• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1994.06a
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• pp.1064-1069
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• 1994

In order to realize the function of human interface of telecommunications whose objective is to interchange useful information among persons, we developed a bone conduction telephone with which hearing impaired persons with conductive or noise-induced hearing loss and presbycusis can communicate with each other without any other additional devices such as hearing aids. The bone conduction telephone we developed has chatacteristics as follows : (i) a hearing impaired person and a normal hearing person can communicate by bone and air conduction hearings, respectively, using only this telephone set because, as its receiver, it uses a bone conduction vibrator with which we can realize such function with the voice coil and damper of a small speaker unit, the vibrating plate, etc., (ii) it has tone control function compensating hearing losses of hearing impaired persons according to their hearing loss/frequency chatacteristics. Using the tone control function together with a received volume control, it has the received volume range of 20dB in loudness rating; and (iii) it has the function of three emergency calls and a bell lamp as the visual display of a received call.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: The present study aimed to compare thresholds of direct bone-conduction (BC direct) with those of behaviorally measured BC pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and objectively measured BC auditory brainstem response (ABR) to confirm the clinical feasibility of their relationships. Subjects and Methods: Young adults with normal hearing participated in the study to determine the thresholds from three measurements at four testing frequencies. In the BC direct, the vibrator of a bone-anchored hearing aid softband was placed on the right mastoid of each subject. In both PTA and ABR, a B71 bone oscillator was placed on the subject's right mastoid. While the subject's thresholds of BC direct and BC PTA were determined with a clinically routine 5-dB step procedure, BC ABR was conducted to determine the individual's hearing sensitivity by a peak V of the waveform using tone-burst and click stimuli. Results: The BC direct showed a different pattern between low and high frequencies. Precisely, its thresholds were 13.25 and 12.25 dB HL at 0.5 and 1 kHz, respectively, but 19 and 19.75 dB HL at 2 and 4 kHz, respectively. A significant positive correlation existed between BC direct and PTA at 1 kHz, which was also correlated with ABR. Conclusions: Based on the current data, the thresholds of BC direct were similar to BC PTA at low frequencies and BC ABR at high frequencies. The thresholds of BC direct might be predictable at approximately 5 dB higher (or lower) than that in PTA, although a large data set is required for standardization.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: The present study aimed to compare thresholds of direct bone-conduction (BC direct) with those of behaviorally measured BC pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and objectively measured BC auditory brainstem response (ABR) to confirm the clinical feasibility of their relationships. Subjects and Methods: Young adults with normal hearing participated in the study to determine the thresholds from three measurements at four testing frequencies. In the BC direct, the vibrator of a bone-anchored hearing aid softband was placed on the right mastoid of each subject. In both PTA and ABR, a B71 bone oscillator was placed on the subject's right mastoid. While the subject's thresholds of BC direct and BC PTA were determined with a clinically routine 5-dB step procedure, BC ABR was conducted to determine the individual's hearing sensitivity by a peak V of the waveform using tone-burst and click stimuli. Results: The BC direct showed a different pattern between low and high frequencies. Precisely, its thresholds were 13.25 and 12.25 dB HL at 0.5 and 1 kHz, respectively, but 19 and 19.75 dB HL at 2 and 4 kHz, respectively. A significant positive correlation existed between BC direct and PTA at 1 kHz, which was also correlated with ABR. Conclusions: Based on the current data, the thresholds of BC direct were similar to BC PTA at low frequencies and BC ABR at high frequencies. The thresholds of BC direct might be predictable at approximately 5 dB higher (or lower) than that in PTA, although a large data set is required for standardization.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.48-53
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• 2016

Noise and vibration pollution is emerging to people in high speed trains. And it is difficult to realization of eco-friendly railway system at noise problem. The railway internal noise is 73dB on average and over 80dB in the loudest section. In order to reduce noise, there are passive methods that are far from noise sources and theother active noise reducion method. In this paper, we propose a method of reduce noise by measure and estimate the noise condition of train environment using Bone-Conduction device. We use an anti-phase waveform for canceling of noise characteristic. With this new system, the noise from surrounding environments can be reduced.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: We aimed to measure the head dimensions on computed tomography (CT) images, to compare them to directly measured head dimensions, and to predict a new parameter of bone thickness for aiding bone conduction implant (BCI) placement. Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the facial and mandibular bone CT images of 406 patients. Their head sizes were analyzed using five parameters included in the 6th Size Korea project, and they were divided into age groups (ranging from the 10s to the 80s). We compared the head length, head width, sagittal arc, bitragion arc, and head circumference in the CT and Size Korea groups. We also added the parameter bone thickness for aiding BCI placement. Results: All the head size parameters measured using CT were significantly smaller than those measured directly, with head length showing the smallest difference at 7.85 mm. The differences in the other four parameters between the two groups according to patient age were not statistically significantly different. Bone thickness had the highest value of 4.89±0.93 mm in the 70s and the lowest value of 4.10±0.99 mm in the 10s. Bone thickness also significantly correlated with head width (p=0.038). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the CT and direct measurements yielded consistent data. Moreover, CT enabled the measurement of bone sizes, including bone thickness, that are impossible to measure directly. CT measurements may complement direct measurements in the Size Korea data when used for developing bone conduction hearing devices (BCIs and headsets) for the Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: We aimed to measure the head dimensions on computed tomography (CT) images, to compare them to directly measured head dimensions, and to predict a new parameter of bone thickness for aiding bone conduction implant (BCI) placement. Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the facial and mandibular bone CT images of 406 patients. Their head sizes were analyzed using five parameters included in the 6th Size Korea project, and they were divided into age groups (ranging from the 10s to the 80s). We compared the head length, head width, sagittal arc, bitragion arc, and head circumference in the CT and Size Korea groups. We also added the parameter bone thickness for aiding BCI placement. Results: All the head size parameters measured using CT were significantly smaller than those measured directly, with head length showing the smallest difference at 7.85 mm. The differences in the other four parameters between the two groups according to patient age were not statistically significantly different. Bone thickness had the highest value of 4.89±0.93 mm in the 70s and the lowest value of 4.10±0.99 mm in the 10s. Bone thickness also significantly correlated with head width (p=0.038). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the CT and direct measurements yielded consistent data. Moreover, CT enabled the measurement of bone sizes, including bone thickness, that are impossible to measure directly. CT measurements may complement direct measurements in the Size Korea data when used for developing bone conduction hearing devices (BCIs and headsets) for the Korean population.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2020

