Tinnitis masking and suppressor using pulsed ultrasound

• US 6,394,969 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sound Techniques Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Sound Techniques Systems LLC
• Inventors: Lenhardt, Martin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): QADERI, RUNA S
• Application Number:
  US09/417,772
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2,3 600/439
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Abstract

A system and method for tinnitus masking. Ultrasound noise is provided to a head of a patient as a vibration by way of a transducer, to thereby stimulate the auditory cortex. Once stimulated, the auditory cortex will suppress tinnitus. The ultrasound noise may be provided as an ultrasound frequency tone or as a range of frequencies that have been multiplied with an audio frequency. Pulsed ultrasound is utilized for ultrasound noise in the MHz range.

Claims

1. A tinnitus suppressor and masker, comprising:

an ultrasound source configured to output at least one ultrasound frequency;

a pulser connected to the ultrasound source and configured to pulse the at least one ultrasound frequency to thereby provide at least one pulsed ultrasound frequency; and

a vibration unit connected to the pulser and configured to convert the at least one pulsed ultrasound frequency to a vibration,

wherein the vibration unit is adapted to be coupled proximate to a head of a person who experiences tinnitus in order to provide an ultrasonic vibration to a brain of the person to thereby suppress and mask the tinnitus.

2. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier and power supply unit connected between the ultrasound unit and the vibration unit and configured to control an amplitude level of the at least one ultrasound frequency to be no more than 20 dB greater than a threshold level of sound for the person.

3. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is a frequency of between 20 KHz and 200 kHz.

4. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 3, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is swept over a range of frequencies centered at the at least one ultrasound frequency.

5. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 4, wherein a time to sweep the at least one ultrasound frequency over the range of frequencies is between 2 minute and 3 minutes.

6. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is a frequency of between 10 KHz and 200 kHz.

7. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 6, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is swept over a range of frequencies centered at the at least one ultrasound frequency.

8. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is a frequency of between 200 KHz and 5 MHz.

9. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is swept over a range of frequencies centered at the at least one ultrasound frequency.

10. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasound frequency is a frequency of between 20 KHz and 5 MHz.

11. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the pulser pulses the at least one ultrasound frequency at a rate of between 1 Hz and 10 Hz.

12. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound source is configured to modulate the at least one ultrasound frequency with an audio frequency in a range of from 1 Hz to 50 Hz, so as to create a modulated signal, with the at least one ultrasound frequency operating as a carrier frequency for the audio frequency, and

wherein the modulated signal is provided to the pulser, and

wherein a pulsed modulated signal is provided to the vibration unit.

20. The tinnitus suppressor and masker according to claim 1, wherein the pulser pulses the brain of the patient at a resonant frequency of the brain, so as to cause the brain to resonate.

13. A method of suppressing and masking tinnitus, comprising the steps of:

a) providing ultrasound noise by way of an ultrasound unit;

b) pulsing the ultrasound noise to thereby provide pulsed ultrasound noise; and

c) providing ultrasonic vibrations caused by the pulsed ultrasound noise, to a brain of a patient,

wherein the ultrasonic vibrations suppress and mask tinnitus for the patient.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ultrasound noise is noise within a range of from 20 kHz to 200 kHz.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ultrasound is noise within a range of from 10 kHz to 200 kHz.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ultrasound is noise within a range of from 200 kHz to 5 MHz.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pulsing step is performed at a rate of between 1 Hz and 10 Hz.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ultrasound noise is swept over a range of frequencies in the providing step, and

wherein a time to sweep the ultrasound noise over the range of frequencies is between 2 minute and 3 minutes.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a1) prior to step a), modulate the ultrasound noise with an audio frequency in a range of from 1 Hz to 50 Hz, so as to create a modulated signal, with the at least one ultrasound frequency operating as a carrier frequency for the audio frequency.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pulsing step pulses a brain of the patient at a resonant frequency of the brain, so as to cause the brain to resonate.

22. A method of examining a patient in order to provide an ultrasound treatment for that patient so as to reduce tinnitus for the patient, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of pulsed ultrasound frequency tones, in sequence, to a head of the patient, to determine an optimum ultrasound frequency for the patient; and

providing a plurality of audible frequencies modulated by the determined optimum ultrasound frequency with the optimum ultrasound frequency operating as a carrier signal for the plurality of audible frequencies, so as to determine a particular audible frequency that is optimum for the patient with respect to ultrasound tinnitus suppressing and masking,

wherein the plurality of audible frequencies modulated by the determined optimum ultrasound frequency result in ultrasonic vibrations being provided to a brain of the patient, to thereby suppress and mask tinnitus.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the pulsed ultrasound frequency tones are provided to a head of the patient over a range of pulse rates, so as to determine a pulse rate that causes a brain of the patient to resonate at a resonant frequency of the brain.