METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR TESTING A HUMAN PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND DETECTION SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for testing a human physical function uses a system wearable on the head of a wearer. A first sensor of the system, which is wearable on a lateral first side of the head, carries out a measurement of a first parameter, which gives information about sweat secreted on the first side of the head. A second sensor of the system, which is wearable on a second side of the head opposite to the first side, carries out a measurement of a second parameter, which gives information about sweat secreted on the second side of the head. A final parameter is ascertained for unilateral anhidrosis of a wearer of the system on the basis of the first parameter and the second parameter. An arrangement for testing a human physical function and a system wearable on the head of a wearer are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for testing a human physical function, the method comprising: providing a system wearable on the head of a wearer; using a first sensor of the system configured to be disposed on a lateral first side of the head to carry out a measurement of a first parameter giving information about sweat secreted on the first side of the head; using a second sensor of the system configured to be disposed on a side of the head opposite to the first side to carry out a measurement of a second parameter giving information about sweat secreted on the second side of the head; and ascertaining a final parameter for unilateral anhidrosis of the wearer of the system based on the first parameter and the second parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out the measurement of each respective first or second parameter as at least one of a measurement of electrodermal activity or a measurement of skin reflectance on the respective first or second side of the head.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing a binaural hearing system having a first hearing instrument and a second hearing instrument as the system wearable on the head; providing the first sensor in the first hearing instrument and providing the second sensor in the second hearing instrument.

4. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises: ascertaining a degree of a fitting strength for at least one of the first hearing instrument or the second hearing instrument; ascertaining the first parameter or the second parameter based on the respective degree of the fitting strength; and ascertaining the degree of the fitting strength for each respective hearing instrument based on at least one of: a capacitive sensor, or a photoplethysmographic sensor, or a pressure sensor, or at least one transfer function representing a propagation of a sound signal from a loudspeaker of the respective hearing instrument to a microphone of a same hearing instrument, or representing a difference between one microphone of the respective hearing instrument and a further microphone of a same hearing instrument.

5. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises carrying out the measurement of each of the first or second parameter as at least one of a measurement of a humidity in a relevant auditory canal or a measurement of a cerumen contamination of the respective hearing instrument.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing glasses or data glasses as the system wearable on the head; and placing each of the first sensor and the second sensor on a respective one of a left side and a right side of the glasses.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: transmitting the first parameter and the second parameter from the system to an external device; and ascertaining the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis of the wearer of the system by using the external device.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises ascertaining the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis based on a correlation measure determined on a basis of a value of the first parameter and a value of the second parameter.

9. The method according to claim 8, which further comprises: carrying out the measurement of the first and second parameters at a plurality of points in time; and ascertaining the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis based on the values of the first and second parameters at the points in time.

10. The method according to claim 9, which further comprises: ascertaining a correlation measure of the relevant values of the first parameter and the second parameter for at least some of the points in time; and ascertaining the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis based on the correlation measure ascertained for the points in time.

11. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises: ascertaining the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis as a probability value from the correlation measure ascertained for the points in time, or ascertaining the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis as a binary value in dependence on the correlation measure ascertained for the points in time not reaching a lower limiting value.

12. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises outputting a notification to at least one of the wearer or a caregiver of the wearer or a medical service when the final parameter for the unilateral anhidrosis assumes a critical value.

13. An arrangement for testing a human physical function, the arrangement comprising: a system wearable on the head of a wearer, said system including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a control unit; said first sensor configured to be disposed on a lateral first side of the head of the wearer, and said second sensor configured to be disposed on a lateral second side of the head of the wearer opposite to the first side, during an intended operation of said system; said first sensor and said second sensor each configured to measure a respective first parameter or second parameter giving information about sweat secreted on the first side or the second side of the head; and said control unit configured to ascertain a final parameter for unilateral anhidrosis of the wearer of said system based on said first parameter and said second parameter.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein: said system is a binaural hearing system having a first hearing instrument and a second hearing instrument; and said first sensor is disposed in said first hearing instrument and said second sensor is disposed in said second hearing instrument.

