• 대한청각학회지
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.91-98
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to compare functional hearing with the use of a personal sound amplification product (PSAP) or a basic hearing aid (HA) among sensorineural hearing impaired listeners. Subjects and Methods: Nineteen participants with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) (26-55 dB HL; pure-tone average, 0.5-4 kHz) were prospectively included. No participants had prior experience with HAs or PSAPs. Audiograms, speech intelligibility in both quiet and noisy environments, speech quality, and preference were assessed in three different listening conditions: unaided, with the HA, and with the PSAP. Results: The use of PSAP was associated with significant improvement in pure-tone thresholds at 1, 2, and 4 kHz compared to the unaided condition (all p<0.01). In the quiet environment, speech intelligibility was significantly improved after wearing a PSAP compared to the unaided condition (p<0.001), and this improvement was better than the result obtained with the HA. The PSAP also demonstrated similar improvement in the most comfortable levels compared to those obtained with the HA (p<0.05). However, there was no significant improvement of speech intelligibility in a noisy environment when wearing the PSAP (p=0.160). There was no significant difference in the reported speech quality produced by either device or in participant preference for the PSAP or HA. Conclusions: The current result suggests that PSAPs provide considerable benefits to speech intelligibility in a quiet environment and can be a good alternative to compensate for mild-to-moderate SNHL.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.169-178
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• 2009

In this study, we suggest Korean nonlinear fitting formula (KNFF) to maximize speech intelligibility for digital hearing aids based on NAL-NL1 (NAL-nonlinear, version 1). KNFF was derived from the same procedure which is used for deriving NAL-NL1. KNFF consider the long-term average speech spectrum of Korean instead of English because the frequency characteristic of Korean is different from that of English. New insertion gains of KNFF were derived using the SII (speech intelligibility index) program provided by ANSI. In addition, the insertion gains were modified to maximize the intelligibility of high frequency words. To verify effect of the new fitting gain, we performed speech discrimination test (SDT) and preference test using the hearing loss simulator from NOISH. In the SDT, a word set as test material consists of 50 1-syllable word generally used in hearing clinic. As a result of the test, in case of moderate hearing loss with severe loss on high frequency, the SDT scores of KNFF was more improved about 3.2% than NAL-NLl and about 6% in case of the sever hearing loss. Finally we have obtained the result that it was the effective way to increase gain of mid-high frequency bands and to decrease gain of low frequency bands in order to maximize speech intelligibility of Korean.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.309-317
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• 2005

It is expected that fully-implantable middle-ear hearing devices (FIMEHDs) will soon be available with the advantages of complete concealment, easy surgical implantation, and low power operation to resolve the problems of semi-implantable middle-ear hearing devices (SIMEHDs) such as discomfort of wearing an external device and replacement of battery. Over the last 3 years, a Korean research team at Kyungpook National University has developed an FIMEHD called ACRHS-1 based on a differential floating mass transducer (DFMT). The main research focus was functional improvement, the establishment of easy surgical procedures for implantation, miniaturization, and a low-power operation. Accordingly, this paper reviews the overall system architecture, functions, and experimental results for ACRHS-1 and its related accessories, including a wireless battery charger and remote controller.

• 혜화의학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

Tinnitus is noise from ear or head without any external sound stimulation and can cause hearing difficulties, psychologenic disturbances or many difficulties in everyday life. the etiology has yet been discussed and the management is also very difficult. Sensorineural hearing loss is defined as a sudden hearing impairment which was develope over a period of hours to days. I report one tinnitus case which accompanied with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. In the early and acute stage which judged as Dam-Wha, herbal treatment with Tong-myeong-ri-gi-tang was efficacious on the tinnitus. In the convalescent stage and judged as Sin-heo, herbal treatment with Ja-sin-tong-i-tang was efficacious on the tinnitus that accompanied with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

• 음성과학
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.117-131
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of whole language approach on the development of language abilities and story structure concepts for hearing impaired children. For this end, two research questions have been established. First, what is the effect of whole language program using story books on hearing impaired children’s language abilities? Second, what is the effect of whole language program using story books on hearing impaired children's story structure concept? Three subjects participated in the study. Each subject was scheduled for a 40-minute session two times a week. Subjects received 36 sessions of use animation activities for 3 months. The study used a multiple baseline across the subjects. The followings were the findings of this study. First, the whole language program using story books improved hearing impaired children's language abilities. Second, the whole language program using story books improved hearing impaired children's story structure concept.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.103-106
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• 2013

