PORTABLE MONITORING DEVICE WITH HEARING AID AND EEG MONITOR

• US 20120238856A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T&W Engineering A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: KIDMOSE, Preben, WESTERMANN, Soren Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,782,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/379
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli

Abstract

A portable monitoring device comprises a hearing aid having a housing, a microphone (24), an acoustic signal processing means (43), and an acoustic output transducer (33). The portable monitoring device further comprises an EEG monitoring system arranged at least partly in said housing, and comprising a measuring unit (3) having electrodes (12) arranged external to the housing. The EEG monitoring system comprises a processing unit (42) for analyzing the EEG signal for identifying or predicting specific biological incidences, such as a seizure, in said person, decision means for deciding, based on said analyzed EEG signal, when an alarm or information must be provided to said person, and means for providing said alarm or information through said output transducer (33). The invention further provides a method of monitoring an EEG signal of a hearing impaired person.

Claims

1. A portable monitoring device comprising a hearing aid having a housing, at least one microphone for receiving ambient sound, acoustic signal processing means for processing a signal from the microphone, and an acoustic output transducer, said portable monitoring device further comprising an EEG monitoring system for monitoring EEG signals of a person using the hearing aid, said EEG monitoring system being arranged at least partly in said housing, said EEG monitoring system comprising

a measuring unit having electrodes for measuring one or more EEG signals from the person carrying the EEG monitor, said electrodes being arranged external to the housing or at the outer surface of the housing, and

a processing unit having EEG signal processing means for analyzing the EEG signal, said processing unit being arranged in said housing, said signal processing means being adapted for, based on the EEG signal, identifying or predicting specific biological incidences, in said person, said processing unit comprising decision means for deciding, based on said analyzed EEG signal, when an alarm or information must be provided to said person, and means for providing said alarm or information through said output transducer.

2. The monitoring device according to claim 1, comprising adjustment means for adjusting the sound level of a sound message according to the acoustic background noise level in order to make the sound message clearly discernible over the background noise.

3. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said biological incidence is hypoglycemia.

4. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said EEG monitoring system is adapted for a wireless connection between the measuring unit and the processing unit.

5. The monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein said measuring unit comprises an electronic module, said electronic module being connected with the electrodes, and further being connected with communication means for transmitting the EEG signal to the processing unit.

6. The monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein said measuring unit is implanted subcutaneously on the head of the person to be monitored.

7. The monitoring device according to claim 1, comprising a battery for providing power to the hearing aid and to the EEG monitor, where the power to the measuring unit of the EEG monitor is transferred wirelessly.

8. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring unit is adapted to be arranged in the ear canal with at least two electrodes adapted to be in contact with the wall of the ear canal in at least two different positions.

9. The monitoring device according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit is adapted to be arranged behind the ear.

10. The monitoring device according to claim 9, wherein the signal from the electrodes is digitized in the measuring unit before being transmitted to the EEG signal processing means in the processing unit.

11. The monitoring device according to claim 8, wherein the measuring unit and the processing unit are arranged in an ear plug casing adapted to be arranged in the ear canal, said ear plug casing being provided with an outer shape being individually matched to the shape of the ear canal.

12. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said acoustic signal processing means is programmable in order to facilitate the adjustment of the hearing aid transfer function to the needs of the individual user.

13. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal processing means and the EEG signal processing means are arranged on the same chip.

14. The monitoring device according to claims 13, wherein the acoustic signal processing means and the EEG signal processing means are programmable from an external device, such that said portable monitoring device can be set up to function according to needs of the individual user.

15. The monitoring device according to claim 1, comprising a data logger adapted to log events in the EEG signal relevant for the identification or prediction of specific biological incidences.

16. The monitoring device according to claim 1, comprising a radio transmitter adapted for sending information obtained from the EEG monitoring concerning a biological incidence to an external device

17. A method of monitoring an EEG signal of a hearing impaired person comprising the steps of

providing a portable monitoring device comprising a hearing aid having a housing, at least one microphone for receiving ambient sound, acoustic signal processing means for processing a signal from the microphone, and an acoustic output transducer, said portable monitoring device further comprising an EEG monitoring system for monitoring EEG signals of a person using the portable monitoring device, said EEG monitoring system being arranged at least partly in said housing,

providing a measuring unit having electrodes for measuring one or more EEG signals from the person carrying the EEG monitor, said electrodes being arranged external to the housing or at the outer surface of the housing, and

providing a processing unit having EEG signal processing means for analyzing the EEG signal, said processing unit being arranged in said housing, said signal processing means being adapted for, based on the EEG signal, identifying or predicting specific biological incidences, such as a seizure, in said person, said processing unit comprising decision means for deciding, based on said analyzed EEG signal, when an alarm or information must be provided to said person, and means for providing said alarm or information through said output transducer.

18. A system comprising a portable monitoring device comprising a hearing aid having a housing, at least one microphone for receiving ambient sound, acoustic signal processing means for processing a signal from the microphone, and an acoustic output transducer, said portable monitoring device further comprising an EEG monitoring system for monitoring EEG signals of a person using the hearing aid, said EEG monitoring system being arranged at least partly in said housing, said EEG monitoring system comprising

a measuring unit having electrodes for measuring one or more EEG signals from the person carrying the EEG monitor, said electrodes being arranged external to the housing or at the outer surface of the housing, and

a processing unit having EEG signal processing means for analyzing the EEG signal, said processing unit being arranged in said housing, said signal processing means being adapted for, based on the EEG signal, identifying or predicting specific biological incidences, in said person, said processing unit comprising decision means for deciding, based on said analyzed EEG signal, when an alarm or information must be provided to said person, and means for providing said alarm or information through said output transducer said system being adapted to be arranged at one ear of a person, and further comprising a hearing aid adapted to be arranged at the other ear of the person.

19. The system according to claim 18, comprising a remote control for adjusting said portable monitoring device and said hearing aid.

20. The system according to claim 18, comprising a relay device.