The present disclosure relates to compact hearing aids, components thereof, and support systems therefor, as well as methods of insertion and removal thereof. The compact hearing aids generally include a sensor, such as a microphone, an actuation mass, an energy source for providing power to the compact hearing aid, a processor, and an actuator enclosed in a housing that is designed to be inserted through the tympanic membrane during a minimally-invasive outpatient procedure. In operation, the microphone receives sound waves and converts the sound waves into electrical signals. A processor then modifies the electrical signals and provides the electrical signals to the actuator. The actuator converts the electrical signals into mechanical motion, which actuates the actuation mass to modulate the velocity or the position of the tympanic membrane.

A system for selectively amplifying audio signals may include a microphone configured to capture sounds from an environment of a user. The system may also include a processor programmed to: receive audio signals representative of the sounds captured by the microphone; cause selective conditioning of at least one audio signal received by the microphone from a region associated with the recognized individual; and cause transmission of the at least one conditioned audio signal to a hearing interface device configured to provide sound to an ear of the user.

A user is allowed to three-dimensionally recognize environment change and noise change corresponding to the sound directionality of the left and right sides through a control parameter that is set by analyzing an audio signal received from a first smart hearing device formed on one side and a second smart hearing device formed on an opposite side.

A system and methods are used to enable hearing device calibration using auditory filters. The system and methods are used to reduce processing time for estimating auditory filters for new hearing device users and can be performed by the user without the aid of an audiologist. The system and methods use a database of notched-noise test results of other users to create a prior distribution of possible auditory filter parameters. The prior distribution is used to minimize the number of notched-noise test performed, thereby reducing the amount of calibration time.

The invention relates to audio transducer technology, including audio tuning systems to be utilised in personal audio devices, such as headphone, earphones, mobile phones and the like. The audio tuning system optimises the frequency response of the personal audio device by using Diffuse Field curve characteristics. The audio transducers of the personal audio device incorporate low resonance designs, including low resonance transducer and diaphragm suspensions to further optimise the sound quality of the device. The invention also relates to an audio transducer diaphragm construction that includes a three-dimensional lattice which may be utilised in any audio transducer application.

Presented herein are techniques for generating a hierarchical classification of a set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis. The hierarchical classification includes a plurality of nested classifications of a sound environment associated with the set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis, including a primary classification and one or more secondary classifications that each represent different characteristics of the sound environment. The primary classification represents a basic categorization of the sound environment, while the secondary classifications define sub-categories/refinements of the associated primary classification and/or other secondary classifications.

A device and method that supplements sensory input, thereby providing a supplemented sensory environment, to induce plasticity within the central nervous system that effectively overcomes sensory-neural processing deficits or strengthens specific sensory-neural abilities. In one implementation, ear-level hearing devices are used to deliver therapeutic sound with specific acoustic features that serve as archetypes of stimulus features for which sensory-neural processing is compromised by a sensory-neural deficit.

The present application discloses a sound-output device, a vibration speaker configured to generate a bone-conducted sound wave; and an air-conducted speaker configured to generate an air-conducted sound wave. The vibration speaker is coupled to the air-conducted speaker through a mechanical structure; and the bone-conducted sound wave is input to the air-conducted speaker at least in part as an input signal.

Disclosed is methods and systems for configuring bone conduction hearing aids. The method may comprise: obtaining hearing loss data of a wearer; determining a reference output parameter of the bone conduction hearing aid at each sound level in each frequency band based on the hearing loss data; obtaining an adjustment value of the reference output parameter at the each sound level in the each frequency band, wherein the adjustment value is at least related to the frequency band; and configuring the bone conduction hearing aid based on the reference output parameter and the adjustment value at the each sound level in the each frequency band.

A hearing aid includes a microphone, and a processing unit. The microphone is configured to receive sound incident on the hearing aid and deliver a corresponding microphone output to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to process the microphone output to determine whether the incident sound comprises potentially harmful sound, and to generate a processor output including a processed version of the microphone output.

A method of protecting a hearing aid wearer from sudden loud sounds uses a microphone in the hearing aid to receive incident sound and deliver a corresponding microphone output to a processing unit in the hearing aid. The processing unit processes the microphone output to generate a first processor output, determined by whether the incident sound includes potentially harmful impulsive sound, and a second processor output including a processed version of the microphone output.