15. The arrangement according to claim 13, which further comprises an external device configured to be connected by a data link to said system wearable on the head, said control unit being disposed in said external device.

16. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said first sensor or said second sensor is at least one of: a photoplethysmographic sensor, or a capacitive sensor, or an electromyography sensor, or an electrocardiography sensor, or an electroencephalography sensor, or a humidity sensor, or a skin conductivity sensor, or a reflectometry sensor, or a cerumen sensor, or an arrangement having a light source and a photodetector.

17. A system wearable on the head of a wearer, the system comprising: a first sensor and a second sensor for detecting unilateral anhidrosis of a wearer of the system; said first sensor configured to be disposed on a lateral first side of the head of the wearer, and said second sensor configured to be disposed on a lateral second side of the head of the wearer opposite to the first side, during an intended operation of the system; said first sensor and said second sensor each configured to measure a respective first parameter or second parameter giving information about sweat secreted on the first side or the second side of the head; and said first parameter and said second parameter providing a basis for ascertaining a final parameter for unilateral anhidrosis of the wearer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0037] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an arrangement made up of a binaural hearing system having two hearing aids and a smart phone, which is configured for testing a wearer of the hearing system for unilateral anhidrosis;

[0038] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a method for testing a wearer of the hearing system according to FIG. 1 for unilateral anhidrosis; and

[0039] FIG. 3 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 1 of an arrangement including a binaural hearing system having two hearing aids and a smart phone, wherein the hearing aids are integrated in a pair of data glasses.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, in which parts and variables corresponding to one another are each provided with the same reference signs, and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen an expanded block diagram of an arrangement 1 which includes a (wearable) system 2 to be worn by a user (not shown in greater detail) on his or her head 3 and an external device 4 connectable by a datalink to the system 2 wearable on the head 3. The head 3 (dashed lines) is solely indicated for this purpose in FIG. 1. The system 2 wearable on the head 3 is provided in the present case by a binaural hearing system 6 having a first hearing instrument 7 and a second hearing instrument 8. The first and the second hearing instrument 7, 8 are respectively provided in the present case by a first hearing aid 11 and a second hearing aid 12, which are to be worn respectively on the left or right ear in the intended operation of the binaural hearing system 6 by the user, thus the wearer of the binaural hearing system 6 (according to the assignment, the first hearing aid 11 can either be worn in this case on the left or on the right ear). The first hearing instrument 7 and the second hearing instrument 8 could just as well also be provided by headphones of a headphone system or a headset.

[0041] The first hearing aid 11 has a first loudspeaker 13, which is connected to a first processor unit 15 of the first hearing aid 11 and converts an output signal output thereby into a corresponding output sound. Similarly thereto, the second hearing aid 12 has a second loudspeaker 14, which is connected to a second processor unit 16 of the second hearing aid 12 and also converts an output signal output thereby into a corresponding output sound. In addition, the first hearing aid 11 and the second hearing aid 12 have still further components, which are solely indicated in FIG. 1 and which are provided in the respective hearing aid 11, 12 to treat a hearing loss of the wearer of the binaural hearing system 6, so that the treatment can be carried out by the first and the second hearing aid 11, 12 (and these are configured accordingly).

[0042] The first hearing aid 11 has a first sensor 21, which is connected to the first processing unit 15, and which is configured when worn on the ear as intended to measure a first parameter 23 on a lateral first side 9 of the head 3, which gives information about a sweat secretion of the wearer at the relevant measurement point of the first side 9. This can be carried out, for example, by an optical measurement of the skin reflectance or by a measurement of the electrodermal activity, thus a measurement of the skin conductivity (or of the electrical resistance of the skin).

[0043] Similarly thereto, the second hearing aid 12 has a second sensor 22, which is connected to the second processor unit 16 and which is configured, wherein the second hearing aid 12 is worn as intended on a second side 10 of the head 3 opposite to the first side 9, to measure a second parameter 24 which gives information about a sweat secretion of the wearer at the second measurement point of the second side 10 (thus, for example, with a BTE hearing aid region behind the ear). The first sensor 21 and the second sensor 22 are preferably configured identically (and thus use the same physical measuring principal in both cases). The system 2 wearable on the head could also be provided in an alternative (not shown) by data glasses, which are equipped with the first and the second sensor 21, 22.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, still further sensors than the first and the second sensor 21, 22 can also be used for the measurement of the first and the second parameter 23, 24 in this case.