During a military service, noise has unusual characteristics, and constitutes a serious hazard to hearing of military servicemen. The purpose of this study is to understand the use of hearing protection and to assess the safety effects of hearing protection by using a ear plug in military. A total of 208(the army : 101, an air force : 107) serviceman were studied utilizing a questionnaire to know how many serviceman use the hearing protection and a total of 202(the army : 110, an air force : 92) serviceman were also studied using a ear fit validation device to assess the safety effects of hearing protection by using a ear plug. The results showed that the army have low used of hearing protection than an air force because of the low frequency of the noise exposure in the army. Personal attenuation rate was increased with 8 dB after fitting education. Therefore, it is recommended that use of proper hearing protection and fitting education was more suitable for military servicemen who were being exposed of the noise in domestic military.

• 대한의용생체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한의용생체공학회 1997년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.79-82
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• 1997

In this paper, a body-worn type digital hearing aid (DHA) based on a dedicated DSP chip is developed. A fitting software running on a PC supported by the Win95 OS is also developed. The fitting protocol is based on the NAL-R procedure applied to eight frequency bands, but it is designed to support a curvilinear fitting to cope with the nonlinear perception of hearing-impaired listeners. Preliminary subjective tests regarding the speech intelligibility and perceived quality revealed that the new DHA could be of benefit to hearing aid users.

• 전자통신동향분석
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.74-82
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• 2024

Music is a means of emotional expression and self-expression. In addition, it allows to interact with others and communicate with the world. Music may be considered as inaccessible for people with hearing impairment, who are sometimes discriminated from the music community. We explore trends in various technologies and research that enable everyone to access and enjoy music through experiences that leverage new and innovative technological approaches and bridge the gap between people with and without hearing impairment. Various aspects of haptic systems are being studied, but most of them are performance-oriented and focus only on technical functions. As research matures, more detailed and new studies that converge with various senses are being attempted. These studies will likely evolve into influential research areas that can positively affect the lives of people in terms of accessibility and inclusion by providing detailed functions and stimuli to specific users, including those with hearing impairment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.336-341
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• 2006

Objective : The authors conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the preservation rates of serviceable hearing and to determine its prognostic factors after gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery[GK SRS] in the patient with vestibular schwannomas. Methods : Between December 1997 and March 2005, 54 patients with a sporadic vestibular schwannoma and serviceable hearing [Gardner Robertson grade I-II] were enrolled in this study. Electronic database of medical records and radiological examinations before and after GK SRS were investigated to the last follow up. The mean marginal dose was $12.3{\pm}0.7Gy$. The mean maximum dose delivered to the tumor center was 24.7Gy [$22{\sim}30Gy$]. The median tumor volume was 2cc [$0.1{\sim}9.1cc$]. The median follow-up period of magnetic resonance[MR] imaging was 31 months [$6{\sim}99\;months$], and the mean follow-up period of audiometry was 24 months [$4{\sim}70\;months$]. Results : The tumor control rate was 100% in the patients with the follow up period more than 2 years. The trigeminal and facial nerve preservation rates were 98% and 100%, respectively. Twenty-eight [52%] of the 54 patients preserved serviceable hearing and 16 [30%] patients retained their pre-GK G-R grade level after GK SRS. In the univariate and multivariate analysis, there was no significant prognostic factor in preservation of the serviceable hearing. Conclusion : The hearing preservation rate is still unsatisfactory compared with the results of other cranial nerve preservation and tumor control in the treatment of vestibular schwannoma by GK SRS. More sophisticated strategy during and after GK SRS is necessary to improve long-term hearing preservation.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.75-82
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• 1990

The purpose of this study is to help the hearing Impaired's speech training with a visible speech processing system. In brief, this system converts the features of speech signals into graphics on monitor, and adjusts the features of hearing impaired to normal ones. There are formant and pitch in the features used for this system. They are extracted using the digital signal processing such as linear predictive method or AMDF(Average Magnitude Difference Function). In order to effectively train for the hearing impaired's abnormal speech, easilly visible feature has been being studied.