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Device Technologies and Biomedical Robotics

Device Technologies and Biomedical Robotics - Poster Session E

Poster W8 - Wearable Therapeutic Device for Improved Auditory Modulation for People with Hearing Sensitivity and Hearing Loss

Saturday, October 26, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
Location: Exhibit Hall E, F & G

Introduction:  Disabling hearing loss, which refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels, is one of the most common disabilities in the world, affecting over 5% of the world’s population and is projected to affect 1 in every 10 people in 2050. Sound sensitivity (hyperacusis) and auditory processing disorder (APD) tend to be comorbid with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Currently, people with hearing loss can only benefit from electronic hearing enhancements, which are inaccessible to people of lower income, whereas there is no specific technology designed to address the needs of disabled people with hearing sensitivity and/or auditory processing disorder. As such, there is a need to develop cost-effective and economically feasible technology to address the hearing needs of the disabled community.

Materials and

Methods:  Our device is intended to filter out and dampen distracting background sounds while amplifying sounds designated as important. To further drive user adoption, the device must perform similar tasks to earbuds as well as its noise filtration function. For this, we completed market research analysis, including market overview, regional insights, competition, competitive landscape, and potential for disruption. Through this, we identified the target market for our device and what our target audience’s needs were. We completed the design process involving our design considerations, design specifications, safety instructions, and product mechanisms to develop the product’s technical specifications, as shown in Figure 1. The specifications included were generated based on the associated needs with these general functions, as seen in Figure 2: to be able to selectively dampen background noise, to enhance foreground noise, to be ergonomic, biocompatible and electrically safe, to be able to play back music, to be safety standard compliant, to have a long-lasting battery life, to be durable, to be traceable and locatable, and to be app-controllable.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: The mechanism of sound filtration is based on phonetic sound categories, a pitch range of 80-4,000 Hz, and the exclusion of chronic sounds that remain at the same pitch for over 10 seconds. The chosen pitch range includes all sounds near the human speaking range, while non-alarm-related sounds persisting over 10 seconds may be safely ignored. The input from the microphone to the earbud processing includes environmental pitch and volume over time. A Fourier transform will be taken of this input, identifying characteristic phonetic sounds, which are amplified. All other sounds will be deconvoluted from the input noise and selectively dampened. Any sound remaining at a constant pitch and volume for more than 10 seconds and/or outside the 80-4,000 Hz range will be dampened by at least 12 dB. The device was modeled after traditional earbuds and contains a variety of earbud tip sizes, in addition to meeting proper insulation requirements to be electrically safe. A total harmonic distortion of < 0.005% indicates very low sound distortion and high sound playback quality, combined with sound adjustment between 0-100 dB. The frequency response of this product (8kHz) is within the 20 Hz to 20 kHz range suitable for human hearing. Additionally, a battery life of 12 hours and the usage of the water-resistant ABS provide the product with longevity and durability. The microphone contains 2 controller chips: one handles the input/output of the sensors as well as the optional app connection and device location signal; the other manages the signal processing script. These components, including the microcontrollers, MEMS microphones, speakers, Bluetooth, and batteries, are connected to printed circuit boards by wires. The control and location of the device are met through the microcontroller chips. All design input metrics were met with the conceptual design of our device, as shown in Figures 3a and 3b.
Our design would be effective at modulating sounds for people with hearing loss and sensitivity. Future steps involve the development of a prototype, an evaluation of its effectiveness, patentability, and FDA approval.

Acknowledgements (Optional):  We would like to thank the Mentoring for INnovative Design Solutions (MINDS) Program, through which we developed our design, as well as our project mentors, Dr. Jeffrey LaMack and Dr. Ruchir Bhatt, and MINDS co-chair Dr. Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez.