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A Link Loss Model for the On-body Propagation Channel for Binaural Hearing Aids

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Author

Summary, in English

Binaural hearing aids communicate with each other through a wireless link for synchronization. A propagation model is needed to estimate the ear-to-ear link loss for such binaural hearing aids. The link loss is a critical parameter in a link budget to decide the sensitivity of the transceiver. In this paper, we have presented a model for the deterministic component of the ear-to-ear link loss. The model takes into account the dominant paths having most of the power of the creeping wave from the transceiver in one ear to the transceiver in other ear and the effect of the protruding part of the outer ear called pinna. Simulations are done to validate the model using in-the-ear (ITE) placement of antennas at 2.45 GHz on two heterogeneous phantoms of different age-group and body size. The model agrees with the simulations. The ear-to-ear link loss between the antennas for the binaural hearing aids in the homogeneous SAM phantom is compared with a heterogeneous phantom. It is found that the absence of the pinna and the lossless shell in the SAM phantom underestimate the link loss. This is verified by the measurements on a phantom where we have included the pinnas fabricated by 3D-printing.

Publishing year

2013

Language

English

Pages

6180-6190

Publication/Series

IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation

Volume

61

Issue

12

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

Topic

  • Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

Status

Published

Project

  • EIT_UPD Wireless Communication for Ultra Portable Devices

Research group

  • Radio Systems

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0018-926X