Characterization and Prediction of Speech Intelligibility at the Output of Hearing Aids in a Noisy Working Environment.

IF 1.3 4区 医学 Q3 AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY Noise & Health Pub Date : 2023-07-01 DOI:10.4103/nah.nah_8_23
Antoine Malrin, Joël Ducourneau, Patrick Chevret
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Abstract

Objective: Hearing aids are more and more technically advanced, but do not necessarily guarantee the reproduction of useful signals in all working environments. This is particularly the case for speech intelligibility. This study focuses on the prediction of hearing aid performance in the case of a moderate deafness setting, in service and industrial work environments. To improve intelligibility, hearing aids propose signal processing options such as noise reduction and compression. These processes can transform hearing aids into nonlinear systems. The aim of this study is to develop a nonlinear method for the characterization of hearing aids.

Materials and methods: The method is based on the synchronized swept sine (SSS) signal method.[16] The SSS method is applied for determining hearing aid frequency responses fitted according to the present methodology and several processing options. The characterization of hearing aid's program containing the noise reduction function is specifically analyzed. Indeed, to be fully active and efficient, the hearing aid, with the noise reduction feature activated, needs to be immersed in a noisy environment which does not allow nonlinear characterization. A linear approach is taken to study this feature. Three hearing aids commonly sold by hearing care professionals are studied here; all of them have three different programs. The characterization for each program is discussed.

Results: The statistical study showed that the intelligibility, assessed using the speech transmission index in these sound environments, is well estimated for every program, although certain differences are observed when the compression effect is too high in the service work sector.

Conclusion: The characterizations of hearing aids using the programs studied did not highlight the presence of frequency nonlinearities. The characterization method could not take into account amplitude nonlinearities when there is too much gain compression in the hearing process. Globally, all the hearing aid programs provided a very significant improvement in intelligibility in service and industrial work contexts.

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在嘈杂的工作环境中助听器输出的语音清晰度的表征和预测。
目的:助听器技术越来越先进,但不一定能保证在所有工作环境中都能再现有用的信号。语音清晰度尤其如此。这项研究的重点是在中等耳聋的情况下,在服务和工业工作环境中预测助听器的性能。为了提高清晰度,助听器提出了降噪和压缩等信号处理选项。这些过程可以将助听器转变为非线性系统。本研究的目的是开发一种用于助听器表征的非线性方法。材料和方法:该方法基于同步扫频正弦(SSS)信号法。[16] SSS方法用于确定根据本方法和几个处理选项拟合的助听器频率响应。具体分析了包含降噪功能的助听器程序的特点。事实上,为了完全主动和高效,具有降噪功能的助听器需要浸入不允许非线性表征的噪声环境中。采用线性方法来研究这一特征。这里研究了听力护理专业人员通常出售的三种助听器;他们都有三个不同的程序。讨论了每个程序的特征。结果:统计研究表明,在这些声音环境中,使用语音传输指数评估的可懂度对每个节目都有很好的估计,尽管当服务业的压缩效果过高时,会观察到某些差异。结论:使用所研究程序对助听器的表征并没有突出频率非线性的存在。当听力过程中存在过多的增益压缩时,该表征方法不能考虑振幅非线性。在全球范围内,所有助听器项目都大大提高了服务和工业工作环境中的可理解性。
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来源期刊
Noise & Health
Noise & Health AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY-PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
CiteScore
2.10
自引率
14.30%
发文量
27
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: Noise and Health is the only International Journal devoted to research on all aspects of noise and its effects on human health. An inter-disciplinary journal for all professions concerned with auditory and non-auditory effects of occupational, environmental, and leisure noise. It aims to provide a forum for presentation of novel research material on a broad range of topics associated with noise pollution, its control and its detrimental effects on hearing and health. It will cover issues from basic experimental science through clinical evaluation and management, technical aspects of noise reduction systems and solutions to environmental issues relating to social and public health policy.
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