In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of transmitting information from an ear tip to a contact hearing device, the method comprising the steps of: exciting a transmit coil, the transmit coil being positioned in the ear tip, wherein the transmit coil is wound on a core, the core including a ferromagnetic material; radiating an electromagnetic field from the first coil through the ear canal of a user; receiving the radiated electromagnetic field at a receive coil, the receive coil being positioned on a contact hearing device, the contact hearing device including a receive coil without a ferrite core; and transmitting the information from the transmit coil to the receive coil using, for example, near-field radiation.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for eardrum acoustic pressure estimation for hearing device applications. A receiver signal is produced through a receiver of a hearing device, or a physical extension of the receiver, placed inside an ear canal of a user. A microphone signal is sensed, in response to the receiver signal, using a microphone placed outside the ear canal. Based on the receiver signal and the microphone signal, a reliability signal of the microphone signal and a feedback-path signal are computed. A spectral representation signal of the feedback-path signal is computed, and a real-ear response signal is computed using a mathematical combination of the spectral-representation signal and the reliability signal. The computed real-ear response signal is used to modify an operational characteristic of the hearing device, or to make a recommendation for modification of an operational characteristic or a physical characteristic of the hearing device.

Disclosed herein are apparatuses for manipulation of an ear device within the ear canal of a subject. Also disclosed herein are methods of using said apparatuses for the insertion, removal, or other manipulations of the ear device. Also disclosed herein are methods of making the apparatuses, and kits containing the apparatus with instructions for use.

The present disclosure relates in a first aspect to a head-wearable hearing instrument comprising first and second portions and a radio-frequency data communication interface configured to transmit and receive data packets at transmit and receipt time slots, respectively, through a wireless communication channel. The head-wearable hearing instrument comprises a connector assembly configured to electrically and mechanically interconnect the first portion with the second portion. The second portion comprises a sensor configured to measure a physical property and generate sensor data representative of the measured physical property. The head-wearable hearing instrument further comprises a wired data communication link extending between the first and second portions through the connector assembly for transmission of sensor data during transmit time slots. Said transmit time slots of the sensor data and at least said receipt time slots of the wireless communication channel are non-overlapping in time.

A Personal Communication Device (PCD) is provided and includes a microphone, a speaker, and a PCD body, wherein the PCD body is configured as an ear cuff and includes a body first end, a body second end and a body middle portion. The PCD body further includes sound processing electronics, such that when a sound is received by the microphone, the sound processing electronics process the sound to generate a processed sound and communicates the processed sound to the speaker and outputs the processed sound into the user's ear canal, wherein the PCD is configured to be securely associated with an ear of a user such that when the PCD is associated with the ear of the user, and wherein the PCD is configured for wireless connectivity.

An exemplary system includes a memory storing instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to determine that an audio streaming session is to be initiated in which an audio signal is streamed to a hearing device, provide, based on the determining that the audio streaming session is to be initiated, an option for a user to select an ambient sound attenuation setting for use by the hearing device during the audio streaming session, detect a selection by the user of the option; and direct, based on the user selecting the option, the hearing device to initiate the audio streaming session and attenuate, in accordance with the ambient sound attenuation setting, ambient sound during the audio streaming session.

Hearing aid system comprising at least one hearing aid is provided. The hearing aid system further comprising an input unit for receiving an input sound signal from an environment of the hearing aid user and providing at least one electric input signal representing said input sound signal, an output unit for providing at least one set of stimuli perceivable as sound to the hearing aid user based on processed versions of said at least one electric input signal, a processing unit connected to said input unit and to said output unit and comprising signal processing parameters to provide said processed versions of said at least one electric input signal, at least one photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor configured to provide a PPG signal of the hearing aid user, and a listening effort determination unit configured to provide at least one PPG morphology parameter value based at least on the PPG signal, compare the at least one PPG morphology parameter value with at least one corresponding reference PPG morphology parameter value and determine a morphology comparison measure, and determine a listening effort of the hearing aid user. A hearing aid is further provided.

A hearing aid is configured to be located at or in an ear of a user. The hearing aid comprises a heartbeat detector providing a pulse control signal, and a processor. The processor is configured to estimate whether the hearing aid is located at a left or a right ear of the user in dependence of the pulse control signal. A method of operating a hearing aid and a binaural hearing aid system is further disclosed.

Cochlear implant systems can comprise a cochlear implant system comprising a cochlear electrode, a stimulator, an input source, and an implantable battery and/or communication module. The signal processor may be programmed with a transfer function and be configured to receive input signals from the input source and output a stimulation signal to the stimulator based on the received input signals with the transfer function. The system may be configured to receive a status indicator signal indicative of whether an external auditory aid device is active and update the transfer function of the signal processor if the external auditory aid device is active. For example, the signal processor can operate programmed with a first transfer function if the external auditory aid device is not active and with a second transfer function if the external auditory aid device is active.

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for a user adjustment interface using remote computing resources. Specifically, a system can include a mobile device in communication with a hearing assistance device or a remote server. The mobile device can interpret an acoustic environment and send information about the environment to a remote server. The remote server can determine and send information to the mobile device for use in a user interface. The mobile device can receive a user selection of hearing assistance parameter information to be sent to the hearing assistance device.