Spider Web Holds the Secret to Superior Microphones in Hearing Aids

A new study found that spider silk has the potential to enhance hearing aid microphones' sensitivity and ability to process low-frequency sounds. (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1710559114.) Spiders hear by using their hairs to detect the velocity of air. To see if they could harness these capabilities to improve the quality of microphones, researchers from Binghamton University coated spider silk with gold to add electrical conductivity to the fiber, and incorporated it into a microphone. They discovered that nanodimensional spider silk captures fluctuating airflow with maximum physical efficiency from 1 Hz to 50 kHz.

​Ron Miles, a mechanical engineer at Binghamton University who created the microphone, said the resulting microphone consists of super-thin fibers that move with the air in a sound field. "The fibers are driven by viscous forces in air, like those that cause tiny dust particles to float around in a slight breeze," he said. The researchers said adding spider silk to microphones is a miniature, directional, broadband, passive, low-cost approach to detecting airflow over a frequency bandwidth that spans the full range of human hearing.

Published: 11/3/2017 1:21:00 PM

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Spider Web Holds the Secret to Superior Microphones in Hearing Aids

A new study found that spider silk has the potential to enhance hearing aid microphones' sensitivity and ability to process low-frequency sounds. (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1710559114.) Spiders hear by using their hairs to detect the velocity of air. To see if they could harness these capabilities to improve the quality of microphones, researchers from Binghamton University coated spider silk with gold to add electrical conductivity to the fiber, and incorporated it into a microphone. They discovered that nanodimensional spider silk captures fluctuating airflow with maximum physical efficiency from 1 Hz to 50 kHz.

​Ron Miles, a mechanical engineer at Binghamton University who created the microphone, said the resulting microphone consists of super-thin fibers that move with the air in a sound field. "The fibers are driven by viscous forces in air, like those that cause tiny dust particles to float around in a slight breeze," he said. The researchers said adding spider silk to microphones is a miniature, directional, broadband, passive, low-cost approach to detecting airflow over a frequency bandwidth that spans the full range of human hearing.

Published: 11/3/2017 1:21:00 PM

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Spider Web Holds the Secret to Superior Microphones in Hearing Aids

A new study found that spider silk has the potential to enhance hearing aid microphones' sensitivity and ability to process low-frequency sounds. (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1710559114.) Spiders hear by using their hairs to detect the velocity of air. To see if they could harness these capabilities to improve the quality of microphones, researchers from Binghamton University coated spider silk with gold to add electrical conductivity to the fiber, and incorporated it into a microphone. They discovered that nanodimensional spider silk captures fluctuating airflow with maximum physical efficiency from 1 Hz to 50 kHz.

​Ron Miles, a mechanical engineer at Binghamton University who created the microphone, said the resulting microphone consists of super-thin fibers that move with the air in a sound field. "The fibers are driven by viscous forces in air, like those that cause tiny dust particles to float around in a slight breeze," he said. The researchers said adding spider silk to microphones is a miniature, directional, broadband, passive, low-cost approach to detecting airflow over a frequency bandwidth that spans the full range of human hearing.

Published: 11/3/2017 1:21:00 PM

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Prospective Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Translabyrinthine Excision of Vestibular Schwannoma with Concurrent Cochlear Implantation.

Objective: Translabyrinthine (TL) vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection may be accomplished with preservation of the cochlear nerve, permitting successful, concurrent cochlear implantation. In this single institution, Food and Drug Administration-approved feasibility study, we wished to determine the success and outcomes of concurrent cochlear implantation at the time of TL resection of VS. Study Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Patients with small VS less than 1.5 cm in size. Intervention: Concurrent TL VS resection and cochlear implantation. Main Outcome Measure: Sound localization and speech understanding. Results: All cochlear nerves were anatomically preserved. Five out of seven patients had auditory precepts at the time of activation. At 1 month following surgery, AzBio scores (0 dB SNR, with sound front, noise to normal ear) were improved by an average of 10% with implant on, persisting to 6 months out from surgery. Localization 1 month after surgery was markedly improved with root mean square 78 degrees +/-13 in the "implant off" condition and 41 +/- 9 degrees in the "implant on" condition. Average tinnitus severity was reduced in subjects and speech and spatial hearing was improved on speech, spatial and qualities of hearing scale (SSQ). Conclusions: These data demonstrate preservation of electrical hearing in TL VS surgery is consistently possible, and although speech outcomes do not achieve the same levels seen with other etiologies of hearing loss, excellent improvement in sound localization, improved speech understanding, and substantial reductions in tinnitus are achieved. Copyright (C) 2017 by Otology & Neurotology, Inc. Image copyright (C) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health/Anatomical Chart Company

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Mastoid and Inner Ear Measurements in Patients With Meniere's Disease.

