Wayne Staab

Dr. Staab is an internationally recognized authority in hearing aids. As President of Dr. Wayne J. Staab and Associates, he is engaged in consulting, research, development, manufacturing, education, and marketing projects related to hearing. His professional career has included University teaching, hearing clinic work, hearing aid company management and sales, and extensive work with engineering in developing and bringing new technology and products to the discipline of hearing. This varied background allows him to couple manufacturing and business with the science of acoustics to bring innovative developments and insights to our discipline. Dr. Staab has authored numerous books, chapters, and articles related to hearing aids and their fitting, and is an internationally-requested presenter. He is a past President and past Executive Director of the American Auditory Society and a retired Fellow of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology. Interests engaged in outside of the above include: fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking, golf, travel, tennis, softball, lecturing, sporting clays, 4-wheeling, archery, swimming, guitar, computers, and photography. These are great topics of discussion away from business.

Featured image for “Baseball – The Sound of the Bat II”

Baseball – The Sound of the Bat II

Implications of the Sound of the Baseball Bat When Striking a Ball A hollow aluminum bat sounds much different from a solid wood bat because the walls can vibrate. The sound is typically between 1000 and 2500 Hz, meaning that is essentially the frequency with which the walls vibrate. Much of this stored elastic energy is retained as vibration energy

Featured image for “Sounds of Baseball – Does the Bat Crack or Ping?”

Sounds of Baseball – Does the Bat Crack or Ping?

America’s Pastime Baseball has been identified as America’s Pastime because during the late 19th and early 20th century it was probably the most widely played sport in the country. Indeed, it carries historical significance for our nation, something that many people can identify with – either having played the sport, or as an interested observer. Perhaps the most visible and

Featured image for “Ear Pathology in SCUBA Diving or Freediving”

Ear Pathology in SCUBA Diving or Freediving

I find it amazing to come into contact with the most interesting persons in the most unusual places. This was the case with Gene Worth, who was just another face in the softball league that I play in. However, during casual conversations, I found out that he had a very special background and very interesting work activities. Dr. Eugene Worth

Featured image for “Human Ear Canal – Changes Due Aging Process and Issues with Device Insertion”

Human Ear Canal – Changes Due Aging Process and Issues with Device Insertion

Changes to the ear canal occur resulting from the aging process. Additionally, there are issues that must be considered when placing auditory (or other) devices into the ear canal. This is the last in our series on the human ear canal. Ear Canal Physiology – General Previous posts have provided data showing the distance between the auricle (what we hook eyeglasses to)

Featured image for “The Human Ear Canal – Tissue, Blood supply, and Innervation”

The Human Ear Canal – Tissue, Blood supply, and Innervation

The six previous posts on the human ear canal focused primarily on its dimensions. This post is directed toward non-dimensional features of the ear canal that lead to an understanding of the tissue, blood supply, and innervation of the ear canal. Skin Lining and Substructure The skin lining of the osseous (bony) canal is much thinner than that of

Featured image for “The Human Ear Canal Length and Dimensions”

The Human Ear Canal Length and Dimensions

Ear Canal Dimensions Measurements of the human ear canal that show dimensional characteristics have been taken primarily from ear impressions. However, unless an impression is made of the entire ear canal, including the tympanic membrane, the length of the canal cannot be determined. A further weakness of ear impressions is that they do not show the dynamic changes in the ear

Featured image for “The Human Ear Canal – Statistical Shape Modeling”

The Human Ear Canal – Statistical Shape Modeling

Statistical Shape Modeling of the Human Ear Canal This post is a continuation of methods that have been used to determine the dimensions of the human ear canal. The approach described in this post uses a process called active shape analysis. This process has been used in describing, identifying, and segmenting biological shapes, but not previously for ear canals. Because

Featured image for “The Human Ear Canal – Length and Dimensions”

The Human Ear Canal – Length and Dimensions

Ear Canal Length Most ear canal dimensional measurements relate to the length of the ear canal. However, measurements of the ear canal length are not straightforward because measurement methods vary, especially as to how the distal and proximal boundaries of the ear canal are identified. Additionally, ear canal length provides no information about the ear canal configuration, which has been

Featured image for “Fourier Analysis and Its Role in Hearing Aids”

Fourier Analysis and Its Role in Hearing Aids

Fourier Analysis and Transforms Spectrum analysis, also known as frequency domain analysis or spectral density estimation, is a crucial process for decomposing complex signals into simpler components. This article explores the fundamentals of Fourier analysis and transforms, which play a vital role in spectrum analysis and are widely used in hearing aid design and signal processing. The Basics of Fourier

Featured image for “The Human Ear Canal – II”

The Human Ear Canal – II

The anatomy of the human ear canal continues with a discussion of the general viewing references to properly visualize the configuration (shape) of the ear canal. General Reference for Viewing Most images of the ear canal are shown from the frontal dimension. This is unfortunate because that angle provides the least information relative to the shape of the ear canal.