Tinnitus rehabilitation device and method

• US 20040131200A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tinnitech Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tinnitech Ltd.
• Inventors: Davis, Paul Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/73.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/128 evaluating tinnitus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Abstract

A tinnitus method and device for providing relief to a person suffering from the disturbing effects of tinnitus is described. The method can be implemented entirely in software to spectrally modify an audio signal in accordance with a predetermined masking algorithm which modifies the intensity of the audio signal at selected frequencies. A predetermined masking algorithm is described which provides intermittent masking of the tinnitus wherein, at a comfortable listening level, during peaks of the audio signal the tinnitus is completely obscured, whereas during troughs the perception of the tinnitus occasionally emerges. In practice it has been found that such intermittent masking provides an immediate sense of relief, control and relaxation for the person, whilst enabling sufficient perception of the tinnitus for habituation and long term treatment to occur. Advantageously the predetermined masking algorithm is specifically tailored to the audiometric configuration of the person. For example, the masking algorithm may be partly tailored to the hearing loss characteristic of the person. A tinnitus rehabilitation device used in conjunction with a personal sound reproducing system is also described.

Claims

1. A method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder comprising:

generating a treatment signal by accentuating frequency components in a signal in a frequency range where a person has deficient hearing and ameliorating any objectionable nature in the treatment signal by including coherent signal components within a general listening range of the person.

2. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein any objectionable nature in the treatment signal is further ameliorated by attenuating the signal in frequencies where a person'"'"'s hearing is relatively less deficient.

3. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auditory system disorder is tinnitus and the treatment signal is a masking signal.

4. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the treatment signal includes a frequency substantially similar to the tinnitus.

5. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treatment signal is a highly dynamic signal whose spectral content and intensity constantly varies over time.

6. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the treatment signal is a music signal.

7. A computer readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for carrying out the auditory system disorder treatment method as defined in claim 1.

8. A carrier signal encoded to transmit, via a global computer network, a computer executable program for carrying out the auditory system disorder treatment method as defined in claim 1.

41. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treatment signal accounts for a person suffering from a condition characterized by reduced tolerance to sound.

42. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 41, wherein the condition includes hyperacusis.

9. A method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient comprising:

exposing the patient to a treatment signal; and

manipulating application of the treatment signal to the patient so that the patient'"'"'s perception of the auditory system disorder is modified on a neural level wherein the patient is gradually desensitized to the auditory system disorder over time, to thereby habituate the patient to the auditory system disorder.

10. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal is specifically tailored to the patient.

11. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein treatment signal includes components that are specifically tailored to each ear of the patient.

12. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 11 wherein treatment signals are delivered in a binaurally balanced way.

13. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal is a highly dynamic signal whose spectral content and intensity constantly varies over time.

14. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 13, wherein the treatment signal is a music signal.

15. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal includes at least an active treatment portion which is spectrally modified to patient specifications.

16. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal includes at least one passive treatment portion such that delivery of the active treatment portion is more comfortable to and possibly not perceived by the patient, whereby the patient becomes habituated to the auditory system disorder by gradually increasing the exposure to the auditory system disorder during treatment.

17. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the auditory system disorder is tinnitus and the treatment signal is a masking signal.

18. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal is a music signal.

19. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal accounts for a person suffering from a condition characterized by reduced tolerance to sound.

20. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 19, wherein the condition includes hyperacusis.

21. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, wherein the treatment signal is applied intermittently to the patient to provide active treatment periods in which the auditory system disorder is actively treated and passive treatment periods in which the auditory system disorder may exist but not necessarily be perceived by the patient.

22. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, further comprising providing the treatment signal via an external device.

23. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 22, wherein the external device comprises headphones, earphones or wireless earphones.

24. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, further comprising providing the treatment signal via an internal device.

25. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder of a patient as claimed in claim 9, further comprising providing the treatment signal via a hearing insert.

26. A method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder, comprising:

measuring the patient'"'"'s hearing loss characteristics;

calculating an optimal gain for each hearing threshold at each frequency in each ear; and

applying the contour curve to a dynamic input signal to obtain an individually prescribed ideal output signal.

27. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least a main portion of the output signal is centered near a mid point of two extremes of the patient'"'"'s hearing configuration.

28. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the relevant transform values for dBHL to dBSPL, optimal gain multiplier functions, or frequency-dependant loudness weighting curves are taken into account to provide a balanced perception of the signal in each ear.

29. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the auditory system disorder is tinnitus and the output signal is generated by spectrally modifying an audio signal as it enters the wearer'"'"'s ears.

30. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the auditory system disorder is tinnitus and the output signal is a masking signal.

31. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the treatment signal is a highly dynamic signal whose spectral content and intensity constantly varies over time.

32. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 31, wherein the treatment signal is a music signal.

33. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the centering is bi-lateral centering and is performed by determining the greatest hearing ear of the patient and noting the hearing thresholds at a greatest hearing loss frequency region;

determining the least hearing loss ear and noting the hearing thresholds at the least hearing loss frequencies; and

calculating a midpoint between the two extremes to define a baseline from which approximately equal amounts of acoustic energy can be added or subtracted, thus maximizing usable range while minimizing distortion.

34. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the centering is performed by determining the midpoint between the desired ear'"'"'s worst hearing threshold region and the same ear'"'"'s best hearing threshold region, to define a baseline value from which approximately equal amounts of acoustic energy can be added or subtracted, thus maximizing usable range while minimizing distortion.

35. The method for providing treatment for a patient'"'"'s auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 26, wherein the perception of the signal in each ear is maintained by a correlation in time between two different signals.

36. A method of treating tinnitus comprising generating a treatment signal by accentuating frequency components in a signal in a frequency range where a person has deficient hearing and which treatment signal includes a frequency substantially similar to the tinnitus.

37. A method for treating tinnitus as defined in claim 36, further comprising ameliorating any objectionable nature in the masking signal by including coherent signal components within a general listening range of the person.

38. A method for treating tinnitus as defined in claim 37, wherein the treatment signal is a music signal.

39. A computer readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for carrying out the tinnitus treatment method as defined in claim 37.

40. A carrier signal encoded to transmit, via a global computer network, a computer executable program for carrying out the tinnitus treatment method as defined in claim 37.

43. The method of providing treatment for an auditory system disorder as claimed in claim 37, wherein the treatment signal is a highly dynamic signal whose spectral content and intensity constantly varies over time.