Systems, methods and products for diagnostic hearing assessments distributed via the use of a computer network

• US 20050192515A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diagnostic Hearing Assessment LLC
• Original Assignee: East Carolina University
• Inventors: Balch, David C., Givens, Gregg D., Murphy, Timothy, Blanarovich, Adrian, Keller, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/123 subjective methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/125 objective methods
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

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.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a diagnostic hearing test, the method comprising the steps of:

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.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requests from the web client are common gateway interface (CGI) requests which specify parameters for performing the diagnostic tests.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically periodically requesting web pages from the server so as to periodically update the status of the diagnostic hearing test.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of downloading to the web client an applet which periodically reloads a current web page of the web client so as to periodically update the status of the diagnostic hearing test.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein a frequency with which the applet reloads the current web page is based on the current web page.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of downloading is carried out for each initial serving of a web page to a client.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test comprises measuring middle ear pressure and compliance characteristics.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hearing evaluation test comprises measuring transient and/or distortion product emission levels in the ear.

9. A hearing evaluation device, comprising:

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.

10. A method of controlling a hearing test, the method comprising the steps of:

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.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the hearing test comprises obtaining a biotelemetry measurement of the ear of the subject for evaluating at least one of middle ear pressure and compliance characteristics or transient and/or distortion product emission levels in the ear.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the hearing test comprises a diagnostic hearing test of selected tones.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the requests from the web client are common gateway interface (CGI) requests which specify parameters for performing the diagnostic hearing test.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of automatically periodically requesting web pages from the server so as to periodically update the status of the hearing test.

15. A method of controlling a electrophysiological auditory evaluation test using one or more of otoacoustic emissions and tympanometry, the method comprising the steps of:

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.

16. A hearing evaluation device, comprising:

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.

17. A method of controlling a diagnostic hearing test, the method comprising the steps of:

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.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

pinging the web server to determine if the web server is available; and

requesting status of the diagnostic hearing test device from the web server if pinging the web server indicates that the web server is available.