[0045] The first parameter 23, which was measured by the first sensor 21, is now converted in the first processor unit 15 into a transmittable data format, and transmitted over a first connection 27, which is established by using a first antenna 25 of the first hearing aid 11 connected to the first processor unit 15, to the external device 4. In a comparable manner, the second parameter 24 is also transmitted over a second connection 28, which is established by using a second antenna 26 of the second hearing aid 12 connected to the second processor unit 16, to the external device 4.

[0046] The external device 4 is provided in the present case by a smart phone 30 having an antenna 32 and a control unit 36 configured as a processor unit 34, but could also be provided as a smartwatch or comparable device, which is in particular carried along by the user or worn on the body for the intended operation. The processor unit 34 has in this case at least one processor core and an operating memory addressable thereby and possibly also a nonvolatile memory for storing an operating program and/or operating system.

[0047] The first and the second antenna 25, 26 and the antenna 32 of the smart phone 30 stand generically in this case for corresponding communication directions, which are suitable and configured to establish the first and the second connections 27, 28 between the first or second hearing aids 11, 12, respectively, and the smart phone 30.

[0048] In the control unit 36, the first and the second parameters 23, 24 are assessed in a way still to be described in order to output a final parameter with respect to unilateral anhidrosis of the wearer of the binaural hearing system 6. The ascertainment of the final parameter can take place in this case in an alternative embodiment of the invention also in the binaural hearing system 6 itself, for example, in the first and/or second processor unit 15, 16 as an alternative embodiment (not shown) to the control unit (36), or also in a charging station, which is provided with corresponding computing capacity and configured for this purpose, for the first and the second hearing aid 11, 12.

[0049] In FIG. 2, a course of a method, with which a final parameter for unilateral anhidrosis can be established for the wearer of the binaural hearing system 6 according to FIG. 1, is schematically shown in a block diagram against a time axis T.

[0050] At a plurality of points in time T1, T2, T3, T4, in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, measured values w11, w12, w13, w14 as a precursor for the first parameter 23 and measured values w21, w22, w23, w24 as a precursor for the second parameter 24 are measured by the first sensor 21 and the second sensor 22 of the first or second hearing aid 11, 12, respectively. The measured values w11, . . . , w24 can be provided in this case, for example, by specific values of a skin reflectance or a conductivity of the skin (depending on the physical embodiment of the first and the second sensor 11, 12).

[0051] In addition, a degree G1, G2 of a fitting strength is ascertained continuously for each of the two hearing aids 11, 12. This can preferably take place at each of the indicated points in time T1, T2, T3, T4, thus G1(T1), G2(T1), G1 (T2), etc. The respective degree G1, G2 of the fitting strength can be ascertained in each case, for example, on the basis of a capacitive sensor (not shown), which determines the strength of a contact of the respective hearing aid 11, 12 with the skin in the region of the associated first or second sensor 21, 22, respectively, or also through a PPG sensor for which such a strength of the contact may be estimated on the basis of the signal strength.

[0052] On the basis of the respective degree G1 of the fitting strength of the first hearing aid 11, the individual measured values w11-w14 are now weighted accordingly, thus multiplied by a corresponding scaling factor, which is ascertained in each case from the degree G1 of the fitting strength (for example, on the basis of previously tabulated values which are determined by calibration measurements), and thus respective values k11, k12, k13, and k14 for the first parameter 23 are ascertained for the plurality of points in time T1, T2, T3, and T4.

[0053] In a comparable manner, on the basis of the respective degree G2 of the fitting strength of the second hearing aid 12, the individual measured values w21-w24 are scaled, and thus corresponding values k21, k22, k23, and k24 for the second parameter 24 are ascertained.

