Hearing aids are the most used management / rehabilitation option for people with hearing loss. Generally, hearing instrument manufacturers perform the hearing aid performance measurements and provide its specification in terms of functionality. However, it is also common for government agencies or hearing aid dispensing professionals to perform such measurements at least in a sample of the hearing aids they purchase. In addition, hearing aid dispensers also perform such measurements routinely to test hearing aid functioning and to troubleshoot any problems. There are various documents that provide standards and good practice guidelines for such measurements. These standards are aimed at ensuring robust measurements techniques are used based on evidence and also the measurements are performed uniformly across practices. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) are the two organisations that provide most of the standards in this area. This article provides an overview of various acoustic and electromagnetic compatibility parameters and describes several test systems available.
Hearing aid standards and test systems
Reviewed by Vinaya Manchaiah
Hearing aid-related standards and test systems.
CONTRIBUTOR
Vinay Manchaiah
AuD, MBA, PhD, Director of Audiology and Jo Mayo Endowed Professor, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas 77710, USA.
View Full Profile