Objective: To determine the relationship between radiographic temporal bone anatomy of patients with Meniere's disease in medically and surgically managed populations versus controls. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Two tertiary referral centers. Patients: Adults older than 18 years with Meniere's disease treated with endolymphatic sac decompression (ESD) or medical management (non-ESD) versus controls. Interventions: Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography imaging studies of the temporal bones were reviewed by blinded radiologists. Main Outcome Measures: Radiographic temporal bone dimensions were measured in Meniere's disease and control patients. Age, sex, symptoms, audiogram data, academy classification of Meniere's disease, and follow-up were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to compare outcome measures across groups and demographics. Results: A total of 90 imaging studies were reviewed (ESD = 22; non-ESD = 30; control = 38). ESD and non-ESD groups had similar pure-tone averages (33.9 +/- 20.6 versus 41.6 +/- 22.6 dB HL; p = 0.21) and frequency of definite Meniere's disease (59.1% versus 53.3%; p = 0.68). There was no significant trend between groups for any measurement. One nonsignificant trend existed in mean vestibule length, increasing from the control (5.45 +/- 0.54 mm), non-ESD (5.80 +/- 0.97 mm), and ESD (5.94 +/- 0.81 mm) group. In a combined Meniere's group, mean vestibule length was significantly greater than controls (5.86 +/- 0.89 versus 5.45 +/- 0.54 mm; p = 0.008) and mean vestibule width significantly less (2.99 +/- 0.46 versus 3.19 +/- 0.39 mm; p = 0.024). Conclusion: Medical and surgical Meniere's patients were similar utilizing academy classification. There was no significant trend between medical and surgical Meniere's patients versus controls for any measurement. In a combined Meniere's group, the longer and narrower vestibule anatomy may suggest an anatomical basis for endolymphatic hydrops. Copyright (C) 2017 by Otology & Neurotology, Inc. Image copyright (C) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health/Anatomical Chart Company

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Parameters and Scales Used to Assess and Report Findings From Stroboscopy: A Systematic Review

Publication date: Available online 2 November 2017
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Heather Shaw Bonilha, Maude Desjardins, Kendrea L. Garand, Bonnie Martin-Harris
ObjectiveLaryngeal endoscopy with stroboscopy, a critical component of the assessment of voice disorders, is rarely used as a treatment outcome measure in the scientific literature. We hypothesized that this is because of the lack of a widely used standardized, validated, and reliable method to assess and report laryngeal anatomy and physiology, and undertook a systematic literature review to determine the extent of the inconsistencies of the parameters and scales used in voice treatment outcome studies.Study DesignSystematic literature review.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Ovid, and Cochrane for studies where laryngeal endoscopy with stroboscopy was used as a treatment outcome measure with search terms representing “stroboscopy” and “treatment” guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement standards.ResultsIn the 62 included articles, we identified 141 terms representing 49 different parameters, which were further classified into 20 broad categories. The six most common parameters were magnitude of glottal gap, mucosal wave amplitude, location or shape of glottal gap, regularity of vibration, phase symmetry, and presence and size of specific lesions. Parameters were assessed on scales ranging from binary to 100 points. The number of scales used for each parameter varied from 1 to 24, with an average of four different scales per parameter.ConclusionsThere is a lack of agreement in the scientific literature regarding which parameters should be assessed to measure voice treatment outcomes and which terms and scales should be used for each parameter. This greatly diminishes comparison and clinical implementation of the results of treatment outcomes research in voice disorders. We highlight a previously published tool and recommend it for future use in research and clinical settings.



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Reliability and Validity of Speech Evaluation in Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia: Common Mistake and Statistical Issues

Publication date: Available online 2 November 2017
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Siamak Sabour




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Examination of a hybrid beamformer that preserves auditory spatial cues.

Examination of a hybrid beamformer that preserves auditory spatial cues.

J Acoust Soc Am. 2017 Oct;142(4):EL369

Authors: Best V, Roverud E, Mason CR, Kidd G

Abstract
A hearing-aid strategy that combines a beamforming microphone array in the high frequencies with natural binaural signals in the low frequencies was examined. This strategy attempts to balance the benefits of beamforming (improved signal-to-noise ratio) with the benefits of binaural listening (spatial awareness and location-based segregation). The crossover frequency was varied from 200 to 1200 Hz, and performance was compared to full-spectrum binaural and beamformer conditions. Speech intelligibility in the presence of noise or competing speech was measured in listeners with and without hearing loss. Results showed that the optimal crossover frequency depended on the listener and the nature of the interference.

PMID: 29092558 [PubMed - in process]

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Examination of a hybrid beamformer that preserves auditory spatial cues.

Examination of a hybrid beamformer that preserves auditory spatial cues.

