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Non-wearable parametric assistive hearing device (PAHD) to improve listening ability in individuals with hearing impairment

Country of Origin: Singapore
Reference Number: TOSG20171107011
Publication Date: 7 November 2017

Summary

A Singapore hospital has developed a non-wearable assistive hearing device called the Parametric Assistive Hearing Devices (PAHD). PAHD improves auditory experiences for hearing impaired individuals and makes the user more comfortable during social activities.

The hospital is interested in establishing license agreements or research cooperation agreements with SMEs of all sizes or healthcare research institutions.

Description

Wearables hearing devices are uncomfortable for prolonged usage, and patients often discontinue wearing the device. 

This unique non-wearable PAHD device developed by the Singapore hospital consists of a unique combination of parametric loudspeaker and conventional electro-dynamic loudspeakers. Due to combination of the loudspeakers, the combined sound projection has higher sound clarity at predefined frequencies. For example, there is better clarity in speech at pre-defined frequencies, helping in easy speech recognition by hearing-impaired listeners. Based on the hearing impairment profile of an individual, the predefined frequencies are associated, thereby compensating the lower sensitive sounds at various frequencies.

The system has proprietary algorithms for compensating the hearing levels. This patented technology and device generates highly directional and sound enhancement for an ultrasonic loudspeaker system. The device can be integrated into a TV or any other sound units that a hearing impaired person will often be subjected to.

Consequently, there are two unique features that a user can choose from: sound enhancement and sound confinement. Sound enhancement will provide enhanced sound at certain specific areas for the hearing impaired, while the others can enjoy listening to the audio at their normal, comfortable levels. For sound confinement, by only switching on the parametric loudspeaker without conventional electro-dynamic loudspeakers, the PAHD device provides sound only to a specific location. This feature is useful for locations like hospital wards (B class) where TV volume can reach a specific location, without overpowering or disturbing other patients.

The hospital is interested in establishing license agreements and research cooperation agreements with partner from the healthcare industry, such as an SME of any size to commercialise the technology, or with a research institute for further R&D.
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Advantages and Innovations

The PAHD device addresses the hearing problems and subsequently improves the quality of life of elderly population. Hearing loss is associated with risk of dementia, depression and withdrawal from social activities such as watching television in groups. Loss of hearing has a strong correlation with dementia; people with hearing loss are 20 times more likely to get dementia than those with normal hearing. 

Hearing loss also has a strong social impact. Most of the individuals with hearing impairment can watch television only by using assistive hearing devices such as headphones. But, when engaged in communal TV watching, headphones can block interaction between people and the hearing impaired individual. This novel PAHD device can be incorporated into commercial TVs or sound system units that work both in enhancing the sound as well as restricting the sound to specific areas.

Stage Of Development

Available for demonstration

Requested partner

The Singapore hospital seeks to work with SMEs of all sizes or research/healthcare institutions in a licensing or research cooperation agreement partnership.

The partner sought could be a healthcare institution or healthcare technologies provider.

Under a licensing agreement:
The partner can license the technology to offer as a product or service to their customers.

Under a research cooperation agreement:
The partner can undertake joint development with the Singapore hospital to offer to introduce new products to targeted markets/segments.

Cooperation offer is closed for requests