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Suggestion to improve hearing aids
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hearinglossandfamily
Apr 13, 2012, 1:32:38 AM4/13/12
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After searching for my son's hearing aid for days, it was my daughter that finally found it. This made me decide that if I had the ability to suggest an improvement for hearing aids it would be an app that would allow me to locate lost hearing aids.
What would you want for an improvement?
http://hearinglossandfamily.com
What would you want for an improvement?
http://hearinglossandfamily.com
Ike
Apr 15, 2012, 11:19:31 PM4/15/12
to
It's not quite as fictional an idea as you might think...
Many aids (including the Phonak BTEs I'm wearing) include radios.
They're "NFC" (Near Field Communication), meaning they can transmit only
very short distances. But they DO transmit, and can be received by
another aid across my head, said aid fitted with an inefficient antenna.
It would not take much engineering to develop a receiver specifically
designed to receive the NFC transmission of a hearing aid, with a
high-gain directional antenna. With good design it should have 10-20'
range with no change in the transmitting unit.
Obviously, this works only with radio-equipped aids, when the battery is
alive, and when the unit is switched ON.
But under those conditions, directionality with a printed Yagi antenna,
and delta-proximity signals should both be very good. The overall
package would be about the size of a deck of cards, including battery
(it would use a 3.7V lithium from the cell phone world), and the printed
cardboard antenna would unfold to be about 5" x 10".
Bill of materials would be about US$5 plus outer packaging, so total
production cost should be reasonable.
Ike
Many aids (including the Phonak BTEs I'm wearing) include radios.
They're "NFC" (Near Field Communication), meaning they can transmit only
very short distances. But they DO transmit, and can be received by
another aid across my head, said aid fitted with an inefficient antenna.
It would not take much engineering to develop a receiver specifically
designed to receive the NFC transmission of a hearing aid, with a
high-gain directional antenna. With good design it should have 10-20'
range with no change in the transmitting unit.
Obviously, this works only with radio-equipped aids, when the battery is
alive, and when the unit is switched ON.
But under those conditions, directionality with a printed Yagi antenna,
and delta-proximity signals should both be very good. The overall
package would be about the size of a deck of cards, including battery
(it would use a 3.7V lithium from the cell phone world), and the printed
cardboard antenna would unfold to be about 5" x 10".
Bill of materials would be about US$5 plus outer packaging, so total
production cost should be reasonable.
Ike
Ike
Apr 16, 2012, 9:45:53 AM4/16/12
to
This morning I successfully detected my Phonak aids "talking to each
other" from 22' (7 meters). I used overkill equipment, most of which is
superfluous to the detection task. The antenna - by far the most
critical element - is aluminum foil stuck to cardboard and then cut to a
yagi.
This is sufficient as a proof-of-concept, if anyone's interested.
Ike
...a retired and obsolescent engineer
other" from 22' (7 meters). I used overkill equipment, most of which is
superfluous to the detection task. The antenna - by far the most
critical element - is aluminum foil stuck to cardboard and then cut to a
yagi.
This is sufficient as a proof-of-concept, if anyone's interested.
Ike
...a retired and obsolescent engineer
John Price
Apr 17, 2012, 12:11:17 PM4/17/12
to
--
Ike
Apr 17, 2012, 1:00:43 PM4/17/12
to
I detected something at about 214MHz. A friend with Oticon aids says
they're at 115MHz. Different NFC (near field communications) devices
work at different frequencies, so the antenna geometry must change
accordingly. There are many published/online plans for various
directional antennas and the math is simple. If this concept were to
become a product, the antenna is the key item. It would be printed as
foil on cardboard, with dotted lines to be cut based on the brand of aid
(and therefore the operating frequency) to be detected.
Ideally, the antenna will be mounted atop a pistol-grip device or small
box that can be pointed around; the radio receiver will generate a
flashing LED when the antenna is pointing at the aid.
The radio receiver is a trivial design project for any electronics tech
(doesn't need an engineer).
I don't see more than $10 in parts for the whole shebang (a word that
people like me - over 70 - will recognize).
Tell me how to get popular support for this project and I'll convey it
to a local university's engineering department - they're always looking
for student projects.
Ike
they're at 115MHz. Different NFC (near field communications) devices
work at different frequencies, so the antenna geometry must change
accordingly. There are many published/online plans for various
directional antennas and the math is simple. If this concept were to
become a product, the antenna is the key item. It would be printed as
foil on cardboard, with dotted lines to be cut based on the brand of aid
(and therefore the operating frequency) to be detected.
Ideally, the antenna will be mounted atop a pistol-grip device or small
box that can be pointed around; the radio receiver will generate a
flashing LED when the antenna is pointing at the aid.
The radio receiver is a trivial design project for any electronics tech
(doesn't need an engineer).
I don't see more than $10 in parts for the whole shebang (a word that
people like me - over 70 - will recognize).
Tell me how to get popular support for this project and I'll convey it
to a local university's engineering department - they're always looking
for student projects.
Ike
Joe Bloggs
Apr 20, 2012, 1:01:22 PM4/20/12
to
http://hearingaidhacks.livejournal.com/54507.html?view=489707#t489707
But you lost me on what exactly you would build?
a better remote-mic?
a better streaming device, one that talks to the aids directly?
Myself, i'd like to see the iCOM V.next, to have Bluetooth v2.x
(better range)
Jim Hawkins
Sep 13, 2012, 4:52:02 AM9/13/12
to
hearinglossandfamily wrote:
> After searching for my son's hearing aid for days, it was my daughter
> that finally found it. This made me decide that if I had the
> ability to suggest an improvement for hearing aids it would be an app
> that would allow me to locate lost hearing aids.
>
> What would you want for an improvement?
>
Fresnel reflectors, shaped so as to fit over the shoulder pads or to be
> After searching for my son's hearing aid for days, it was my daughter
> that finally found it. This made me decide that if I had the
> ability to suggest an improvement for hearing aids it would be an app
> that would allow me to locate lost hearing aids.
>
> What would you want for an improvement?
>
sewn into them, either disguised to look decorative (for women) or
hidden beneath the surface (for men or women) and designed to
collect sound from in front of the wearer and to concentrate it at foci
just outside the ears.
For many mildly deaf people, these would be sufficient without additional
'hearing aids'.
Jim Hawkins
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