Headphone Technology That Actually Helps Hearing Loss
From: Popular Science - 05-2012 - page 20
By: Tim Gideon

Originally intended to block sound, modified noise-canceling circuitry now
helps people to hear 

Of the estimated 36 million Americans who report some level of hearing loss,
as many as 20 million have mild to moderate conditions, in which they
struggle to pick out voices in cacophonous settings. Although the condition
is common, treatment is limited. Custom-fitted hearing aids, which can be
adjusted according to an individual’s needs, cost as much as $3,000. Users
can instead opt for cheaper, over-the-counter amplifiers, but those simply
increase the volume of all ambient sounds and do little to help in
conversation. To address the needs of this group, the Colorado company Able
Planet reconfigured the noise-canceling circuitry from its headphone line and
created the first over-the-counter device that isolates and amplifies voices. 

Just as in a pair of noise-canceling earphones, a microphone in the
dime-size, in-ear Personal Sound Amplifier feeds noise to a microprocessor.
Rather than eliminating sounds by generating competing frequencies (or by
using metamaterials), though, the Amplifier’s processor isolates and
selectively amplifies vocal frequencies (starting around 80 hertz) while
dampening ambient sounds. The company’s signal-processing algorithm also adds
a slight high-frequency boost to voices, allowing them to further stand out
without the need for additional—and potentially harmful—volume. If a user
still has trouble hearing, he can force the Amplifier to retune by cupping
his hand over his ear. The mic senses the echo of the eardrum off the hand,
and that signals the processor to quickly adjust its levels, ensuring that
the wearer won’t miss a word. 

$800

Source:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/hear-buds

Links:
Able Planet
http://www.ableplanet.com/

Noise Cancelling Hearing Aid by Able Planet
http://www.universaldesignstyle.com/noise-cancelling-hearing-aid-by-able-planet/

Linx Audio
http://www.ableplanet.com/linxtechnology.html