SYSTEMS, METHODS AND PRODUCTS FOR DIAGNOSTIC HEARING ASSESSMENTS DISTRIBUTED VIA THE USE OF A COMPUTER NETWORK

• US 20110060244A1
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diagnostic Hearing Assessment LLC
• Original Assignee: Adrian Blanarovich, David C. Balch, Gregg D. Givens, Patrick Keller, Timothy Murphy
• Inventors: Balch, David C., Givens, Gregg D., Murphy, Timothy, Blanarovich, Adrian, Keller, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,462 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 hearing evaluation device, comprising:

a portable diagnostic hearing test device with a communications interface that is configured to communicate with a remote computer associated with a clinician via the Internet, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test device has an on-board function generator and attenuator, and wherein a clinician using the remote computer controls the function generator during a diagnostic hearing test to select test frequencies and sound levels of sound stimuli transmitted by the portable device to a patient during the hearing test.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test device includes a processor operably associated with the function generator and attenuator and further comprises an audio analyzer in communication with the processor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test device is configured to allow substantially real-time interaction between the clinician at the remote site and the patient at a test site using the portable diagnostic hearing test device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test device is configured to generate sound stimuli that comply with predetermined testing standards.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an output device in communication with the function generator, wherein the output device comprises a transducer for transmitting the sound stimuli to the patient, and wherein the portable hearing test device includes a user input device in communication with the communications interface that allows a user to indicate a response to clinician-initiated test sound stimuli.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test comprises a biotelemetry measurement system in communication with the communications interface, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test device is configured to allow the clinician to control the biotelemetry measurement system using the remote computer to evaluate otoacoustic emissions and/or middle ear pressure and compliance characteristics.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein test signal tones of the sound stimuli are presented to the patient such that the signals are within about 1% of an indicated tone frequency.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable diagnostic hearing test device generates the sound stimuli includes frequency tones, narrow band noise, broadband noise, recorded noise and speech, and live speech.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the sound stimuli is configured to have harmonic distortion of tone frequencies that meet ANSI standards.

10. A method of providing diagnostic hearing evaluations using the internet, comprising:

providing a portable hearing test device having an on-board audiometer to a patient;

connecting the portable hearing test device at a local patient site to a remote test administration site using a computer network;

allowing a clinician to control a diagnostic hearing evaluation test administered to the patient using the computer network, wherein the clinician at the remote test administration site controls hearing assessment signals generated by the hearing test device at the local patient site and monitors the patient'"'"'s responses to the hearing assessment signals in substantially real time; and

providing visual or audiovisual communication between the patient and the clinician during the hearing test session using the computer network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting distortion product emission level measurements or middle ear compliance measurements over the computer network to the remote test administration site using the portable hearing test device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the hearing assessment signals have harmonic distortion of tone frequencies that meet ANSI standards.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the hearing assessment signals are transmitted to the patient such that the signals are within about 1% of an indicated tone frequency.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the hearing assessment signals include frequency tones, narrow band noise, broadband noise, recorded noise and speech, and live speech.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing the clinician at the remote test administration site to monitor noise at the patient test site using an audio analyzer on-board the portable hearing test device.