A61B5/125

Method of performing real ear measurements by placing a probe element at an intended position from a tympanic membrane of an individual's ear canal and a measuring system configured to carry out such method

A method of performing real ear measurements by a measuring system is described herein. The measuring system comprises a probe element adapted to be inserted in the ear canal of an individual; a loudspeaker configured to deliver a sample sound signal to the ear canal; at least one microphone configured to detect a response to the sample sound signal, wherein the probe element is in acoustic communication with the loudspeaker and cooperates with the at least one microphone; and a signal processing unit for performing an acoustic measurement of a response to the sample sound signal, based on an electrical input signal from the microphone.

PERCEPTION CHANGE-BASED ADJUSTMENTS IN HEARING PROSTHESES
20210106267 · 2021-04-15 ·

Presented herein are substantially automated techniques that enable an electro-acoustic or other hearing prosthesis implanted in a recipient to use objective measurements to determine when the recipient is likely experiencing sound perception changes. Once one or more perception changes are detected, the hearing prosthesis may initiate one or more remedial actions to, for example, address the perception changes. As described further below, the one or more remedial actions may include adjustments to the recipient's operational map to reverse the one or more perception changes.

Auditory device assembly
11006225 · 2021-05-11 · ·

An auditory device assembly (1) comprises an earpiece (3) having an audio output device (7) for an ear (9) of a user and an audio processing unit (11, 33). The audio processing unit (11, 33) has a hearing-test mode and an audio streaming mode. In the hearing test mode the audio processing unit (11, 33) is arranged to determine at least one ear characteristic of the ear of the user based on at least one hearing test. In the audio streaming mode the audio processing unit (11, 33) is arranged to output an audio stream via the audio output device (7). The audio processing unit (11, 33) is arranged to adjust the output of the audio stream in the audio streaming mode based on the at least one ear characteristic determined in the hearing-test mode.

Daily cognitive monitoring of early signs of hearing loss

In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to receive collected data from one or more data collection devices, the collected data being aggregated over at least one month and comprising audio data including first voice input of a user of the one or more data collection devices. The program instructions also cause the processing circuit to store the audio data to a computer readable storage medium; determine an identity of the user based on comparing second voice input to the first voice input; and analyze the audio data for indications of hearing loss in the user over the period of time. The analysis includes determining a user's emotion during production of the audio input.

Hearing assessment system
10966640 · 2021-04-06 · ·

A system for a healthcare provider to administer a portable interactive hearing assessment is provided. The system allows the healthcare provider to administer the hearing assessment in a way that accurately detects hearing loss and provides recommendations for seeking further assistance from qualified hearing health specialists and/or an ENT physician. The system includes a hearing test device, and a processor that receives and processes a pressure test result associated with each of the patient's ear from a tympanometer and the patient's response to one or more pure tone frequencies transmitted by the hearing test device. The processor may also provide a report and recommendation based on received pressure test result and the determined hearing results, and demonstrate effects of any hearing loss to a person accompanying the patient so that the accompanying person understands a scope of the patient's hearing loss.

METHOD FOR DETECTING A PLURALITY OF HEALTH CONDITIONS OF A COCHLEA

A method and a system for detecting a plurality of health conditions of a cochlea during insertion of an electrode array is described. The method comprising; applying a plurality of acoustic stimulations, and where each of the plurality of acoustic stimulations includes a tone burst including multiple acoustic pulses modulated at a tone of one frequency, arranging an electrocochleography probe to an outer wall of the recipient's cochlea, measuring via the electrocochleography probe a plurality of cochlea baseline responses based on the plurality of acoustic stimulations, before insertion of the electrode array into the recipient's cochlea, measuring continuously via the electrocochleography probe a plurality of cochlea responses based on the plurality of acoustic stimulations, during insertion of the electrode array into the recipient's cochlea, determining a plurality of electrical response differences between the plurality of cochlea baseline responses and the plurality of cochlea responses, respectively, determining a plurality of health conditions of the cochlea during insertion of the electrode array based on the plurality of electrical response differences.

Intraoperative Detection of Electrode Lead Misplacement During a Lead Insertion Procedure
20210128104 · 2021-05-06 · ·

An exemplary diagnostic system may be configured to direct an acoustic stimulation generator to apply acoustic stimulation to a recipient of a cochlear implant during an insertion procedure in which an electrode lead coupled to the cochlear implant is supposed to be inserted into a cochlea of the recipient, direct the cochlear implant to use an electrode on the electrode lead to record an evoked response signal that occurs within the recipient in response to the acoustic stimulation, detect an anomaly in the evoked response signal, and determine, based on the anomaly, that the electrode lead is being inserted into a vestibular canal instead of into the cochlea.

MEASURING PRESBYCUSIS

Diagnosing and treating presbycusis (age related hearing loss) includes measuring basilar membrane stiffness. In an example, a low frequency component of an electrocochleogram stimulation signal is used to bias a region of the basilar membrane, the results of which are used basilar membrane stiffness. The resulting measurement is used to measure a subcomponent of presbycusis. Further, the measurement can be combined with known diagnostic methods to reveal or distinguish other origins of hearing loss such as strial presbycusis, sensory presbycusis, neural presbycusis, and cochlea conductive presbycusis. The relative contributions for each of the diagnosed origins of hearing loss can be determined.

METHOD FOR SELECTING AND ADJUSTING IN A CUSTOMIZED MANNER A HEARING AID
20210092537 · 2021-03-25 ·

Method for selecting and adjusting in a customised manner a hearing aid comprising the following steps: A. receiving (100) indications on one or more needs of a patient; B. receiving (200) indications from the patient concerning his/her perception of his/her own hearing with respect to listening situations by assigning a respective value on a first value scale; C. performing (300) an audiometric PTA test on the patient, wherein the patient wears a headset and hearing is not assisted by any hearing aid; D. performing (400) an audiometric ANL test on the patient; E. in the case where the resulting value of the audiometric PTA test is not larger than 80 dB, performing (500) an audiometric SPIN test on the patient; F. in the case where the resulting value of the audiometric PTA test is larger than 80 dB, or in the case where the resulting value of the audiometric PTA test is not larger than 80 dB and the resulting value of the SPIN test is larger than 6, performing (600) an audiometric SPIQ test on the patient, wherein the patient wears a headset; G. displaying (700) the resulting values of the audiometric tests performed in steps C, D, E and/or F on a same second value scale; H. selecting (800) one or more available hearing aids, J. automatically determining (900) a related adjustment of operating parameters of the respective signal processing unit to allow meeting the needs determined in step A.

Device and method for hearing threshold-adapted acoustic stimulation

A device for stimulation of a patient with acoustic stimulation signals includes a stimulation unit for generating acoustic stimulation signals and a control unit for controlling the stimulation unit. The control unit is configured so that it determines a bandwidth of an auditory filter with a frequency of a predetermined tone as a center frequency, wherein this bandwidth is a reference bandwidth. The control unit determines a frequency of a first acoustic therapy signal such that a measure of coverage between the reference bandwidth around the frequency of the predetermined tone and a first bandwidth of an auditory filter with the frequency of the first acoustic therapy signal as a center frequency assumes a predetermined first value, and controls the stimulation unit such that the stimulation unit generates the first acoustic therapy signal.