A comparative study of existing smart hearing aids for partially hearing-impaired patients

The paper presents the design and development of a hearing aid with intelligent features aimed at helping patients with hearing disabilities to recognise sound and automatically adapt the audio based on different levels of hearing loss. This study was carried out to evaluate several algorithms for the design of hearing aids and to verify the performance and efficacy of a smart hearing aid. The aim of the research was to carry out research and to guide in development of innovative and affordable hearing aids for those who have hearing loss. As reviewed, new technologies are now available, and hearing aid technology development has greatly advanced throughout time. The market offers a range of advanced hearing aids, including Completely-in-Canal (CIC) rechargeable devices, custom-fit titanium designs, AI-driven sound processing, Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids and wireless charging with AI integration inbuilt. The primary flaw in all hearing aids is their intricate designs, which make them expensive and often unaffordable for many segments of society. Depending on the features and technology, hearing aids can range in price from $950 to $6000 per pair, creating a significant cost barrier for those in need. The findings from this study aim to review and compare existing smart hearing aids in the market, focusing on their ability to differentiate between desirable and undesirable sounds and their interoperability with various interfaces. This study solely focuses on analyzing the existing products and their limitations.