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1991 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

A Study on Utility and improvement of Sensory Substitute Devices for Education Engineering of the Hearing Impaired.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 02452300
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Research Field 科学教育(含教育工学)
Research InstitutionHokkaido University

Principal Investigator

IFUKUBE Tohru  Hokkaidou Univesity. Research Institute of Applied Electricity, Professor, 応用電気研究所, 教授 (70002102)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) SUGAWARA Kohichi  National Institute of the Special Education, Director, 部長 (30000269)
IZUMI Takashi  Hokkaido University, Research Institute of Applied Electricity, Assistant Profes, 応用電気研究所, 助手 (80193374)
MATSUSHIMA Jun'ichi  Hokkaido University, Medical School, Lacturer, 医学部, 講師 (60173829)
TAKAHASHI Makoto  Hokkaido University, Research Institute of Applied Electricity, Associate Profes, 応用電気研究所, 助教授 (10154858)
Project Period (FY) 1990 – 1991
KeywordsTactual Vocoder / Cochlear Implant / Auditory Substitute / Hearing Impaired / Automatic Speech Recognition
Research Abstract

1. A new display method of vibration patterns was proposed in order to improve the recognition of consonants by our fingertip tactile vocoder for the deaf.
(1) One of the reasons why consonant parts could not be so much recognized as vowels was found to be caused by temporal masking based on psychophysical experiments. To solve the above problem, the speech spectrum patterns were displayed on a fingertip with swept mode using a small vibrator matrix with 16 rows.
(2) Two-point thresholds were measured in the various conditions while sweeping two vibrating points on a fingertip. The optimal swept speed was obtained from the experiments. It was ascertained that the temporal masking of consonant parts by vowels could be avoided by using the optimal swept speed.
2. A new model of an extracochlear prosthesis has been designed for deaf infants and children.
(1) We have developed a Pt-Ir electrode coated with polyvinyl alcohol gel which contains a saline solution. The coated electrode is suitable for the extracochlear prosthesis because it can firmly adhere to the round window membrane without causing damage so that the residual hearing of patients may not be lost.
(2) In our telemetry method, the output of the speech processor is transmitted with electromagnetic coupling from the first coil inside the earmold to the second coil implanted under the skin of an external ear. Using this method, the subject only has to receive a very minor operation. Our cochlear prosthesis may possibly be applied to even a small child.
(3) As a speech coding method. a new idea has been proposed to simultaneously transmit the pitch signal and the second formant frequency through an electrode. It took about 20 ms to detect the pitch signal and the second formant frequency by using a digital signal processor. This new method of speech coding has proven effective for discrimination of the five Japanese vowels based on simple tests.

  • Research Products

    (18 results)

All Other

All Publications (18 results)

  • [Publications] T.Ifukube,Y.Hirata,J.Matsushima: "A new model of auditory prosthesis using a digital signal processor" Journal of Microcomputer Applications. 13. 219-227 (1990)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 和田 親宗,伊福部 達,泉 隆,松島 純一: "タクタイルボコ-ダの評価と改良に関する一考察" 電子情報通信学会技術報告. MBE91ー30. 85-90 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Y.Hirata,T.Ifukube,J.Matsushima,K.Tochinai: "Evaluation of a Stimulation electrode covered with polyvinyle alcohol gel for extracochlear prosthesis" IEICE Trans. 74. 2960-2964 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] T.Ifukube,Y.Hirata,T.Izumi,J.Matsushima: "Design of a DSP-based extracochlear prosthesis" Proceedings of IEEE EMBS. 13. 1905-1906 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 伊福部 達: "聴覚障害者のための補助代行方式" 障害者問題研究. 65. 16-20 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 伊福部 達: "聴覚障害補償へのディジタル技術の応用" 日本音響学会誌. 47. 760-765 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 伊福部 達: "センサ-の辞典ー聴覚情報のインテリジェント処理ー" 朝倉書店, 6 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 伊福部 達: "ブリタニカ百科辞典ー生体工学ー" 10 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE, Y. HIRATA, J. MATSUSHIMA: ""A New Model of Auditory Prosthesis using a Digital Signal Processor" Journal of Microcomputer Applications. 13. 219-227 (1990)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Y. HIRATA, T. IFUKUBE, J. MATSUSHIMA, and K. TOCHINAI: ""Evaluation of a Stimulation Electrode covered with Polyvinyl Alcohol Gel for Extracochlear Prosthesis" IEICE Trans.E 74. 2960-2964 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Y. HIRATA, T. IFUKUBE, S. SAKAJIRI, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""Signal Transmission Method and its Evaluation for an Extracochlear Prosthesis" Audiology Japan. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Y. HIRATA, T. IFUKUBE, S. SAKAJIRI, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""On Sensation Produced by Electrical Stimulation to the Cochlea" Audiology Japan. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE, Y. HIRATA, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""A Comparison of Discrimination Characteristics of Vibrotactile Stimulation to Auditory Nerves" Proceedings of An International Conference on Tactile Aids, Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implant. 9 (1990)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE, Y. HIRATA, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""A Stimulation Electrode covered with Polyvinyl Alcohol Gel for an Extracochlear Prosthesis and it's Evaluation in-Vitro" Proceedings of World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. 664 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE, Y. HIRATA, T. IZUMI, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""Desing of a DSP-based Extracochlear Prosthesis, "" Proceedings of 13th Annual International Conference IEEE EMBS. 1905-1906 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE, Y. HIRATA, C. WADA, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""Comparison of Discrimination Characteristics between Vibrotactile and Electrical Stimulation of Auditory Nerves, "" Proceedings of 14th International Congress on Acoustics. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE and C. WADA: ""Evaluation and Improvement of a 16-channel Fingertip Tactile Vocoder"" Proceedings of Second International Conference on Tactile Aids, Hering Aids, and Cochlear Implants. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] T. IFUKUBE, Y. HIRATA, C. WADA, and J. MATSUSHIMA: ""Comparison of Discrimination Characteristics between Vibrotactile and Electrical Stimulation to Auditory Merves" Proceedings of 14th International Conference of Acoustics. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 1993-03-16  

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