The invention relates to a hearing aid a cochlear implant comprising a) at least one input transducer for capturing incoming sound and for generating electric audio signals which represent frequency bands of the incoming sound, b) a sound processor which is configured to analyze and to process the electric audio signals, c) a transmitter that sends the processed electric audio signals, d) a receiver/stimulator, which receives the processed electric audio signals from the transmitter and converts the processed electric audio signals into electric pulses, e) an electrode array embedded in the cochlear comprising a number of electrodes for stimulating the cochlear nerve with said electric pulses, and f) a control unit configured to control the distribution of said electric pulses to the number of said electrodes. The control unit is configured to distribute said electric pulses to the number of said electrodes by applying one out of a plurality of different coding schemes, and wherein the applied coding scheme is selected according to characteristics of the incoming sound.

A method performed by a hearing device comprising a first housing, a microphone, a speaker, and a first control system configured to control an active vent, the active vent comprising a vent canal and a valve member configured to block the vent canal when the active vent is in the closed state, and to allow passage of air through the vent canal when the active vent is in the open state, comprising: emitting an acoustic signal from the speaker; measuring a first transfer function of an acoustic feedback path between the speaker and the microphone when the active vent is expected to be in the open state; measuring a second transfer function of the acoustic feedback path when the active vent is expected to be in the closed state; and determining a status of the active vent based at least on the first and second measured transfer functions.

Improved adaptive feedback cancellation may be used to improve performance of audio amplification systems, such as hearing assistance devices, sound reinforcement systems, telephony, and other acoustic amplification and reproduction systems. This adaptive feedback cancellation allows a significant increase in the maximum stable gain of the amplification system, such as by increasing gain while reducing or eliminating feedback. This improves the audibility provided by an audio amplification system. This may provide particular improvements for hearing assistance devices that include open fittings or otherwise have substantial acoustic leakage. This adaptive feedback cancellation provides additional protection from a dynamically changing acoustic leakage by continually updating itself to model the changes, thereby providing increased gain while reducing or eliminating feedback.

Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed.

A hearing system includes a hearing aid (10) and personal communication device (20) connected via a short range data communication link. The hearing aid has a signal processor (13) processing an audio signal according to audio processing parameters, a sub-system applying respective sets of processing parameters for at least two modes, a classifier component (51) statistically analyzing the environment by comparing specific characteristics of an electrical input signal to one or more thresholds. A program selector component (16) selects automatically an appropriate mode for the signal processing sub-system according to the classifier output. The personal communication device offers the user an interface for controlling and interacting with the program selector component of the hearing aid, and for generating and transmitting a notification to the hearing aid. Upon reception of the notification, the processor adjusts at least one of the one or more thresholds used by the classifier component.

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, adapted for being located at or in an ear, or to be fully or partially implanted in the head, of a user, the hearing device comprises a) an input unit providing at least two input audio data streams, each comprising a mixture of a target signal component from a target sound source and a noise component from one or more noise sources; b) a mixing processor for receiving said at least two input audio data streams, and for mixing said at least two input audio data streams, or processed versions thereof, and for providing a processed input signal based thereon; c) an output unit providing output stimuli perceivable to the user as sound based on said processed input signal or a processed version thereof. The processor is configured to process said noise component of said at least two input audio data streams, or processed versions thereof in order to reduce or avoid artefacts in said processed input signal due to said mixing. A method of operating a hearing device is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids, e.g. hearing aids configured to communicate with another device, e.g. binaural hearing aid systems.

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, configured to be worn by a user, comprises a) two or more input transducers (e.g. microphones) wherein said two or more input transducers during use of the hearing device are arranged with a distance between them; b) a directional system comprising a directional algorithm configured to provide a directional pattern in dependence of said distance. The hearing device is configured to estimate a current value of said distance, or an equivalent acoustic delay, or beamformer weights of said directional system, thereby the directional performance can be optimized to the individual user.

A method of detecting a sudden change in a feedback/echo path of a hearing aid is based on a gradient of an adaptive filter comprising an adaptive algorithm configured to estimate the feedback/echo path. The method may comprise comparing a smoothed and processed version of the gradient values over time to a threshold value. A hearing aid configured to detect a sudden change in a feedback/echo path is furthermore provided.

An illustrative wearable hearing device or hearing aid includes: a speaker that converts a reproduced signal into reproduced audio; a microphone that converts ambient audio into a receive signal, the ambient audio potentially including a feedback component; a feedback filter that filters the reproduced signal to obtain an estimated feedback component; a combiner that derives the reproduced signal from the receive signal at least in part by subtracting the estimated feedback component; and a controller that, subject to an adaptation rate, adjusts coefficients of the feedback filter to at least partially cancel the feedback component, the controller varying the adaption rate based at least in part on one or more proximity sensor signals.

A bone anchored hearing device includes an electromagnetic vibrator for generating a vibration in order to transmit sound through a bone of a user to an ear of the user; and a compensator for at least in part compensating a distortion in the vibration of the electromagnetic vibrator. Further, a signal processing method for a bone anchored hearing device includes providing, by an input transducer, an electric input signal representing sound of a surrounding of a user of the bone anchored hearing device; processing, by a signal processing unit, the electric input signal and providing a processed electric signal; generating, by an electromagnetic vibrator, based on the processed electric signal, a vibration in order to transmit sound through a bone of the user to an ear of the user; and at least in part compensating, by a compensator, a distortion in the vibration of the electromagnetic vibrator.