Research has shown that new wearers of hearing instruments report background noise to be significantly more annoying after being fit with hearing instruments. Although many believe that longer-duration noise signals are most annoying, transient noises, such as paper rustling or shattering glass, were found to be as annoying to patients in a recent study.
The SoundSmoothing algorithm works quickly and efficiently. First, a spectro-temporal analysis is completed. The spectral information allows SoundSmoothing to attenuate specific frequencies without affecting those areas free of transient sounds. Temporal properties are calculated with a very high resolution and exceptionally low processing delay. In the next stage, envelope features are extracted to determine whether speech sounds are present. An attenuation factor is then calculated for non-speech sounds only.
The ability to program SoundSmoothing for each patient’s preference allows for the most personal, natural, and comfortable listening experience in any sound environment. And, that means more satisfied wearers.
For information, contact:
Siemens Hearing Instruments Piscataway, NJ, (800) 766-4500 www.siemens-hearing.com