Low-cost hearing aid platforms and methods of use
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsM. Saad Bhamla, Soham Sinha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Low-cost hearing aid platforms that are customizable for specific user needs are disclosed. An exemplary hearing aid platform includes an electret microphone, an amplifier, a capacitor, a printable circuit board (PCB), an audio output, and a housing for the components. The hearing aid platform may comprise customizable gain settings and safety features such as automatic gain control. In some embodiments, the hearing aid platform may connect to headphones. In some embodiments, the hearing aid platform may connect to a bone transducer. Devices described herein also may include housings that are customizable for a user's needs and/or personality.
Claims24
A device comprising:
- an electret microphone;
- an amplifier;
- a capacitor;
- a printable circuit board (PCB), wherein the electret microphone, the amplifier, and the capacitor are disposed upon the PCB;
- an audio output in electrical communication with the amplifier;
- a power source in electrical communication with the PCB;
- and
- non-processor gain control;
- wherein the non-processor gain control is configured to control gain of the device free of signal processing from a signal processor;
- and
- wherein a total harmonic distortion of the device, when the microphone is subjected to a 70 dB sound input, is less than 1% at each of 500 Hz, 800 Hz, and 1500 Hz.
A device comprising:
- a microphone;
- an amplifier;
- a capacitor;
- a printable circuit board (PCB), wherein the microphone, the amplifier, and the capacitor are disposed upon the PCB;
- an audio output in electrical communication with the amplifier;
- and
- a power source in electrical communication with the PCB;
- wherein a total harmonic distortion of the device, when the microphone is subjected to a 70 dB sound input, is less than 1% at each of 500 Hz, 800 Hz, and 1500 Hz.
A device comprising:
- an electret microphone comprising:
- a preamplifier with a fixed gain;
- a variable gain amplifier;
- and
- an output amplifier;
- an amplifier
- a capacitor;
- a printable circuit board (PCB), wherein the microphone, the amplifier, and the capacitor are disposed upon the PCB;
- an audio output in electrical communication with the amplifier;
- a power source in electrical communication with the PCB;
- and
- a housing containing one or more of the microphone, amplifier, capacitor, PCB, audio output, and power source;
- wherein the microphone has an attack/release ratio of from between 1:500 and 1:2000;
- wherein the amplifier is configured to one or both increase the gain of a signal from microphone and increase the power of the signal from microphone;
- and
- wherein the device does not comprise a digital signal processor.
A hearing aid made by a process comprising:
- attaching an electret microphone and an amplifier to a printable circuit board (PCB);
- connecting, via a capacitor, a voltage output of the electret microphone to a voltage input of the amplifier;
- connecting an audio output to a voltage output of the amplifier;
- and
- supplying voltage to the electret microphone and the amplifier;
- wherein a total harmonic distortion of the hearing aid, when the microphone is subjected to a 70 dB sound input, is less than 1% at each of 500 Hz, 800 Hz, and 1500 Hz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.