence recognitions scores in noise or quality ratings [20]. In fact, bilateral use of both the adaptive and the fixed system was consistently superior to the omnidirectional settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced Beamformers for Cochlear Implant Users: Acute Measurement of Speech Perception in Challenging Listening Conditions

et al. 2014

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ObjectiveTo investigate the performance of monaural and binaural beamforming technology with an additional noise reduction algorithm, in cochlear implant recipients.MethodThis experimental study was conducted as a single subject repeated measures design within a large German cochlear implant centre. Twelve experienced users of an Advanced Bionics HiRes90K or CII implant with a Harmony speech processor were enrolled. The cochlear implant processor of each subject was connected to one of two bilaterally placed state-of-the-art hearing aids (Phonak Ambra) providing three alternative directional processing options: an omnidirectional setting, an adaptive monaural beamformer, and a binaural beamformer. A further noise reduction algorithm (ClearVoice) was applied to the signal on the cochlear implant processor itself. The speech signal was presented from 0° and speech shaped noise presented from loudspeakers placed at ±70°, ±135° and 180°. The Oldenburg sentence test was used to determine the signal-to-noise ratio at which subjects scored 50% correct.ResultsBoth the adaptive and binaural beamformer were significantly better than the omnidirectional condition (5.3 dB±1.2 dB and 7.1 dB±1.6 dB (p<0.001) respectively). The best score was achieved with the binaural beamformer in combination with the ClearVoice noise reduction algorithm, with a significant improvement in SRT of 7.9 dB±2.4 dB (p<0.001) over the omnidirectional alone condition.ConclusionsThe study showed that the binaural beamformer implemented in the Phonak Ambra hearing aid could be used in conjunction with a Harmony speech processor to produce substantial average improvements in SRT of 7.1 dB. The monaural, adaptive beamformer provided an averaged SRT improvement of 5.3 dB.

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“…These microphones, by design, can reduce the level of sounds coming from the sides and back. In situations where the desired signal is in front and noise sources are located at the sides or back, directional microphones can enhance speech recognition performance and improve perceived sound quality for hearing aid and cochlear implant users ͑Hawkins and Yacullo, 1984; Killion et al, 1998;Ricketts and Dhar, 1999;Kuhnel et al, 2001;Ricketts and Henry, 2002;Bentler et al, 2004;Walden et al, 2004;Amlani et al, 2006;Mackenzie and Lutman, 2005;Valente et al, 2006;van Hoesel and Clark, 1995;Wouters et al, 1999;Blamey et al, 2006;Chung et al, 2006;Spriet et al, 2007;van der Beek et al, 2007͒. It is possible that they can produce similar advantages for HPD users.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Effects of in-the-ear microphone directionality on sound direction identification

Chung

Neuman

Higgins

2008

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

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As advanced signal processing algorithms have been proposed to enhance hearing protective device (HPD) performance, it is important to determine how directional microphones might affect the localization ability of users and whether they might cause safety hazards. The effect of in-the-ear microphone directivity was assessed by measuring sound source identification of speech in the horizontal plane. Recordings of speech in quiet and in noise were made with Knowles Electronic Manikin for Acoustic Research wearing bilateral in-the-ear hearing aids with microphones having adjustable directivity (omnidirectional, cardioid, hypercardioid, supercardioid). Signals were generated from 16 locations in a circular array. Sound direction identification performance of eight normal hearing listeners and eight hearing-impaired listeners revealed that directional microphones did not degrade localization performance and actually reduced the front-back and lateral localization errors made when listening through omnidirectional microphones. The summed rms speech level for the signals entering the two ears appear to serve as a cue for making front-back discriminations when using directional microphones in the experimental setting. The results of this study show that the use of matched directional microphones when worn bilaterally do not have a negative effect on the ability to localize speech in the horizontal plane and may thus be useful in HPD design.

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Speech Recognition and Comfort Using Hearing Instruments with Adaptive Directional Characteristics in Asymmetric Listening Conditions

Abstract: It is concluded that bilateral hearing instruments with adaptive directional microphones confer benefits in terms of speech recognition in noise and sound quality. Independence of the two adaptive control systems does not appear to cause untoward effects.

Cited by 11 publications

References 7 publications

Using hearing aid adaptive directional microphones to enhance cochlear implant performance

Using hearing aid adaptive directional microphones to enhance cochlear implant performance

Advanced Beamformers for Cochlear Implant Users: Acute Measurement of Speech Perception in Challenging Listening Conditions

Effects of in-the-ear microphone directionality on sound direction identification

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