J Acoust Soc Am. 2017 Oct;142(4):EL369

Authors: Best V, Roverud E, Mason CR, Kidd G

Abstract
A hearing-aid strategy that combines a beamforming microphone array in the high frequencies with natural binaural signals in the low frequencies was examined. This strategy attempts to balance the benefits of beamforming (improved signal-to-noise ratio) with the benefits of binaural listening (spatial awareness and location-based segregation). The crossover frequency was varied from 200 to 1200 Hz, and performance was compared to full-spectrum binaural and beamformer conditions. Speech intelligibility in the presence of noise or competing speech was measured in listeners with and without hearing loss. Results showed that the optimal crossover frequency depended on the listener and the nature of the interference.

PMID: 29092558 [PubMed - in process]

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United Kingdom national paediatric bilateral project: Results of professional rating scales and parent questionnaires.

Related Articles

United Kingdom national paediatric bilateral project: Results of professional rating scales and parent questionnaires.

Cochlear Implants Int. 2017 Jan;18(1):23-35

Authors: Cullington HE, Bele D, Brinton JC, Cooper S, Daft M, Harding J, Hatton N, Humphries J, Lutman ME, Maddocks J, Maggs J, Millward K, O'Donoghue G, Patel S, Rajput K, Salmon V, Sear T, Speers A, Wheeler A, Wilson K

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This fourteen-centre project used professional rating scales and parent questionnaires to assess longitudinal outcomes in a large non-selected population of children receiving simultaneous and sequential bilateral cochlear implants.
METHODS: This was an observational non-randomized service evaluation. Data were collected at four time points: before bilateral cochlear implants or before the sequential implant, one year, two years, and three years after. The measures reported are Categories of Auditory Performance II (CAPII), Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR), Bilateral Listening Skills Profile (BLSP) and Parent Outcome Profile (POP).
RESULTS: Thousand and one children aged from 8 months to almost 18 years were involved, although there were many missing data. In children receiving simultaneous implants after one, two, and three years respectively, median CAP scores were 4, 5, and 6; median SIR were 1, 2, and 3. Three years after receiving simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants, 61% of children were reported to understand conversation without lip-reading and 66% had intelligible speech if the listener concentrated hard. Auditory performance and speech intelligibility were significantly better in female children than males. Parents of children using sequential implants were generally positive about their child's well-being and behaviour since receiving the second device; those who were less positive about well-being changes also generally reported their children less willing to wear the second device.
CONCLUSION: Data from 78% of paediatric cochlear implant centres in the United Kingdom provide a real-world picture of outcomes of children with bilateral implants in the UK. This large reference data set can be used to identify children in the lower quartile for targeted intervention.

PMID: 28098502 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Bilingual approach to online cancer genetics education for Deaf American Sign Language users produces greater knowledge and confidence than English text only: A randomized study.

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Bilingual approach to online cancer genetics education for Deaf American Sign Language users produces greater knowledge and confidence than English text only: A randomized study.

Disabil Health J. 2017 Jan;10(1):23-32

Authors: Palmer CG, Boudreault P, Berman BA, Wolfson A, Duarte L, Venne VL, Sinsheimer JS

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Deaf American Sign Language-users (ASL) have limited access to cancer genetics information they can readily understand, increasing risk for health disparities. We compared effectiveness of online cancer genetics information presented using a bilingual approach (ASL with English closed captioning) and a monolingual approach (English text).
HYPOTHESIS: Bilingual modality would increase cancer genetics knowledge and confidence to create a family tree; education would interact with modality.
METHODS: We used a parallel 2:1 randomized pre-post study design stratified on education. 150 Deaf ASL-users ≥18 years old with computer and internet access participated online; 100 (70 high, 30 low education) and 50 (35 high, 15 low education) were randomized to the bilingual and monolingual modalities. Modalities provide virtually identical content on creating a family tree, using the family tree to identify inherited cancer risk factors, understanding how cancer predisposition can be inherited, and the role of genetic counseling and testing for prevention or treatment. 25 true/false items assessed knowledge; a Likert scale item assessed confidence. Data were collected within 2 weeks before and after viewing the information.
RESULTS: Significant interaction of language modality, education, and change in knowledge scores was observed (p = .01). High education group increased knowledge regardless of modality (Bilingual: p < .001; d = .56; Monolingual: p < .001; d = 1.08). Low education group increased knowledge with bilingual (p < .001; d = .85), but not monolingual (p = .79; d = .08) modality. Bilingual modality yielded greater confidence creating a family tree (p = .03).
CONCLUSIONS: Bilingual approach provides a better opportunity for lower educated Deaf ASL-users to access cancer genetics information than a monolingual approach.

PMID: 27594054 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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