The balanced electromagnetic separation transducer a new bone conduction transducer

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustics

Background:

• Conventional bone conduction transducers are limited by large size and poor low-frequency performance.
• Existing transducers struggle with distortion and sensitivity, impacting accurate hearing threshold measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel electro-dynamic transducer, the balanced electromagnetic separation transducer (BEST).
• To improve the performance of bone conduction transducers, specifically addressing distortion and low-frequency sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Development of a BEST transducer utilizing a balanced suspension principle to counteract distortion forces.
• Separation of static and dynamic magnetic fluxes for increased transducer efficiency.
• Comparative analysis of BEST prototype against conventional B71 transducer performance metrics.

Main Results:

• The BEST prototype demonstrated significantly lower total harmonic distortion (THD) by 20-25 dB compared to the B71.
• Improved sensitivity was observed: 10-20 dB for 100-1000 Hz and 2-10 dB for 1-10 kHz.
• At 250 Hz and 40 dB HL, BEST showed 23 dB higher sensitivity and reduced THD from 61% to 3.3% versus B71.

Conclusions:

• The BEST transducer offers superior performance characteristics compared to conventional bone conduction devices.
• This innovation enables more reliable and accurate bone threshold measurements, particularly at lower frequencies and hearing levels.
• The BEST technology holds potential for advancing audiological diagnostics and hearing aid applications.