An adjustable filter-bank based algorithm for hearing aid systems

An adjustable filter-bank based algorithm for digital speech processing "DSP" has been developed for hearing aid systems. This one was endowed with great flexibility and could be used both in cochlear prostheses by enabling to stimulate properly cochlea's nervous cells of totally or profoundly deaf patients, and in conventional hearing aids by providing different possibilities in searching patient comfort. Unlike other similar algorithms, programming handiness was provided to select basic speech characteristics to be considered for patient hearing. The implementation of this filter-bank algorithm on cochlear-prosthesis' DSP-board enables to generate and to control electrical stimulating pulses. In conventional hearing aids driven by DSP, a filter bank-based algorithm permits an ease adjustment of speech amplification, which is fully programmable within the considered sounds' spectrum. In each device, a programmable spectrum cut-up permits to adjust filters' bands relatively to patient's pathology. Programming via a host computer enable flexibility in speech amplification for conventional hearing aids and in cochlea's stimulation for cochlear prostheses. It combines handiness, ease of use and safety features to help meet individual's diverse needs. A computer illustration, based on spectrum cutting-up, was designed to identify filters' outputs. Hence, with this visual measure, clinicians could set up experiments for adjusting correctly hearing aid's operation-parameters.