Systems, methods and products for diagnostic hearing assessments distributed via the use of a computer network
First Claim
1. A method for performing a hearing evaluation test over a computer network, comprising the steps of:
- administering a hearing evaluation test to a patient using a computer network, the hearing evaluation test comprising a plurality of hearing assessment signals at selected frequencies and hearing levels;
transmitting commands from a test administration site to a local patient testing site during said administering step;
generating the hearing assessment signals at the local patient site in response to said transmitting step; and
interactively relaying information between the patient located at the local site and a clinician located at the test administration site during said administering step so that the clinician can evaluate the patient'"'"'s response to the hearing assessment signals, the test administration site being remote from the local site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The systems, methods and associated devices performing diagnostic hearing tests which use a computer network to allow interaction between a test administration site and one or a plurality of remote patient sites. The test can be administered by an audiologist or clinician at a site remote from the patient, in a manner, which can allow interaction between the user and the clinician during at least a portion of the administration of the test. The diagnostic hearing tests can be performed such that they meet standardized guidelines such as ANSI requirements or certification standards and can include distortion product emission level measurements or middle ear compliance measurements.
146 Citations
59 Claims
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1. A method for performing a hearing evaluation test over a computer network, comprising the steps of:
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administering a hearing evaluation test to a patient using a computer network, the hearing evaluation test comprising a plurality of hearing assessment signals at selected frequencies and hearing levels;
transmitting commands from a test administration site to a local patient testing site during said administering step;
generating the hearing assessment signals at the local patient site in response to said transmitting step; and
interactively relaying information between the patient located at the local site and a clinician located at the test administration site during said administering step so that the clinician can evaluate the patient'"'"'s response to the hearing assessment signals, the test administration site being remote from the local site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37)
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31. A method for delivering a diagnostic hearing test over a global computer network from a test administration site to a patient site, comprising the steps of:
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generating, at a patient site, a plurality of hearing assessment signals at frequencies in the range of about 20-20,000 Hz;
transmitting, to the patient, a plurality of hearing assessment signals from said generating step, the plurality of hearing assessment signals being sufficient in number and variation of frequency and sound level intensity to provide enough information to the test administration control site to allow a diagnostic hearing evaluation to be performed by a clinician thereat according to predetermined standards;
controlling the output of the hearing assessment signals which are relayed to the patient during said transmitting step at a local site from a test administration site which is remote from the patient site, wherein said controlling step is carried out such that a clinician at the test administration site determines which hearing assessment signals of said generating step are relayed locally to the patient, accepting patient input indicating when each of the plurality of hearing assessment signals from said transmitting step becomes audible thereto during said transmitting step; and
diagnosing the hearing ability or hearing loss of the patient at the test administration site away from the patient site. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49)
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38. A method of controlling a diagnostic hearing test, the method comprising the steps of:
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serving web pages from a web server associated with a diagnostic hearing test device to a web client which indicate a status of the diagnostic hearing test;
receiving requests from the web client which provide parameters for performing the diagnostic hearing test; and
controlling operation of the diagnostic test device based on the parameters of the received request from the web client so as to provide control of the diagnostic hearing test.
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46. A hearing evaluation device, comprising:
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a web server;
a diagnostic test device operably associated with the web server and configured so as to be controlled by the web server; and
wherein the web server is further configured to serve web pages to a web client which indicate a status of a diagnostic hearing test, receive requests from the web client which provide parameters for performing the diagnostic hearing test, and control operation of the diagnostic test device based on the parameters of the received request from the web client.
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47. A hearing evaluation device for generating hearing assessment signals at a local patient site, comprising:
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a processor configured to communicate over a computer network;
a tone generator operably associated with the processor, wherein, in operation, said tone generator is configured to generate tones at a plurality of selected frequencies in the frequency range of between about 20-20,000 Hz;
an output device operably associated with the tone generator, wherein, in operation, said output device adapted to deliver the tones of the hearing assessment signals to a patient undergoing a hearing evaluation; and
an input device operably associated with the processor, said input device configured to indicate a patient'"'"'s response to each of the tones of the hearing assessment signals;
wherein the hearing evaluation device is configured to receive commands from a remote site through said processor computer network to select or adjust the tones generated by the tone generator.
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50. A method of controlling a hearing test, the method comprising the steps of:
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serving web pages from a web server associated with a hearing test device to a web client which indicate a status of the hearing test;
receiving requests from the web client which provide parameters for performing the hearing test; and
controlling operation of the hearing test device based on the parameters of the received request from the web client so as to provide control of the hearing test. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for performing a hearing evaluation test over a computer network, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining at least one of a tympanometric measurement of middle ear pressure and compliance or the measurement of evoked otoacoustic emissions of a patient using a computer network;
transmitting commands from a test administration site to a local patient testing site during at least a portion of said obtaining step;
generating the hearing assessment signals at the local patient site in response to said transmitting step; and
relaying data between the local site to a clinician located at the test administration site during at least a portion of said obtaining step so that the clinician can evaluate the patient'"'"'s response to the hearing assessment signals, the test administration site being remote from the local site. - View Dependent Claims (59)
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56. A method of controlling a electrophysiological auditory evaluation test using one or more of otoacoustic emissions and tympanometry, the method comprising the steps of:
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it serving web pages from a web server associated with an otoacoustic auditory evaluation test device configured to measure otoacoustic emissions including at least one of middle ear compliance and cochlear hair cell responses, to a web client which indicates a status of the otoacoustic evaluation test;
receiving requests from the web client which provide parameters for performing the otoacoustic evaluation test; and
controlling at least a portion of the operation of the test based on the parameters of the received request from the web client.
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57. A hearing evaluation device, comprising:
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a web server;
a diagnostic test device operably associated with the web server and configured so as to be controlled by the web server; and
wherein the web server is further configured to host socket connections to a web client that provide data that indicates a status of a diagnostic hearing test, receive requests from the web client that provides parameters for performing the diagnostic hearing test, and control operation of the diagnostic test device based on the parameters of the received request from the web client.
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58. A method of controlling a diagnostic hearing test, the method comprising the steps of:
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hosting a socket connection at a web server for the transfer of data associated with a diagnostic hearing test device to a client which indicates a status of the diagnostic hearing test;
establishing test parameters of the hearing test device over the hosted socket connection;
controlling operation of the diagnostic test device over the hosted socket connection based on the parameters received from the client over the hosted socket connection so as to provide control of the diagnostic hearing test;
receiving results associated with the diagnostic hearing test at the client over the hosted connection; and
wherein the steps of establishing, controlling and receiving are carried out so as to in sufficient number and variation of frequency and sound level intensity to provide enough information to the client to allow a diagnostic hearing evaluation to be performed by a clinician according to predetermined standards.
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Specification