DSL prescriptive targets for bone conduction devices: adaptation and comparison to clinical fittings

Abstract

Objective: To develop an algorithm that prescribes targets for bone conduction frequency response shape, compression, and output limiting, along with a clinical method that ensures accurate transforms between assessment and verification stages of the clinical workflow. Design: Technical report of target generation and validation. Study sample: We recruited 39 adult users of unilateral percutaneous bone conduction hearing aids with a range of unilateral, bilateral, mixed and conductive hearing losses across the sample. Results: The initial algorithm over-prescribed output compared to the user’s own settings in the low frequencies, but provided a good match to user settings in the high frequencies. Corrections to the targets were derived and implemented as a low-frequency cut aimed at improving acceptance of the wearer’s own voice during device use. Conclusions: The DSL-BCD prescriptive algorithm is compatible with verification of devices and fine-tuning to target for percutaneous bone conduction hearing devices that can be coupled to a skull simulator. Further study is needed to investigate the appropriateness of this prescriptive algorithm for other input levels, and for other clinical populations including those with single-sided deafness, bilateral devices, children and users of transcutaneous bone conduction hearing aids.

Key Words:

• Hearing aids
• bone-anchored hearing aids
• prescription
• verification
• force
• levels
• validation

Note

Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by the University of Western Ontario’s Western Innovation Fund grant and Western Economic Partnership Agreement. We acknowledge the contributions of Mr. Steve Beaulac to software development, and Mr. Dylan Scott to data collection and for technical assistance.

Declaration of interest

The software product described in this paper is available for licencing via the University of Western Ontario. Licensing revenue are returned to the University, and used in support of further research.

Notes

1. For many years, BAHA was an acronym for Bone Anchored Hearing Aid. However, Cochlear now has a trademark on the name Baha^tm for their devices. Bone Conduction Devices (BCDs) is used in this paper instead. Oticon Medical devices are called Ponto and Cochlear Devices are called Baha®.