1. 1 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Importance of FM Systems and Product Overview Evert Dijkstra, Phonak Communications, Murten, Switzerland

2. 2 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Outline  Introduction FM systems  State-of-the art FM systems for hearing impaired children, adults, and CI recipients  State-of-the art FM systems for children with Auditory Processing Disorders, Attention Deficit and Learning Disabilities  Conclusions

3. 3 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Introduction Noise Reverberation Distance Three factors deteriorate the Signal-to-Noise ratio and therefore the speech perception

4. 4 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Noise Many of our daily activities are happening in a noisy environment

5. 5 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX HL and additionally required SNR Necessary SNR for 50% recognition of sentences (adults) Average hearing loss in dB Signal-to-Noise ratio in dB (Ref.: normal hearing) Killion, 1997

6. 6 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Difference in SNR between children and adults Curves compare adult and infant sound discrimination in noise - normal hearing Children are at a greater disadvantage than adults Noise has greatest impact on children during the period of language acquisition Infants 8-11 months Adults Nozza et al., 1990 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 Signal-to-Noise Ratio (dB) Proportion correct -16 -8 0 8 16 24

7. 7 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Echo All rooms cause echos; depending on building materials some more than others

8. 8 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Field Study Helfer & Wilber  Comparison scores for different ages  With S/R = 10 dB  Words with/without meanings

9. 9 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Meaningful Words

10. 10 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Meaningless words

11. 11 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Distance Distance (Meter) 80 70 60 50 40 dB Noise floor 02 4 1 6 Recordings: (www.utdallas.edu/~thib)

12. 12 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Effect of distance on normal hearing children and adults  All children are at a disadvantage when listening to a distant speaker or in background noise  Hearing impaired children have an even greater disadvantage in these environments Adapted from Johnson 1996 Age Group Word recognition up-close in quiet (1.8 m) Word recognition with distance &noise (7 m) 4 years 5 years 6 years Adult 88.3% 94.3% 98% 99.3%97.0% 86.7% 84% 67% Normal hearing children and adults

13. 13 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Available technologies?  Key Question: Are there technologies that can simultaneously restore the required SNR, avoid the impact of echo’s and overcome the distance ?  Answer today: Only one, I.e. FM technology  Answer tomorrow: Most likely only one, I.e. FM technology

14. 14 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Principle of FM FM

15. 15 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Fieldstudy with 48 adults Source: Valente, 2002

16. 16 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Settings for fieldstudy SuperZoom (2 directional microphones) Zoom (1 directional microphone) Wide-Angle (1 omnidirectional microphone) TX3 Claro-FM

17. 17 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX 5.92.31.86.53.22.1 (SD) 4.3 dB Source: Valente, 2002

18. 18 EduLink S MultiFrequencySmartLink SX Evolution of FM receivers Body-worn MicroLink MLx Focus: Robustness Focus: Miniaturization Focus: Standardization Focus: Flexibility 199719992003 MLxS iLink Focus: Integration 2005