scholarly journals Hearables: eLearning in the Workplace

2019 ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Rory McGreal
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Drug Administration ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
Personal Digital Assistant ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
The Usa

Hearables, a term first coined by Hunn (2014), are wireless smart micro-computers with artificial intelligence that incorporate both speakers and microphones. They fit in the ears and can connect to the internet and to other devices; they are designed to be worn daily. These devices, such as the Bragi Dash, Vinci and Bose Hearphone are now appearing on the market, which is expected to exceed $40 billion in the USA by 2020 (Omnicom, 2018). Hearables are not headphones, nor hearing aids, nor ear plugs, although they could take on the affordances of any of these devices (Banks, 2018). Headphones are designed for listening to music. Hearing aids are designed as an aid for the hearing impaired. Ear plugs reduce unwanted sounds by cancelling noise. Hearables offer comparable features and additionally provide users with a microphone and connectivity to the internet supporting telephony and personal digital assistant (PDA) services (Computational Thinkers, n.d.). Prior to 2017, in the USA, such devices required the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. This approval is no longer required for hearables, as they are no longer considered to be medical hearing aids (Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act, 2017). This paves the way for the expansion in the market of significantly lower-priced hearables, undercutting the expensively-priced hearing aid market.

scholarly journals The Institute of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration, and the calcium conundrum

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1865-1867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shristi Neupane ◽  
Stephen J Knohl
Keyword(s):  
Drug Administration ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Institute Of Medicine ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Diet Supplements ◽  
Us Government ◽  
The Usa

AbstractIn the present article we aim to bring forward the apparent disconnect between two US government-sponsored entities – the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – regarding the safe upper limit of Ca intake.In light of the 2011 US Congress-appointed IOM report indicating an upper limit of elemental Ca intake of 2000–2500 mg/d in adults (based on age group), it is perplexing that the FDA has not yet required a change on the labelling of over-the-counter Ca-containing antacids, some of which indicate an upper limit of elemental Ca intake of 2800–3000 mg/d. Even more concerning is that Ca intake is rarely from supplementation in isolation. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2003–2006 indicate that mean dietary Ca intakes for males ranged from 871 to 1266 mg/d and for females from 748 to 968 mg/d depending on the age group. The estimated total Ca (diet + supplements) intake exceeded the upper limit in 5 % of the population older than 50 years. Furthermore, NHANES data from 1999–2000 indicate that when Ca is taken as part of an antacid preparation, patients often fail to report this as Ca intake. Thus, individuals taking the maximum allowable dose of supplemental Ca as antacids are at high risk for complications associated with excess Ca intake.Our hope is that by describing Ca homeostasis and highlighting the risks and dangers of Ca overload, the FDA will align its recommendation with the IOM and solve the current Ca conundrum in the USA for the sake of patient safety.

scholarly journals Survey of Hearing Aid Conditions for Hearing Impaired Persons While Driving

2020 ◽  
pp. 132-136
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Ikeda ◽  
Shigeyuki Minami
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Safe Driving ◽  
Actual Usage ◽  
Hearing Ability ◽  
Acquired Hearing Loss ◽  
The Impact

Hearing impaired persons are required to drive with hearing aids to supplement their hearing ability, however, there has not been sufficient discussion regarding the impact of the use of a hearing aid on driving a vehicle. In order to investigate the actual usage and driving conditions of using hearing aids while driving a vehicle, this paper uses a questionnaire to survey (1) how easy it is to drive when wearing hearing aids, and (2) how often hearing aids are not worn while driving. Concerning the ease of driving when wearing a hearing aid, it was suggested that people with congenital hearing loss were more likely to rely on visual information, and those with acquired hearing loss continue to use their experience of hearing. When the level of disability is high, it is difficult to drive when using the hearing aid, and when the disability level is low, it is easier to drive. Regarding the frequency of driving without wearing hearing aids, about 60 % of respondents had such an experience. Those who often drive without hearing aids had experienced headaches due to noise from wearing hearing aids compared to those who wear hearing aids at all times. Hearing aids are necessary assistive devices for hearing impaired persons to obtain hearing information, and to provide a safe driving environment. Therefore, this paper addresses issues to maintain a comfortable driving environment while wearing a hearing aid.

