Hearing Economics

People know, without conscious thought, that you can’t talk to someone if they’re asleep. Likewise, we naturally go to sleep or at least zone out if we don’t want to hear someone talking. These are examples of physiological “state” variables, in which the response (e.g., hearing/attending or not) is dependent only on our state of being, not on other processes. 

by Amyn M Amlani, PhD   Healthcare has changed and continues to evolve. Decades ago, a patient would schedule an appointment with their provider based on their insurance coverage, the provider then diagnosed and recommended a treatment protocol, and that protocol would then be executed, followed by a post-treatment visit(s). The recent healthcare model is quite different, with service provision

Talk to the Hand Puppet   Patent #10200773 envisions a simple but clever fix for a vexing noise problem common to all handsfree phone communicators, especially those with hearing loss and hearing aids. When you speak on a call, the phone’s mic picks up your voice along with all other environmental noise competition. The phone call recipient may or may

Hearing Economics is always scouting out new ways for in-ear devices to multitask for the general good of mankind. Emerging technologies in new patents provide fertile ground and occasional low hanging fruit. Here are a few thoughts for future in-ear apps, taken from January patent offerings.   Beauty: In the Ear of the Listener or the Fingers of the Player?

by Amyn M Amlani, PhD   A few weeks back, I spent the afternoon shopping for clothes with my 14-year-old daughter. As we made the rounds at the local mall, I was surprised at how elaborate a consumer my daughter had become. Outfits that I assumed were a “slam-dunk” purchase were rejected, and other outfits that I thought were a

Ear devices, like other wearables, continue to track multifunctionality.  Two cases offer new opportunities for future add-on features and connectivity: Muzik Inc.’s wireless earbuds (Fig 1, USPTO #D835602) are indeed wireless but that’s where their resemblance to earbuds-as-we-know-them ends. Intead, they use the head as shelf space for an onboard power supply and integrated speakers, with plenty of room left for more sensors

by Kim Cavitt, AuD, and Nicholas S. Reed, AuD Hearing loss impacts two-thirds of Americans over the age of 70 years. Traditionally ignored as a benign chronic condition, “hearing loss” has begun to cement its status as a public health concern. Recent literature suggests hearing loss is independently linked to important health markers and outcomes, such as cognitive decline, dementia, falls,

The last monologue post, back in October, presented Plan B — palliative pricing in an unbundled traditional dispensing model–as a spring board for treatment, if not cure, of audiology’s “cost disease.” The disease metaphor was coined by famous economist William Baumol to frame the price problem faced by industries/professions where cost of technology decreases over time, thanks to innovation, but

Once again, communications giants weigh in on the November patent list, which features wearable audio devices from Google and Samsung (0129635 and 10123137) and audio processing for people with hearing loss by Dolby Labs (#10136240).    Ears, Fingers, Eyes and Toes   Time was, grownups maneuvered through life with ears, eyes, hands and feet. Hands and feet got us where we

The many blogs from 2018—submitted by area experts—provided glimpses of opportunities and challenges that precede the profession. An opportunity that is at the crossroads between provider service-provision and patient self-provision is auditory perceptual training. In March 2018, Harvey Abrams, PhD, made the point that the value proposition of auditory perceptual training has the potential (research is still needed in this area)