Hearing aids are used to assist the hearing impaired to hear sounds which they otherwise could not hear. In simple terms a hearing aid is a device worn by a user to pick up and amplify sound and provide it to a user's ear. Hearing aid technology has continually improved, resulting in ever smaller devices which are often categorized by how they fit about a user's ear. For example, some common hearing aid styles listed by decreasing size include behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), mostly-in-the-canal (MIC) and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids.
Today's advanced digital hearing aids can include features such as multiple channels, directional microphones, and programmable digital processors that allow a hearing aid to be configured in accordance with a user's specific hearing deficiencies. For example, in a typical digital hearing aid a microphone picks up sound waves and converts them into electrical audio signals. These electrical audio signals are then converted into digital format by an analog to digital converter and sent to a digital signal processor that manipulates the digital signals. The resulting manipulated digital audio signals can then be converted into analog format by a digital to analog converter, amplified, and output to the user as sound waves via a speaker. If a user has difficulty hearing sounds within a particular frequency range, then the hearing aid settings can be adjusted so that sounds within that frequency range are picked up by the hearing aid, processed, and amplified in accordance with the user's needs.
To configure a hearing aid to a particular user, the user's hearing loss characteristics are determined. This is typically accomplished by an audiologist who administers a hearing exam to determine the extent of a user's hearing loss and develops a hearing profile or audiogram detailing the characteristics of the user's hearing impairment. The audiologist or a technician can then adjust the settings of a hearing aid's electronics in accordance with these hearing loss characteristics. This is typically done using special equipment to store the user's hearing loss profile on the hearing aid's electronics. A proper fit of the hearing aid is also important for both comfort and performance, and the audiologist typically makes ear molds of the patient's ear to ensure a proper fit.
While the aforementioned process can be used to configure a hearing aid to a particular user's hearing needs, it has several drawbacks. For example, a user cannot simply update his hearing aid with a new prescription but must employ an audiologist to configure the hearing aid. This is not only expensive but also inconvenient, especially for the large number of hearing aid users who are elderly, infirm, or disabled. Furthermore, it is presently not practical to update the electronics of a hearing aid. Instead, a user must purchase an entirely new hearing aid and engage an audiologist to have it configured and fitted. Thus, many hearing aid users fail to update their hearing aids because they do not want to take a trip to the audiologist and incur the expense of new ear molds and housings. Furthermore, when a user seeks to have a hearing aid repaired he often must leave the hearing aid with a technician; consequently the user is left without a hearing assistance device.
Audiologist configuration of hearing aids can add a layer of complexity and inconvenience to the hearing aid purchase. A potential purchaser may be reluctant to buy a new hearing aid because he does not want to make a trip to the audiologist or endure a fitting procedure. However, if a hearing aid could be automatically configured to a user's hearing loss prescription, then hearing aids and components could be marketed through other venues as well as through an audiologist.
Furthermore, there is currently no system that provides a hearing aid manufacturer with the ability to sell hearing aid electronics circuitry to a customer independently of the hearing aid shell. Thus, a user that is content with his current hearing aid fit but wants to update the hearing aid electronics is unable to simply update the electronics. If a new hearing aid is purchased its settings must be adjusted by an audiologist to configure the hearing aid to the user's hearing loss profile and the hearing aid housing must be fitted to the user's ear. In addition, manufacturers produce different types of circuitry for different hearing aid styles, preventing the benefits of economies of scale offered by a one type fits all design.
As discussed above, a hearing aid can be loaded with a user's hearing loss profile to configure the hearing aid to the user's needs. Another factor that plays a role in determining the proper settings of a hearing aid is the environment in which the hearing aid is worn. For example, a first setting can be appropriate when the user is in a crowded restaurant, while a second setting can be preferred when the user is attending a classroom lecture or a concert. Thus, there can be situations in which the user would like to adjust the hearing aid's settings based upon the particular environment in which it will be used. However, it would be impractical to have an audiologist temporarily adjust the settings of the hearing aid.
Considering the above, what is needed is a system and method for automatically configuring a hearing aid to the needs of a user. What is also needed is a hearing aid that can be adjusted to a user's needs without the assistance of an audiologist. There is a need for a hearing aid whose settings can be easily adjusted to different environments in which the hearing aid will be used, as well a need for a system and method that allows a user to purchase hearing aid electronics independently of the ear molded housing so that the electronics can be updated and configured without a fitting or adjustment by an audiologist. What is also needed is a system and method that allows a hearing aid manufacturer to manufacture electronic components that fit a plurality of different types of hearing aids, thus achieving economies of scale. There is also a need for a system and method that provide a user a hearing loss profile for use with a hearing aid and the ability to update a hearing aid with a hearing loss profile without the assistance of an audiologist.