Evaluation of an Articulation-Index Based Model for Predicting the Effects of Adaptive Frequency Response Hearing Aids

1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 676-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Fabry ◽  
Dianne J. Van Tasell
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Function ◽  
Frequency Response ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Background Noise ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Intelligibility Ratings ◽  
High Pass

The Articulation Index (AI) was used to evaluate an “adaptive frequency response” (AFR) hearing aid with amplification characteristics that automatically change to become more high-pass with increasing levels of background noise. Speech intelligibility ratings of connected discourse by normal-hearing subjects were predicted well by an empirically derived AI transfer function. That transfer function was used to predict aided speech intelligibility ratings by 12 hearing-impaired subjects wearing a master hearing aid with the Argosy Manhattan Circuit enabled (AFR-on) or disabled (AFR-off). For all subjects, the AI predicted no improvements in speech intelligibility for the AFR-on versus AFR-off condition, and no significant improvements in rated intelligibility were observed. The ability of the AI to predict aided speech intelligibility varied across subjects. However, ratings from every hearing-impaired subject were related monotonically to AI. Therefore, AI calculations may be used to predict relative—but not absolute—levels of speech intelligibility produced under different amplification conditions.

Decreased Use of Hearing Aids following Training in Hearing Tactics

1998 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 703-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Daily Average ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
Report Data

In this report data on hearing aid use were combined from three randomized controlled studies on behavioural hearing tactics. Daily average hearing aid use at pretreatment and posttreatment were analysed for 63 older hearing-impaired persons who had either received treatment or acted as controls. Analysis showed a significant, albeit weak, decrease in daily hearing aid use for those subjects who had received the treatment. The utility of amount of hearing aid use as an indicator of rehabilitation success is discussed.

Relationship of Acoustic Gain to Aided Threshold Improvement in Children

1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Jirsa ◽  
Thomas W. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Variable Volume ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Hearing Impaired Children

Aided threshold improvement obtained by 12 hearing-impaired children was compared to the acoustic gain of their hearing aids using both the traditional 2-cc coupler and a variable volume coupler designed to approximate real ear volume in children. Results indicated that acoustic gain determined in the 2-cc coupler underestimated aided threshold improvement by approximately 8.7 dB. Use of the variable volume coupler to determine acoustic gain, however, adequately predicted aided improvement at comfort setting. Use of the variable volume coupler in hearing-aid fittings for children is discussed with special emphasis on preventing over-amplification.

Low-Frequency Response of Hearing Aids and Judgments of Aided Speech Quality

1980 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry L. Punch ◽  
Edwin L. Beck
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Response ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Paired Comparison ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Cutoff Frequency ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Connected Discourse ◽  
Experimental Trials

Connected discourse was processed by a master hearing aid via two channels that were independently adjusted to seven discrete settings of low-cutoff frequency. Signals were tape-recorded and played back in a paired-comparison format to 12 listeners with gradually sloping sensorineural hearing loss, who selected the speech channel preferred for its sound quality. Four experimental trials were administered, each of which consisted of 21 randomized paired conditions. Results across the four trials revealed high intersubject and intrasubject response agreement. Listeners indicated strong and systematic preferences for speech reproduced by circuitry having progressively extended low-frequency emphasis. Findings confirm earlier experimental observations that hearing-impaired listeners are capable of making repeatable paired-comparison preference judgments of the quality of hearing-aid processed speech. Additionally, results demonstrate definitively that low-cutoff frequency is sufficiently robust to be regarded as the probable source of a potent perceptual basis for such judgments. The clinical implication is that hearing-impaired listeners can be expected to exhibit strong preferences for the quality of speech reproduced by hearing aids having relatively extended low-frequency response.

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