Interference in Hearing Aids from Digital Wireless Telephones: Improved Predictive Methods

Principal researcher

Project details

Start date: 01/11/2005
End date: 31/01/2006

Description: This project conducts experiments to develop a basic understanding of electromagnetic (EM) interference and to develop ways of predicting its effects on speech perception and the usability of cellular telephones by hearing aid wearers. Audio input signal to the hearing aid, the EM signal being picked by the hearing aid, and the distorted speech signal in the ear canal are all monitored simultaneously with the subjective measurements and stored digitally in a computer for subsequent analysis. Based on these measurements, researchers predict how the EM interference affects the intelligibility of amplified speech. The results of this study benefit not only consumers in selecting a hearing aid and/or cellular telephone, they also provide industry with the basic theoretical underpinnings needed to allow for the development of improved wireless telephones (and other digital wireless devices) that produce substantially less interference in hearing aids, thereby increasing accessibility of modern digital communication systems for people with hearing loss.

Other organisations involved in this project

Funded by NIDRR.

Last updated: 17/04/2008