A method for processing audio signals in particular for a therapy of subjective tinnitus with an individual tinnitus frequency. The method includes: providing a first audio signal, determining a blocking range in the frequency spectrum of the first audio signal with a predefinable frequency width, creating a second audio signal from the first audio signal using a filter, and determining an auditory energy of the first audio signal or the second audio signal within at least one predefined therapeutically applicable frequency range and specifying an evaluation parameter for the second audio signal.

Representative embodiments are directed to detecting neurological activity in a patient. The detection of neurological activity includes identifying cross-frequency coupling and determining whether the cross-frequency coupling is physiological or pathological. When pathological cross-frequency coupling is detected, neurostimulation of one or more sites is applied. In some embodiments, an implantable pulse generator is adapted to analyze neural activity for pathological cross-frequency coupling and to provide electrical stimulation in response to the detected pathological cross-frequency coupling.

A portable electronic device is to be operated by a user with tinnitus. The portable electronic device is used to determine a primary phase cancellation tone that corresponds to the user's primary tinnitus, and a secondary phase cancellation tone that corresponds to the user's secondary. The portable electronic device outputs the primary and secondary phase cancellation tones at an output device based on input from the user.

Disclosed is a method. The method may include receiving first data based on a stimulus defined according to a patient. The method may include receiving second data based on the stimulus. The method may include determining an indication of tinnitus. The indication of tinnitus may be based on a comparison between the first data and the second data. The method may include administering a tinnitus treatment on the patient. The treatment may be based on the indication. A tinnitus treatment may include one or more of an biological feedback with the patient, transcranial magnetic stimulation of the patient, surgical insertion of the cochlear implant, the cognitive behavioral therapy, the transcutaneous electrical stimulation, pharmacologic therapy on the patient, or applying a hearing aid to the patient.

A portable hearing evaluation system is provided including: a portable computing device configured to provide audiometric testing of a patient according to one or more audiological standards; and a transducer, coupled to the portable computing device. The portable computing device is configured generate a plurality of test signals based at least in part according to one or more parameters and to be provided on an output of the portable computing device for playback on the transducer.

An audio detection system includes a mouthpiece configured to detect vibrations occurring at a subject's head, generate a signal based on the vibrations, and transmit the signal. The audio detection system also includes a signal processing module configured to receive the signal from the mouthpiece as an audio input signal, generate an output signal based on the audio input signal, and transmit the output signal. A method of detecting an abnormal condition experienced by a subject includes detecting vibrations within the subject's head at a mouthpiece positioned within the subject's mouth, generating a signal based on the vibrations at the mouthpiece, transmitting the signal from the mouthpiece to a signal processing module, receiving the signal as an audio input signal at the signal processing module, generating an output signal based on the audio input signal at the signal processing module, and transmitting the output signal.

A tinnitus treatment device using a surround sound virtual reality (VR) interface of the present invention includes a display unit that is mounted on a user's head to display a VR video, into which a tinnitus avatar is inserted, to a subject, a virtual environment object unit that generates the tinnitus avatar by visualizing the tinnitus perceived by the user, a surround sound processing unit that generates a 3D sound so as to allow the user to perceive a mixed sound combined with the tinnitus, a sound output unit that outputs the 3D sound to the user, and a VR video control unit that changes content in the VR video in response to a user input signal provided from a user interface, in which the VR video control unit controls the tinnitus avatar displayed in the VR video in response to the user input signal and changes the output of the 3D sound in response to the control of the tinnitus avatar.

An illustrative method includes determining a preliminary estimate of the patient's tinnitus tone by allowing the patient to listen to and vary frequency and intensity of a first test tone within a predetermined first frequency range and a predetermined first intensity range to approximate the first test tone to the patient's tinnitus tone; defining a second frequency range and a second intensity range around the preliminary estimate of the patient's tinnitus tone; and determining a final estimate of the patient's tinnitus tone by allowing the patient to listen to and vary frequency and intensity of a second test tone within the second frequency range and the second intensity range to approximate the second test tone to the patient's tinnitus tone.

Enhanced audiometry methods and instruments to provide assessments of the nature and/or extent of a subject's hearing loss or impairments. Embodiments include applying at least first and second different test electrical stimulations to a subject, wherein the first and second test electrical stimulations are configured to stimulate hearing perception in the subject and are different. An identification of one or more characteristics of the perceived hearing produced by the at least first and second test electrical stimulations, such as an origin location of the perceived hearing, is received from the subject, and recorded in association with the at least first and second test electrical stimulations. Clinicians may improve the efficacy of treatments for the hearing impairments based on the recorded information.

A system for masking a perceived sound includes a wearable device disposed on a person, the wearable device including in a plurality of sensors, each of which is configured to output a sound waveform in response to sounds generated by physiological activity of the person. The system also includes a processing device coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to process the sound waveforms. The system further includes a sound output device coupled to the processing device, the sound output device is configured to output the sound waveforms to mask a perceived sound.