MULTIPLE MODALITY ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICE

THE LONG-RANGE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A MULTIPLE-MODALITY ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICE (ALD) THAT HELPS HEARING-IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND SPEECH IN HIGHAMBIENT NOISE. TWO IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT THE SYSTEM BE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL EXISTING ALD TYPES (FM, IR, AND INDUCTION) AND THAT A HAND-HELD HIGHLY DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE ARRAY BE INCLUDED. THE SYSTEM HAS TWO MAIN MODULES: A HEAD SET WITH A THREE-MODE RECEIVER (IR, RM, AND T COIL) FOR USERS WITHOUT AHEARING AID, AND A PEN-SHAPED UNIT WITH A HIGHLY DIRECTIONALMICROPHONE ARRAY AND APPROPRIATE SUPPORTING CIRCUITS FOR USEWITH EITHER THE HEADSET OR WITH A HEARING AID CONTAINING A T COIL. THE MICROPHONE WOULD BE STORED IN A POCKET, SIMILAR TO A PEN WHEN IT IS NOT BEING USED, AND BE HAND HELD AND AIMED AT THE SIGNAL SOURCE WHEN REQUIRED. THE METHOD OF COUPLING FROM THE PEN TO THE EAR WOULD BE INDUCTIVE TO A T COIL FOR A HEARING-AID USER, AND EITHER INDUCTIVE OR FM TO THE INTEGRAL FM RECEIVER FOR THE NON-HEARING-AID USER. IN SPITE OF MANY YEARS OF RESEARCH, HEARING AIDS PERFORM POORLY IN NOISE. ALSO, MANY OLDER PEOPLE SUFFER FROM HEARING LIMITATIONS UNDER NOISY CONDITIONS EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT HEARING-AID USERS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THIS NEW DEVICE IS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF BOTH THESE POPULATIONS IN THATIT WOULD PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR IMPROVING HEARING IN NOISE AND PROVIDE COMPATIBILITY WITH THE THREE MODES OF ALD TRANSMISSIONS CURRENTLY IN USE.