[0054] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, the values k11, . . . , k14 of the first parameter 23 and the values k21, . . . , k24 for the second parameter 24 are formed directly by the measured values w11, . . . , w14 or w21, . . . , w24 measured by the first or second sensor 21, 22, respectively.

[0055] A correlation measure MC is now ascertained from the values k11, k12, k13 and k14 for the first parameter 23 at the points in time T1, T2, T3, and T4 and the corresponding values k21, k22, k23, and k24 for the second parameter 24. The correlation measure can be formed in this case, for example, by a correlation coefficient or a random sample covariance of the mentioned values for the two parameters 23, 24. There is also a possibility of suitably weighted averaging over multiple correlation variables to generate the correlation measure MC.

[0056] If the values k11, . . . , k14 for the first parameter 23 are strongly correlated in this case with the values k21, . . . , k24 for the second parameter, this thus means that the sweat secretion is strongly correlated on both sides at the plurality of points in time T1, . . . , T4 and therefore there is not a high probability for unilateral anhidrosis. However, if those values have a low correlation, this thus indicates that the sweat secretion on one side is suppressed or even substantially suppressed, and is thus reduced or even largely does not occur independently of a physical exertion or a rest phase of the wearer.

[0057] A probability value P for a presence of unilateral anhidrosis in the wearer of the binaural hearing system 6 is now therefore ascertained from the correlation measure MC in that the correlation measure MC is mapped in a suitable manner on the interval [0, 1]. If this also applies to the correlation measure MC∈[0, 1], for example, an anti-linear mapping of the form P (MC)=1−MC can thus also be used; however, monotonous scaling can be carried out in this case, for example, in the form P (MC)=1−x.sup.2 or the like.

[0058] The probability value P can now be used as the final parameter 50 for a presence of unilateral anhidrosis. Alternatively thereto, such a final parameter 50 for a presence of unilateral anhidrosis can also be ascertained as a binary value B from the correlation measure MC. The binary value B assumes the value 0 if the correlation measure MC is above a lower limiting value U (and thus sufficiently high correlation of the values k11, . . . , k24 for the parameters 23, 24 is present on both sides), and the value 1 if the correlation measure MC is below the lower limiting value U, thus U<MC (and therefore the sweat secretion on both sides of the head is uncorrelated, so that a malfunction on one side can be presumed).

[0059] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the system 2 wearable on the head 3 is formed by a pair of (data) glasses 52 in which a binaural hearing system 6 according to FIG. 1 is integrated. In particular, the first hearing instrument 7 of the hearing system 6 is integrated in a first temple 54 of the glasses 52, and the second hearing instrument 8 of the hearing system 6 is integrated in a second temple 56 of the glasses 52.

[0060] Although the invention was illustrated and described in more detail by the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not thus restricted by the disclosed examples; other variations can be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of protection of the invention.

[0061] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0062] 1 arrangement [0063] 2 system wearable on the head [0064] 4 external device [0065] 6 binaural hearing system [0066] 7 first hearing instrument [0067] 8 second hearing instrument [0068] 9 first side [0069] 10 second side [0070] 11 first hearing aid [0071] 12 second hearing aid [0072] 13 first loudspeaker [0073] 14 second loudspeaker [0074] 15 first processor unit [0075] 16 second processor unit [0076] 21 first sensor [0077] 22 second sensor [0078] 23 first parameter [0079] 24 second parameter [0080] 25 first antenna [0081] 26 second antenna [0082] 27 first connection [0083] 28 second connection [0084] 30 smart phone [0085] 32 antenna [0086] 34 processor unit [0087] 36 control unit [0088] 50 final parameter [0089] 52 (data) glasses [0090] 54 temple [0091] 56 temple [0092] B binary value [0093] G1 degree of a fitting strength of the first hearing aid [0094] G2 degree of a fitting strength of the second hearing aid [0095] k11 . . . k14 value (for the first parameter) [0096] k21 . . . k24 value (for the second parameter) [0097] MC correlation measure [0098] P probability value [0099] T time axis [0100] T1 . . . T4 point in time [0101] U lower limiting value [0102] w11 . . . w14 measured value (of the first sensor) [0103] w21 . . . w24 measured value (of the second sensor)