Portable hearing-related analysis system

• US 6,895,345 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Ear Technology Incorporated (Starkey Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Preves, David A., Bye, Gordon J., Erdahl, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US10/698,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 381/23.1, 381/60, 381/58, 381/312, 381/314, 381/323, 705/41, 700/94
• US Class Current: 702/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

An improved hearing-related analysis programming system with a host computer for providing at least one hearing aid program and having at least one personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) defined port in combination with a PCMCIA Card inserted in the port and arranged for interacting with the host computer for controlling hearing-related analysis or programming of a hearing aid. The host computer provides power and ground to the PCMCIA Card and provides for downloading the hearing aid programming software to the PCMCIA Card upon initialization. A microprocessor on the PCMCIA Card executes hearing-related analysis or the programming software. A hearing aid interface for adjusting voltage levels and impedance levels is adapted for coupling signals to the hearing aid being programmed. Systems for performing hearing-related analysis include a portable audiometer system on a PCMCIA Card and operable with a portable host computer to analyze hearing of a patient, and a real-ear system on a PCMCIA Card and operable with a portable host computer to analyze output from a hearing aid in a patient'"'"'s ear.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating with a hearing aid associated with a person using a first card in a portable host to program the hearing aid, the first card having a first microprocessor to control the communication with the hearing aid; and

evaluating a hearing response of the person using a second card in the portable host to provide test signals to the person, the second card having a second microprocessor to manage the generation of test signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with a hearing aid using a first card in a portable host includes communicating wirelessly with the hearing aid using circuits in the first card to control the wireless communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein using a second card in the portable host includes using the second card configured as an audiometer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further includes receiving external test signals in the second card and applying the external test signals to the person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes adjusting the programming of the hearing aid in response to evaluating the hearing response.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the programming of the hearing aid in response to evaluating the hearing response includes automatically adjusting the programming.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using a second card in the portable host includes using the second card configured as a real-ear analyzer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein evaluating a hearing response includes comparing a measured response to a predicted response.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein evaluating a hearing response includes comparing a real-car signal with a target insertion gain curve.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein evaluating a hearing response includes evaluating one or more of a real-ear unaided response, a real-ear occluded response, real-ear saturation response, real-ear insertion gain frequency response or a real-ear aid response.

11. A hearing aid analyzer system comprising:

a portable host;

a first card in the portable host to program a hearing aid associated with a person, the first card having a first microprocessor to control communication with the hearing aid; and

a second card in the portable host to provide test signals to the person to evaluate a hearing response of the person, the second card having a second microprocessor to manage the generation of test signals.

12. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 11, wherein the first card includes circuitry to wirelessly communicate with the hearing aid.

13. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 11, wherein the hearing aid analyzer system is adapted to adjust programming to the hearing aid using the first card in response to receiving the response from the person using the second card.

14. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 13, wherein the hearing aid analyzer system is adapted to automatically adjust the programming to the hearing aid.

15. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 13, wherein the second card is configured as an audiometer.

16. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 15, wherein the second card includes

a stimulus selector control;

an audio control having a noise generator,

a tone control; and

a memory system, wherein each of the stimulus selector control, the audio control, the tone control, and the memory system are responsive to the second microprocessor.

17. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 15, wherein the hearing analyzer system further includes a hearing analyzer circuit separate from the second card, the hearing analyzer circuit configured to communicate with the portable host through the second card.

18. A hearing aid analyzer system comprising:

a portable host;

a first card in the portable host to program a hearing aid associated with a person, the first card having a first microprocessor to control communication with the hearing aid; and

a second card in the portable host to provide test signals to the person to evaluate a hearing response of the person, the second card configured as a real-ear analyzer having a second microprocessor to manage the generation of test signals.

19. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 18, wherein the hearing aid analyzer system is configured to evaluate one or more of a real-ear unaided response, a real-ear occluded response, real-ear saturation response, real-ear insertion gain frequency response, or a real-ear aided response.

20. The hearing aid analyzer system of claim 18, further including real-ear response circuits to collect signals from a reference microphone and from a probe microphone to evaluate the hearing response of the person.