COMPUTER-ASSISTED DIAGNOSTIC HEARING TEST

• US 20100268115A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tympany Inc. (Tympany Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tympany Inc. (Tympany Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: STOTT, Kenneth R., WASDEN, Christopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,529,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Method and System are disclosed for a computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test. The computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test includes an ambient noise monitoring module configured to monitor an ambient noise in a surrounding environment, a patient information module configured to receive patient information and hearing related tests selections, and a pure tone threshold module configured to facilitate manual testing of a pure tone threshold test. The computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test further includes a speech reception threshold module configured to facilitate manual testing of a speech reception threshold test, and a speech discrimination module configured to facilitate manual testing of a speech discrimination test.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method of presenting a diagnostic hearing test to a patient by a hearing health professional in person, comprising:

displaying icons representing a graphical set of controls for a diagnostic hearing test instrument, the graphical set of controls being displayed on a display unit that is physically connected to the diagnostic hearing test instrument and controlling various aspects of the diagnostic hearing test instrument;

receiving one or more aspects of the diagnostic hearing test, the one or more aspects being specified manually by the hearing health professional using the graphical set of controls, said one or more aspects normally being specified by the diagnostic hearing test instrument automatically;

presenting a hearing test signal to the patient via a transducer physically connected to the diagnostic hearing test instrument in accordance with the graphical set of controls as specified by the hearing health professional;

storing a patient response to the hearing test signal as and when manually indicated by the hearing health professional via the graphical set of controls before another hearing test signal is presented to the patient; and

generating a report of the result of the diagnostic hearing test for the hearing health professional, the report being generated by the diagnostic hearing test instrument from stored patient responses.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring an ambient noise for the diagnostic hearing test and graphically displaying an intensity level for one or more frequency components of the ambient noise.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test and graphically displaying an intensity level and frequency of the masking level.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing the hearing health professional to specify a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test using the graphical set of controls and graphically displaying an intensity level and frequency of the masking level.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing the hearing health professional to enter information about the patient and to select which hearing tests and which ear to test for the patient.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a pure tone threshold test and the hearing test signal is a pure tone signal, further comprising allowing the hearing health professional to specify an intensity level and frequency for the pure tone signal using the graphical set of controls and graphically displaying the intensity level and frequency of the pure tone signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising generating a plot for patient auditory threshold at each frequency as indicated by the hearing health professional and graphically displaying the plot.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech reception threshold test and the hearing test signal is a word, further comprising randomly selecting the word from a set of words and decreasing an intensity level of the word by preset increments each time the word is presented until the hearing health professional indicates that a patient response is received.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, further comprising randomly selecting the word from a set of words and determining an optimal intensity level to be used for each word.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, further comprising randomly selecting the word from a set of words and allowing the hearing health professional to set an optimal intensity level to be used for each word using the graphical controls.

11. A computer-based system for conducting a diagnostic hearing test on a patient by a hearing health professional in person, comprising:

a diagnostic hearing test instrument;

a display screen physically connected to the diagnostic hearing test instrument;

a central processing unit residing in the diagnostic hearing test instrument and configured to control the display screen;

a transducer physically connected to the diagnostic hearing test instrument for receiving hearing test signals from the central processing unit; and

a storage unit connected to the central processing unit, the storage unit storing computer-readable instructions for causing the central processing unit to;

display icons representing a graphical set of controls for the diagnostic hearing test on the display screen, the graphical set of controls controlling various aspects of the diagnostic hearing test;

receive one or more aspects of the diagnostic hearing test, the one or more aspects being specified manually by the hearing health professional using the graphical set of controls, said one or more aspects normally being specified by the diagnostic hearing test instrument automatically;

present a hearing test signal to the patient via the transducer in accordance with the graphical set of controls as specified by the hearing health professional;

store a patient response to the hearing test signal, as and when manually indicated by the hearing health professional, on the storage unit before a next hearing test signal is presented to the patient; and

generate a report of the result of the diagnostic hearing test for the hearing health professional, the report being generated by the diagnostic hearing test instrument from stored patient responses.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to monitor an ambient noise for the diagnostic hearing test using the transducer and to graphically display an intensity level for one or more frequency components of the ambient noise on the display screen.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to set a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test and to graphically display an intensity level and frequency of the masking level on the display screen.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to allow the hearing health professional to specify a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test using the graphical set of controls and to graphically display an intensity level and frequency of the masking level.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to allow the hearing health professional to enter information about the patient and to select which hearing tests and which ear to test for the patient.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a pure tone threshold test and the hearing test signal is a pure tone signal, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to allow the hearing health professional to specify an intensity level and frequency for the pure tone signal using the graphical set of controls and to graphically display the intensity level and frequency of the pure tone signal on the display screen.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to allow the hearing health professional to plot a patient auditory threshold at each frequency on the display screen and to graphically display the plot on the display screen.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech reception threshold test and the hearing test signal is a word, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to randomly select the word from a set of words and to decrease an intensity level of the word by preset increments each time the word is presented until the hearing health professional indicates that a patient response is received.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to randomly select the word from a set of words and to determine an optimal intensity level to be used for each word.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to randomly select the word from a set of words and to allow the hearing health professional to set an optimal intensity level to be used for each word using the graphical controls.