The objective of this project is to develop a hearing aid and wireless companion microphone system based on new, highly-innovative, very low-power ultra-wideband impulse radio technology. The phase I program successfully established the feasibility of fully integrating an ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse radio transceiver and antenna system inside a behind-the-ear hearing aid and companion microphone. Companion microphones represent an established methodology for providing a signal-to-noise ratio improvement for hearing aid users in noisy environments. However, to date they have met with limited commercial success for a variety of reasons including the requirement of additional hardware to be worn by the hearing impaired person and the relatively large, power hungry, and sometimes data insecure companion microphones. The proposed technology addresses these issues by miniaturizing the microphone and integrating a novel ultra-low-power UWB radio directly into the hearing aid with a minimal effect on battery life. ? ? ?
