Tinnitus rehabilitation device and method

• US 7,520,851 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neuromonics Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Neuromonics Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Davis, Paul B., Hanley, Peter J., Frater, Robert H., Laidlaw, Linda E., James, Lachlan S., McSweeney, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert; Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US10/727,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 600 23- 27, 128/864, 128897-899, 381312-315, 381320-321, 381/124, 607 55- 57
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/128 evaluating tinnitus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Abstract

A tinnitus method and device for providing relief to a person suffering from the disturbing effects of tinnitus is described. The method can be implemented entirely in software to spectrally modify an audio signal in accordance with a predetermined masking algorithm which modifies the intensity of the audio signal at selected frequencies. A predetermined masking algorithm is described which provides intermittent masking of the tinnitus wherein, at a comfortable listening level, during peaks of the audio signal the tinnitus is completely obscured, whereas during troughs the perception of the tinnitus occasionally emerges. In practice it has been found that such intermittent masking provides an immediate sense of relief, control and relaxation for the person, whilst enabling sufficient perception of the tinnitus for habituation and long term treatment to occur. Advantageously the predetermined masking algorithm is specifically tailored to the audiometric configuration of the person. For example, the masking algorithm may be partly tailored to the hearing loss characteristic of the person. A tinnitus rehabilitation device used in conjunction with a personal sound reproducing system is also described.

Claims

1. A device for providing treatment of an auditory system disorder comprising:

a computer readable medium storing a treatment signal;

an output for outputting the signal for treating the auditory system disorder;

a processor configured to reset the volume of the treatment signal to a minimum non-zero value and below a volume for intermittently or fully masking the auditory system disorder between each treatment session; and

a volume adjusting feature that is configured to allow the patient to adjust the volume of the treatment signal at the beginning of each treatment session to intermittently or fully mask the auditory system disorder.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auditory system disorder is tinnitus and the treatment signal is a highly dynamic masking signal whose spectral content and intensity constantly varies over time.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auditory system disorder includes conditions of sound loudness discomfort such as hyperacusis.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a compliance monitoring device for allowing a patient to monitor how much time the patient has used the device during a fixed time period.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a battery for supplying power to the device with sufficient battery life to allow extended use without recharging.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the battery has a life approximately equivalent to at least one week of treatment.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium has a storage capacity sufficient to provide a choice, range, or diversity of treatment signals.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the computer readable medium storage capacity is approximately equivalent to 4 hours of the treatment signal.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a safety locking function for preventing a patient from using the device if the computer readable medium does not contain the patient'"'"'s treatment signal.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising coding of the treatment signal, for example by encryption, so as to prevent use of a corrupted or otherwise modified audio signal.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a patient identification code in order to allow correct identification of the patient'"'"'s own device.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a data downloading function for downloading logged information, wherein the logged information contains information relating to the patient'"'"'s use of the device.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data downloading function is performed by at least one of a wired interface, an infrared interface, or a wireless interface.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to reset the volume of the treatment signal to a volume that is selected based on a patient profile.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to reset the volume of the treatment signal to a volume that is just audible by the patient.

16. A device for providing treatment of an auditory system disorder comprising:

a computer readable medium for storing a treatment signal;

an output for outputting the signal for treating the auditory system disorder;

a volume adjusting feature; and

a safety locking function for preventing a patient from using the device if the computer readable medium does not contain the patient'"'"'s treatment signal.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the auditory system disorder is tinnitus and the treatment signal is a highly dynamic masking signal whose spectral content and intensity constantly varies over time.

18. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a battery for supplying power to the device with sufficient battery life to allow extended use without recharging.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the battery has a life approximately equivalent to at least one week of treatment.

20. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium has a storage capacity sufficient to provide a choice, range, or diversity of treatment signals.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the computer readable medium storage capacity is approximately equivalent to 4 hours of the treatment signal.

22. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a compliance monitoring device for allowing a patient to monitor how much time the patient has used the device during a fixed time period.

23. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising coding of the treatment signal, for example by encryption, so as to prevent use of a corrupted or otherwise modified audio signal.

24. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a patient identification code in order to allow correct identification of the patient'"'"'s own device.

25. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a data downloading function for downloading logged information, wherein the logged information contains information relating to the patient'"'"'s use of the device.

26. The device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the data downloading function is performed by at least one of a wired interface, an infrared interface, or a wireless interface.

27. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the auditory system disorder includes conditions of sound loudness discomfort such as hyperacusis.

28. A device for providing treatment of tinnitus comprising:

a signal filtering means configured to generate a treatment signal with peaks and troughs by spectrally modifying at least a portion of an input signal to account for the basic audiometric configuration of a person;

an output for outputting the signal for treating the tinnitus;

a processor configured to reset the volume of the treatment signal to a minimum non-zero value and below a volume for intermittently or fully masking the tinnitus between each treatment session; and

a volume adjusting feature that is configured to allow the patient to adjust the volume of the treatment signal at the beginning of each treatment session to intermittently or fully mask the tinnitus.

29. The tinnitus treatment device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the signal filtering means accounts for a person suffering from conditions of sound loudness discomfort such as hyperacusis.

30. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a compliance monitoring device for allowing a patient to monitor how much time the patient has used the device during a fixed time period.

31. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a battery for supplying power to the device with sufficient battery life to allow extended use without recharging.

32. The device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the battery has a life approximately equivalent to at least one week of treatment.

33. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a computer readable medium having a storage capacity sufficient to provide a choice, range, or diversity of treatment signals.

34. The device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the computer readable medium storage capacity is approximately equivalent to 4 hours of the treatment signal.

35. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a computer readable medium and a safety locking function for preventing a patient from using the device if the computer readable medium does not contain the patient'"'"'s treatment signal.

36. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising coding of the treatment signal, for example by encryption, so as to prevent use of a corrupted or otherwise modified audio signal.

37. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a patient identification code in order to allow correct identification of the patient'"'"'s own device.

38. The device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a data downloading function for downloading logged information, wherein the logged information contains information relating to the patient'"'"'s use of the device.

39. The device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the data downloading function is performed by at least one of a wired interface, an infrared interface, or a wireless interface.

40. The device as claimed in claim 28, whereby, when the treatment signal is heard by the person at a comfortable listening level, during the peaks, the tinnitus is substantially completely obscured and the person perceives significant masking of the tinnitus, and during troughs, the person may occasionally perceive the tinnitus.

41. The device claimed in claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to reset the volume of the treatment signal to a volume that is selected based on a patient profile.

42. The device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to reset the volume of the treatment signal to a volume that is just audible by the patient.