Offending frequency suppression with a reset algorithm to improve feedback cancellation in digital hearing aids

Acoustic feedback limits the gain provided by hearing aids. Digital hearing aids identify acoustic feedback signals and cancel them continuously in a closed loop with an adaptive filter in the digital domain. This scheme facilitates larger hearing aid gain and improves the output sound quality of hearing aids. However, the output sound quality of hearing aids deteriorates as the hearing aid gain is increased. This paper automatically identifies and suppresses residual acoustical feedback components at frequencies that have the potential to drive the system to instability. The suppressed frequency components are monitored and the suppression is removed when such frequencies no longer pose a threat to drive the hearing aid system into instability. Experimental results obtained with real world hearing aid gain profiles using speech and music signals indicate that the method of this paper provides less distortion in the output sound quality than classical feedback cancelers enabling the use of more comfortable style hearing aids for patients with moderate to profound hearing loss.