Hand-held hearing screener apparatus

• US 7,452,337 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interacoustics A/S (Interacoustics AS /Demant/)
• Original Assignee: Etymotic Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Iseberg, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/757,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 600/559, 735/85, 128864-868
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal

Abstract

A hearing screener apparatus is disclosed and may include a housing and a testing probe operatively coupled to the housing. The testing probe may generate electrical signals based on otoacoustic emissions of the inner ear of a test subject, when the testing probe is inserted into the ear canal of the test subject. The hearing screener apparatus may also include a housing, a digital signal processor (DSP) within the housing, and a testing probe operatively coupled to the housing. The DSP may generate measurement data based on the electrical signals. At least one microphone may be mounted with the testing probe for generating the electrical signals based on the otoacoustic emissions. The testing probe may be vibrationally isolated from the housing. The testing probe may be elastically coupled to the housing. The hearing screener apparatus may also include an isolation body elastically coupled between the testing probe and the housing.

Claims

1. A hearing screener apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a digital signal processor (DSP) within the housing;

a testing probe operatively coupled to the housing, wherein the testing probe generates electrical signals based on otoacoustic emissions, when the testing probe is inserted into the ear canal of a test subject, and wherein the DSP generates measurement data based on the electrical signals; and

an isolation body elastically coupled between the testing probe and the housing.

2. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a display for displaying the generated measurement data, said display arranged in the housing.

3. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display comprises an LCD display.

4. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one microphone mounted with the testing probe for generating the electrical signals based on the otoacoustic emissions.

5. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the testing probe is vibrationally isolated from the housing.

6. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the testing probe is elastically coupled to the housing.

7. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an ear tip mounted on the testing probe for acoustically sealing the ear canal of a test subject, when the testing probe is inserted into the ear canal of the test subject.

8. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generated electrical signals are used for distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) testing.

9. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one control button for controlling operation of the hearing screener apparatus.

10. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one infrared connection interface for communicating at least a portion of the generated measurement data to at least one peripheral device communicatively coupled to the hearing screener apparatus.

11. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one infrared connection interface communicates at least a portion of the generated measurement data to a printer which is communicatively coupled to the hearing screener apparatus.

12. The hearing screener apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the printer comprises a printer with infrared communication capabilities.