Auditory stimuli are commonly used in various electroencephalogram experiments, also in EEG-based brain-computer interface systems. However, using conventional earphones that blocks the ear canal attenuates or even blocks external environmental sound which might cause loss of crucial information from surroundings. Instead, bone-conductive earphones are able to deliver sound through vibration without blocking the ear canal. To investigate the feasibility of the bone-conductive earphones for auditory-stimuli based experiments, we compared N100 event-related potential features as well the event-related spectral perturbation and inter-trial coherence of auditory steady-state response between conventional and bone-conductive earphones. The results showed no significant differences between bone conduction and conventional earphones regardless of distinct sound pressures. This result shows that bone conductive earphones can be used for auditory experiments when the environmental sound is crucial to the user.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.359-366
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• 2012

Today, people are exposed to the various noisy environments, such as in the buses, subway and supermarkets where there are a lot of people. The noise issue is getting more serious as people want to use portable sound equipment and mobile phones even under this noisy condition. People want to use the portable equipment to exchange the information freely and they set the volume as 15dB higher than the noise around them, which almost reach at 110 dB. That amount of sound can cause noise induced deafness to the users and another issue to the others as additional noise source. A Bone-conduction system can be a solution to reduce noise and enhance voice signal of mobile phone. In this paper, we propose the way of cancelling noise and enhancing speech signal of mobile phones, by installing bone-conduction feedback system with ordinary mobile phones. With this system, we can reduce the environment noise and enhance the voice quality of mobile phones. Using this method, we can enhance the signal by around 17 dB.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1979.05a
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• pp.3.2-3
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• 1979

Bone conduction loss is one of the most common complication in chronic otitis media, and is mostly high frequency loss. Of 233 tympanomastoidectomy ears, 187 ears were considered eligible for this study. A histopathological change was examined in the natural otitis media of guinea pigs. It is our intention to analyze the pattern of bone conduction loss in chronic otitis media, and to correlate this findings with clinical and pathological changes in human and animal otitis media. l) In unilateral cases, a significant difference in bone conduction threshold was observed between normal and diseased ears, and between each frequency with significant interaction between 2KHz and 4KHz (p 0.01). 2) Using one way analysis of variance, mean bone conduction was compared with the duration of disease. We observed a significant difference (p 0.05) between each group of duration, except between 11-15 and 15-20 years group. 3) A comparison of bone conduction between stapes loss group and intact stapes group revealed significant t ratio (p 0.01) at each frequency. The effect of stapes loss on each frequency was evaluated, using one way analysis of variance. there were significant difference(p 0.05) between 250Hz and 500Hz. and between 2KHz and 4KHz. 4) A comparison of bone conduction between round window obliteration and nonobliteration group revealed significant t ratio (p 0.01) at each frequency. Using one way analysis of variance. the effect of round window obliteration was evaluated in each frequency. We observed significant difference (p 0.05) between 250Hz and 500Hz. and between 2KHz and 4KHz. 5) A comparison of bone conduction between cholesteatoma and non -cholesteatoma group revealed significant t ratio (p 0.01) only in 2KHz and 4KHz. No significant differency was observed in mean bone conduction. 6) In a histopathological study of natural otitis media in guinea pig, we observed inflammatory infiltration of the round window membrane, serofibrinous precipitate in the scala tympani, and degeneration of the organ of Corti most significant near the basal turn. These changes would explain high tone bone conduction loss in the process of chronic otitis media.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: Hearing can be elicited in response to vibratory stimuli delivered to fluid in the external auditory meatus. To obtain a complete audiogram in subjects with normal hearing in response to pure tone vibratory stimuli delivered to fluid applied to the external meatus. Subjects and Methods: Pure tone vibratory stimuli in the audiometric range from 0.25 to 6.0 kHz were delivered to fluid applied to the external meatus of eight participants with normal hearing (15 dB or better) using a rod attached to a standard clinical bone vibrator. The fluid thresholds obtained were compared to the air conduction (AC), bone conduction (BC; mastoid), and soft tissue conduction (STC; neck) thresholds in the same subjects. Results: Fluid stimulation thresholds were obtained at every frequency in each subject. The fluid and STC (neck) audiograms sloped down at higher frequencies, while the AC and BC audiograms were flat. It is likely that the fluid stimulation audiograms did not involve AC mechanisms or even, possibly, osseous BC mechanisms. Conclusions: The thresholds elicited in response to the fluid in the meatus likely reflect a form of STC and may result from excitation of the inner ear by the vibrations induced in the fluid. The sloping fluid audiograms may reflect transmission pathways that are less effective at higher frequencies.