title: Real-world performance of a reverse-horn vent.
abstract: The present study compared differences in subjective and objective performance in completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids with conventional uniform 1.5 mm parallel vents and another with a reverse horn vent where the diameter increased from 1.5 mm on the lateral faceplate to 3 mm on the medial opening of the hearing aid. Nine hearing-impaired persons with a high-frequency hearing loss participated. The test battery included unaided in situ thresholds, amount of available gain before feedback, speech in quiet, speech in noise (HINT), subjective ratings of hollowness and tolerance, objective measures of the occlusion effect, and real-ear aided response. Results showed less available gain before feedback but less occlusion effect for subjective ratings and objective measures with the reverse horn vent. This type of vent design may be useful to increase the effective vent diameter of custom (including CIC) hearing aids.
authors.affiliation: Widex Office of Research in Clinical Amplification, Widex Hearing Aid Company, Lisle, IL 60532, USA. Fkuk@widexmail.com
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kuk
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: Chi-Chuen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dinulescu
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortez
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keogh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006316:Hearing Loss, High-Frequency / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013067:Speech Perception