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23. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Audiologie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Audiologie e. V.

03.09. - 04.09.2020, Cologne (online conference)

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Hearing aids with custom ear molds as medical devices and hearing protectors

Meeting Abstract

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  • presenting/speaker Hendrik Husstedt - Deutsches Hörgeräte Institut, Lübeck, Deutschland
  • Sandra Dantscher - Institut für Arbeitsschutz der DGUV, St. Augustin, Deutschland
  • Peter Sickert - LGC-PS, Nürnberg, Deutschland
  • Lukas Jürgensen - Deutsches Hörgeräte Institut GmbH, Lübeck, Deutschland
  • Marcus Hünefeld - Deutsches Hörgeräte Institut GmbH, Lübeck, Deutschland
  • Janosch Niehaus - Deutsches Hörgeräte Institut GmbH, Lübeck, Deutschland
  • Marlitt Frenz - Deutsches Hörgeräte Institut, Lübeck, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Audiologie e.V.. 23. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Audiologie. Köln, 03.-04.09.2020. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2020. Doc039

doi: 10.3205/20dga039, urn:nbn:de:0183-20dga0394

Published: September 3, 2020

© 2020 Husstedt et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Outline

Text

Hearing aids can amplify sounds to compensate for a hearing loss. Other features such as loudness compression and an output limiter allow for an amplification of soft sounds and a reduction of loud sounds. Therefore, hearing aids in conjunction with custom moulded earplugs can basically also act as hearing protectors [1]. However, in this case, all requirements on hearing protectors as personal protective equipment (PPE) apply. One main requirement is the minimum sound attenuation of the hearing protector. The other important requirement is that the exposure limit value at the user's ear must not exceed 85 dB(A) at the workplace, also in active mode.

In this work, we propose a new assessment procedure how hearing aids can be used as hearing protectors. This includes a separate homologation of the hearing aids and custom moulded earplugs. Moreover, procedures are defined how the hearing aid professional individually verifies the function as hearing protector and hearing aid. This includes real ear measurements to test the exposure limit value of 85 dB(A) and speech tests to check the functionality as a hearing aid. Finally, measurement results of 10 test subjects are presented which depict the application of the procedure in practice and verify the concept.

Outline

References

1.
Schröder J, Tchorz J, Husstedt H. Dämmwirkung einer Lärmschutzotoplastik mit Hörgerät für verschiedene Hörgeräteeinstellungen. In: 20. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Audiologie; 2017 Feb 22-25; Aalen, Germany.