Journals Information
Universal Journal of Biomedical Engineering(CEASE PUBLICATION) Vol. 2(2), pp. 15 - 37
DOI: 10.13189/ujbe.2014.020201
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Evaluation of Digital Hearing Aids Using Speech Phonemes
M. Soleimani 1, S. J. Sameni 2,*, F. Torabinezhad 2, Y. Modarresi 3, M. Kamali 2
1 College of Rehabilitation sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1148965141, Iran
2 School of Rehabilitation sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 15459-13487, Iran
3 Human Sciences and Culture Studies Research Center, Tehran
ABSTRACT
Since the most important input for users of hearing aids is speech, the study of the ways hearing aids amplify and reconstruct speech phonemes is necessary. The present study recorded the forms of five speech phonemes as stimuli and the rate of prescribed gain from the NAL-NL2 and DSLm[i/o] formulas for these phonemes was compared. This was a descriptive-analytical study performed on 16 programmed hearing aids for severe sensory-neural hearing loss in flat, rising and sloping configurations. After fitting the hearing aids to the NAL-NL2 and DSLm[i/o] formulas, their rates of gain for phonemes /a/,/u/,/拧/,/s/and /f/ were determined using an Affinity 2.0 analyzer in a 2cc coupler at the 3 levels. The prescribed gain for DSLm[i/o] for the 5 phonemes in flat and rising audiograms for 3 speakers (male, female, female child) and intensity levels was significantly higher than for NAL-NL2 (p <0.05). In the sloping audiogram, the difference of prescribed gain was not significant in middle and high frequencies; however, DSL gained more at low frequencies than NAL-NL2 (p =0.000). The prescribed gain in DSLm[i/o] at all frequencies, especially at low frequencies, was greater than for NAL-NL2.
KEYWORDS
Coupler Gain, Digital Hearing Aids, Prescriptive Formula, Speech Phonemes
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] M. Soleimani , S. J. Sameni , F. Torabinezhad , Y. Modarresi , M. Kamali , "Evaluation of Digital Hearing Aids Using Speech Phonemes," Universal Journal of Biomedical Engineering(CEASE PUBLICATION), Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 15 - 37, 2014. DOI: 10.13189/ujbe.2014.020201.
(b). APA Format:
M. Soleimani , S. J. Sameni , F. Torabinezhad , Y. Modarresi , M. Kamali (2014). Evaluation of Digital Hearing Aids Using Speech Phonemes. Universal Journal of Biomedical Engineering(CEASE PUBLICATION), 2(2), 15 - 37. DOI: 10.13189/ujbe.2014.020201.