What is BS EN 60118-0 - Hearing aid performance measurement about?
Hearing loss affects an individual’s quality of life in terms of both mental and physical health. While hearing aids are designed to address this issue, they need to be monitored for quality.
BS EN 60118-0 is part of the BS EN 60118 series on hearing aids and is a safety standard on the measurement of the performance characteristics of hearing aids.
BS EN 60118-0 gives recommendations for the measurement of the performance characteristics of air-conduction hearing aids based on a free field technique and measured with an acoustic coupler. BS EN 60118-0 is applicable to the measurement and evaluation of the electro-acoustical characteristics of hearing aids, for example for type testing and manufacturer datasheets.
The test results obtained by the methods specified in BS EN 60118-0 will express the performance under conditions of the test and may deviate from the performance of the hearing aid under actual conditions of use.
BS EN 60118-0 uses an acoustic coupler according to IEC 60318-5 which is only intended for loading a hearing aid with a specified acoustic impedance and is not intended to model the sound pressure in a person’s ear. The use of this acoustic coupler will yield different results from those obtained using the occluded ear simulator of IEC 60318-4 as used in former editions of IEC 60118-0.
In cases of custom-made in-the-ear instruments, the data supplied by the manufacturer applies only to the hearing aid being tested.
Who is BS EN 60118-0 - Hearing aid performance measurement for?
BS EN 60118-0 on hearing aid performance measurement is useful for:
- Manufacturers and suppliers of hearing aids
- Testing and quality control personnel
- Audiologists
- Medical personnel
- Researchers / product development teams
Why should you use BS EN 60118-0 - Hearing aid performance measurement?
Hearing aids can provide valuable benefits to improve quality of life for users. BS EN 60118-0 is based on a method of measurement in which the sound pressure level at the hearing aid reference point is kept constant to simulate free field conditions. This is accomplished in a test enclosure or acoustic test box using a pressure-calibrated control microphone, on the assumption that the sound field is homogeneous around the reference point of the hearing aid. This method is designated "constant entrance sound pressure method" or shortened "pressure method" throughout this part of IEC 60118. As an alternative to the pressure method, storage of a test enclosure frequency response correction curve may be used. This method is designated the “substitution method.” For testing directional hearing aids, the manufacturer and end-user should use acoustic test boxes of the same make and type to secure identical measurement conditions.
The test provided in BS EN 60118-0 helps you to deliver high quality hearing aids to your customers so that they can participate in society independently and confidently.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 60118-0:2015 supersedes BS EN 60118-0:1993, BS EN 60118-2:1996, BS EN 60118-1:1995, and BS EN 60118-6:1999 which are withdrawn.
BS EN 60118-0:2015 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous editions:
- The use of an acoustic coupler according to IEC 60318-5
- The addition of measurements for automatic gain control circuits, for induction pick-up coil inputs, and for electrical inputs