TINNITUS TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120283593A1
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited (Auckland University)
• Original Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited (Auckland University)
• Inventors: Searchfield, Grant Donald, Kobayashi, Kei, Irving, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,744,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/128 evaluating tinnitus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/361 Phantom sensations, e.g. tinnitus
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A tinnitus masking system for use by a person having tinnitus The system comprises a sound delivery system having left and right ear-level audio delivery devices and is configured to deliver a masking sound to the person via the audio delivery devices such that the masking sound appears to originate from a virtual sound source location that substantially corresponds to the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person. The masking sound being represented by left and right audio signals that are converted to audible sound by the respective audio delivery devices.

Claims

1. A tinnitus masking system for use by a person having tinnitus comprising:

a sound delivery system having left and right ear-level audio delivery devices, the sound delivery system being configured to deliver a masking sound to the person via the audio delivery devices such that the masking sound appears to originate from a virtual sound source location that substantially corresponds to the a spatial location in 3D auditory space of a source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person, the masking sound being represented by left and right audio signals that are converted to audible sound by the respective audio delivery devices.

2. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 1 wherein the sound delivery system further comprises an audio controller that is configured to synchronise the delivery of the left and right audio signals to the respective audio delivery devices.

3. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 2 wherein the audio controller is integrated with one or both of the audio delivery devices.

4. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 2 wherein the audio controller is external and in signal communication with the audio delivery devices.

5. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 2 wherein the masking sound is provided in the form of a digital audio file that is stored in memory in the audio controller for playback over the audio delivery devices.

6. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 2 wherein the audio controller comprises a sound processor that is configured to generate the left and right audio signals of the masking sound in real-time for playback over the audio delivery devices.

7. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 1 wherein the sound delivery system is configured to modulate the intensity of left and right audio signals of the masking sound with a periodic ramping profile such that the intensity of the masking sound at playback varies in accordance with the periodic ramping profile

8. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 7 wherein the ramping profile comprises a series of periodically repeating ramps, each ramp being defined by an initial increase in intensity and ending in a decrease in intensity, and wherein the rate of increase in intensity is slower than the subsequent rate of decrease in intensity.

9. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 1 wherein the masking sound is configured to have one or more sound attributes that correspond to one or more of the sound attributes of the tinnitus as perceived by the person.

10. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 9 wherein the sound attributes comprise any one or more of the following:

pitch, frequency, bandwidth, temporal properties, intensity, loudness, and sound type.

11. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 1 wherein the audio delivery devices are hearing aids.

12. A tinnitus masking system according to claim 1 wherein the audio delivery devices are headphones or earphones.

13. A method of masking a person'"'"'s tinnitus comprising:

delivering a masking sound to the person via left and right ear-level audio delivery devices such that the masking sound appears to originate from a virtual sound source location that substantially corresponds to a spatial location in 3D auditory space of a source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person.

14. (canceled)

15. A system for determining a spatial property of tinnitus as perceived by a person comprising:

a sound generation system that is operable to present test sounds to the person from a series of virtual sound source locations in 3D auditory space; and

a feedback system that is arranged to receive person feedback indicative of the virtual sound source location that most closely corresponds to the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person and output spatial information indicative of the spatial location of the source of the tinnitus based on the person'"'"'s feedback.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein the sound generation system is configured to sequentially present test sound to the person from a range of different virtual sound source locations.

17. A system according to claim 15 wherein the sound generation system is user operable to present the test sounds from user selected virtual sound source locations.

18. A system according to claim 15 wherein the test sound has one or more sound attributes that substantially correspond or match one or more of the perceived sound attributes of the person'"'"'s tinnitus.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein the sound attributes comprise any one or more of the following:

pitch, frequency, bandwidth, temporal properties, intensity, loudness, and sound type.

20. A system according to claim 15 wherein the sound generation system is configured to present the test sound to the person sequentially at different azimuth and elevation angles within respective predetermined azimuth and elevation ranges relative to a reference point in a 3D auditory space reference frame.

21. A system according to claim 20 wherein the reference point is the center of the midline axis between the ears.

22. A system according to claim 20 wherein the sound generation system is configured to present the test sounds by continuously sweeping through the entire azimuth and elevation ranges.

23. A system according to claim 20 wherein the sound generation system is configured to present the test sounds sequentially at a series of discrete azimuth and elevation angles.

24. A method of determining a spatial property of tinnitus as perceived by a person comprising the steps of:

sequentially presenting test sounds to the person from a series of virtual sound source locations in 3D auditory space; and

receiving feedback from the person as to virtual sound source location that most closely corresponds to the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person.

25. A spatial masking sound generation system for a person having tinnitus comprising:

a sound processor that is arranged to receive a masking sound and spatial information indicative of the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person, and which is further configured to modify the spatial playback properties of the masking sound based on the spatial information so as to generate a spatial masking sound for playback to the person via left and right ear-level audio delivery devices such that the sound appears to originate from a virtual sound source location that substantially corresponds to the spatial location of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person.

26. A method of generating a spatial masking sound for a person having tinnitus comprising the steps of:

receiving or generating a masking sound;

receiving or assessing spatial information indicative of the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person; and

modifying the spatial playback properties of the masking sound based on the spatial information so as to generate a spatial masking sound for playback to the person via left and right ear-level audio delivery devices such that the sound appears to originate from a virtual sound source location that substantially corresponds to the spatial location of the tinnitus as perceived by the person.

27. A method of generating a personalised spatial masking sound for a person having tinnitus comprising:

according to claim 26, further comprising;

assessing one or more sound attributes of the tinnitus as perceived by the person; and

wherein the step of receiving or generating a masking sound comprises

receiving or generating a masking sound having one or more sound attributes that substantially correspond to the perceived sound attributes of the person'"'"'s tinnitus.;

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the step of assessing one or more sound attributes of the tinnitus as perceived by the person comprises operating an assessment system to generate test sounds having configurable sound attributes for playback to the person, the assessment system being controlled an operable graphical user interface.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein the step of assessing one or more sound attributes of the tinnitus as perceived by the person further comprises receiving the person'"'"'s feedback on the test sound that most closely corresponds to their perceived tinnitus for each sound attribute being assessed.

30. A method according to claim 26 further comprising assessing the intensity of the tinnitus as perceived by the person at the location of the tinnitus sound source in 3D auditory space and further modifying the intensity of the masking sound based on the assessed intensity.

31. A method according to claim 27 wherein the step of assessing one or more of the sound attributes of the tinnitus as perceived by the person comprises assessing any one or more of the following attributes:

pitch, frequency, bandwidth, temporal properties, intensity, loudness, and sound type.

32. A method according to claim 26 wherein the step of receiving or assessing spatial information indicative of the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person comprises presenting test sounds to the person from a range of virtual sound source locations in 3D auditory space;

and receiving feedback from the person as to virtual sound source location that most closely corresponds to the spatial location in 3D auditory space of the source of the tinnitus as perceived by the person.