Michael Valente, Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF Otolaryngology
Keywords: hearing aid, audiology

The Hearing Aid Research Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine has been actively involved in ongoing investigations with a large number of hearing industry manufacturers (ReSound, Siemens, Oticon, Widex, Phonak, Sonic Innovations and Hearing Components) for the past 10 years. The results of these efforts have led to publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as a large number of presentations and poster sessions at national and international meetings.

The studies are completed within the Division of Adult Audiology at Washington University School of Medicine. The Division of Adult Audiology is a major component of the Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery. The Division of Adult Audiology has over 7,000 patient visits per year and dispenses approximately 60-70 hearing aids per month. About 80-85% of the dispensed hearing aids are digitally programmable or digital.

Currently, the research laboratory is working with Widex Hearing Aids to evaluate the effectiveness of a new digital dual-microphone hearing aid. The laboratory is also involved in the late stages of a project from Hearing Components to develop a new earmold to reduce feedback and the occlusion effect. The Hearing Aid Research Laboratory recently purchased the new computer-controlled R-Space test environment that will allow us to very accurately manipulate a wide variety of signals and noise sources from one to eight loudspeakers.

We welcome any inquiries from manufacturers as to whether we would be available to collaborate in research. We offer a large patient base and a long history of collaborative efforts with manufacturers and other academic sites on hearing aid research. We also have excellent statistical support from the Statistical Laboratory at Washington University and are able to complete projects in the agreed time frame.