Many people must have familiar with hearing aid that whistle all by themselves. This whistling is called feedback. Digital hearing aids remove the feedback before you hear it. All the hearing devices have acoustic feedback. It occurs when the sound escapes or leaks from the seal or passes between the ear canal or earmould. Adaptive feedback cancellation in hearing aids reduces this type of leakage.
In all the hearing instrument acoustic feedback occurs when the sound leak from the seal or vent between the earmold and the ear canal. In many cases, acoustic feedback is not audible.
Working of adaptive feedback cancellation in hearing aids:
- The feedback cancellation restricts the available gain for the wearer, For many people, feedback is annoyance and embarrassment.
- An adaptive feedback cancellation algorithms work or based on the latest mean square algorithms and white noise or speech inputs signals because of the short distance between microphone and receiver in the hearing aids.
- Feedback or inputs signals are correlated in some cases of high quality of audio correlated input signals like speech. And a performed simulation show the correlation accurate feedback path. So the feedback cancellation is not reflective.
- The decorrelation method was studied and simulate delayed forward path options. And results show an effective solution to decorrelate the input as well as feedback signals.
- A least mean square(LSM) approach implemented in digital signal processing as an adaptive signal canceller.
Current Status of Feedback Cancellation – Similarities and Difference
The feedback canceller not only suppresses acoustic but also add a number of additional requirements.
- It allows fit to the target.
- Allow a sufficient amount of venting.
- Provide withstand tonal sound sources.
- Withstand changes to the feedback way.
Such type of feedback canceller provides tremendous benefits to all hearing aid style Feedback free operation in a real-world situation. These advantages result in higher customer satisfaction.
Feedback Cancellation – Key to the Succes of Open-Fit Hearing Aids
A new subband feedback cancellation narrow-band filters Ai(Z) and Bi(Z) along with a fixed delay works instead of a single filter Wi(Z) and a delay to represent the feedback path in each subband. The subband feedback cancellation scheme employs a cascade of two to represent the feedback path in each subband. This second filter tracks the variations of a feedback path in the ith subband. Jaw movements or objects close to the ears of the user are responsible for this cause.
The largest attenuation occurs in the low and high-frequency regions is illustrated in the frequency response graph of FIG. However, the feedback path does not provide equal attenuation across the frequency spectrum and mid-frequency region (centered around 3-4 kHz) probe as at the spectral edges. The attenuation in these regions dictates the intensity of noise required for convergence within a specified period of time.
Challenges of an Open Fitting
- Reduction of hearing aid low-frequency output.
- Increased contribution of direct sounds.
- Perceptual consequences of direct low-frequency sounds.
- “Dips” and “peaks” in real-ear response.
- Reduction of the effectiveness of signal processing.
- Reduction of available gain before feedback
- Reduced audibility especially at low input levels.
Acoustic Feedback-The Root Causes for Loss of Confidence
When an individual is using hearing aid it is very annoying that it starts to whistle, then the instrument is no longer of use. These kinds of situations cause loss of confidence and may result clients will start rejecting the use of hearing aid.
When hearing aid starts whistling then it is of no use but there are feedback problems even before whistling occurs. The hearing aid produces an unnatural sound that may cause difficulties in understanding the speeches and reduce it. This is known as sub-oscillatory feedback.
Acoustic Feedback Solutions
Knowing the causes of the acoustic reaction allows for an understanding of the direction that has been resolved to solve. However, there are several acoustic approaches that can be taken (remake, reduce the size of the vent, use in-line filters to smooth the peaks or overall response, etc.).
Overall gain reduction:
Because the acoustic reaction is due to the combination of excessive gain and phase angle at a critical frequency.
Reduction of High-Frequency Gain:
Because the acoustic reaction is usually associated with high frequencies. Its approach is to reduce the profit in high frequencies. In the past, it was mainly asked to reduce high-frequency gain with the use of low-pass potentiometers (high reduction) or manufacturer.