A method for providing sound to at least one user, in which audio signals are captured and transformed into audio data that is transmitted to at least one receiver unit; audio signals are generated from the received audio data and the hearing of the user(s) stimulated thereby; wherein the audio data is transmitted as audio data packets in separate slots of a TDMA frame structure, wherein the transmission unit and the receiver unit(s) are synchronized to form a wireless network, wherein each TDMA frame structure has at least one listening slot during which the synchronized network members do not transmit data and at least one network members listens, and wherein control data is transmitted from an external control device according to a sequence pattern selected according to the duration and periodicity of the listening slot(s) to be received by the at least one synchronized network member during said listening slot(s).

In a binaural hearing aid system audio signals are transmitted between an antenna facility of a left ITE hearing aid and an antenna facility of a right ITE hearing aid. Binaural beam forming is based on a natural directivity of the pinna and/or based on a head shadowing effect. Each antenna facility has an antenna arrangement with a coil core made of magnetically permeable material, and extending along a longitudinal axis, a further electric hearing aid component, which emits electromagnetic interference radiation, and an at least partially planar shield made of magnetically permeable material. The shield is arranged between the antenna arrangement and the further hearing aid component transversely to the longitudinal axis of the coil core and the shield is arranged at a distance of 50 to 150 micrometers from the coil core, preferably 75 to 100 micrometers.

An implantable processor arrangement is described for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) system implanted under the skin of a patient. An implantable communications coil arrangement is configured for transdermal transfer of an implant communications signal. An implantable processor is coupled to and controls the implantable communications coil arrangement so as to operate in two different communications modes. In a normal operation mode, the processor configures the communications coil arrangement for peridermal communication with an external communications coil placed on the skin of the patient immediately over the implantable communications coil arrangement using load modulation of the communications coil arrangement, wherein the implantable communications coil has a resonance frequency matching the transmission frequency. In a long range telemetry mode, the processor configures the communications coil arrangement for extradermal communication with an external telemetry coil located distant from the skin of the patient immediately over the implantable communications coil arrangement.

A hearing aid system is provided that facilitates adjustment of signal processing parameters θ of the hearing aid system with minimum user intervention, wherein the hearing aid system is capable of calculating signal processing parameters θ for evaluation of the user when the user has entered an input, e.g. using a smartwatch, to this effect. The evaluation takes place for a certain time period and in the event that the user has entered a consent input indicating that he or she is pleased with the set θ of signal processing parameters under evaluation, the hearing aid system continues processing with those signal processing parameters; and if the user is not pleased with the signal processing parameters θ under evaluation, the hearing aid system calculates another set {circumflex over (θ)} of signal processing parameters for evaluation of the user.

A hearing assistance device for informing about the state of a wearer includes: an input part configured to receive a selection input for either an ambient listening function or a music listening function; at least one microphone configured to pick up ambient sound; a speaker configured to send the ambient sound to the wearer; a communication part configured to perform wired or wireless communication with an external electronic communication device; an indication part configured to indicate that the ambient listening function or the music listening function is being performed; and a controller configured to perform the ambient listening function to pick up ambient sound from the microphone according to a selection input from the input part and send the ambient sound to the speaker, or perform the music listening function to play stored music or music received from the communication part and send the music to the speaker.

A device to transmit an audio signal to a user comprises a transducer and a support. The support is configured for placement on the eardrum to drive the eardrum. The transducer is coupled to the support at a first location to decrease occlusion and a second location to drive the eardrum. The transducer may comprise one or more of an electromagnetic balanced armature transducer, a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetostrictive transducer, a photostrictive transducer, or a coil and magnet. The device may find use with open canal hearing aids.

There is provided a hearing assistance system, comprising an audio streaming device, a first hearing device for stimulating a first ear of a user, and a second hearing device for stimulating a second ear of the user, the audio streaming device comprising an audio input interface for receiving an input stereo audio signal, a unit for analyzing the input stereo audio signal in order to determine at least one azimuthal localization cue by comparing the two channels of the stereo signal, a unit for processing the input stereo audio signal in order to produce an output stereo audio signal, and a unit for supplying one channel of the output stereo audio signal to the first hearing device and for supplying the other channel of the output stereo audio signal to the second hearing device.

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for relaying wireless communication from ear-to-ear for hearing assistance devices using an intermediate device. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of using a first hearing assistance device in a first ear of a wearer to communicate with a second hearing assistance device in a second ear of the wearer using wireless communication, and determining whether quality of the communication between the devices has fallen below a programmable threshold such that communication can be improved by relaying the communication using an external intermediary device such as a smart phone. One method of determining the quality is to monitor a number of retransmissions that are used to maintain communication between the left and right devices.

A hearing assistance system comprises an input unit for providing electric input sound signals u.sub.i, each representing sound signals U.sub.i from a multitude n.sub.u of sound sources S.sub.i, an electroencephalography (EEG) system for recording activity of the auditory system of the user's brain and providing a multitude n.sub.y of EEG signals y.sub.j, and a source selection processing unit receiving said electric input sound signals u.sub.i and said EEG signals y.sub.j, and in dependence thereof configured to provide a source selection signal Ŝ.sub.x indicative of the sound source S.sub.x that the user currently pays attention to using a selective algorithm that determines a sparse model to select the most relevant EEG electrodes and time intervals based on minimizing a cost function measuring the correlation between the individual sound sources and the EEG signals, and to determine the source selection signal Ŝ.sub.x based on the cost functions obtained for said multitude of sound sources.

Methods and devices for measuring vibration of an implanted driven vibrating elongate body coupled to a bone of the middle ear, for example using an accelerometer coupled to the vibrating body. The measured vibration can be taken during implantation and long again after implantation to check for possible decoupling, disease, or additionally impeded vibratory driving of the middle ear bone. An accelerometer signal can be converted to a displacement value and used to check for an under impeded or over impeded vibratory body. An implanted device can be used to periodically check the vibration of the vibratory body. Methods and devices can be used in conjunction with implanted devices which receive vibratory signals from a middle ear bone and use the signals to drive a disarticulated middle ear bone closer to the ear drum.