Computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test

• US 7,736,321 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ototronix, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tympany Inc. (Tympany Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Wasden, Christopher L., Stott, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOWA, RENE T
• Application Number:
  US10/942,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600/551, 600/559, 700/94
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Method and System are disclosed for a computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test. The computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test includes an ambient noise monitoring module configured to monitor an ambient noise in a surrounding environment, a patient information module configured to receive patient information and hearing related tests selections, and a pure tone threshold module configured to facilitate manual testing of a pure tone threshold test. The computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test further includes a speech reception threshold module configured to facilitate manual testing of a speech reception threshold test, and a speech discrimination module configured to facilitate manual testing of a speech discrimination test.

Claims

1. A multimedia diagnostic hearing test instrument for presenting a diagnostic hearing test to a patient by a hearing health professional in person, comprising:

an ambient noise module for graphically displaying an ambient noise level on a display unit that is physically connected to the diagnostic hearing test instrument, including an intensity level for one or more frequency components of the ambient noise;

a patient information module for displaying patient information on the display unit and allowing the hearing health professional to enter information for the patient in the diagnostic hearing test instrument and to select one of a plurality of hearing tests and an ear to test for the patient;

a pure tone module for allowing the hearing health professional to manually conduct, in person, a pure tone threshold test for the patient, including selecting an intensity level and frequency for a pure tone signal to be presented to the patient, the pure tone signal generated and presented by the diagnostic hearing test instrument to the patient through a transducer physically connected to the diagnostic hearing test instrument, the pure tone module further allowing the hearing health professional to manually or automatically set a masking level for the pure tone threshold test;

a speech reception module for allowing the hearing health professional to manually conduct, in person, a speech reception threshold test for the patient, including manually recording patient responses to the speech reception threshold test, the speech reception threshold test containing a plurality of words that are presented to the patient by the diagnostic hearing test instrument through the transducer; and

a speech discrimination module for allowing the hearing health professional to manually conduct, in person, a speech discrimination test for the patient, including manually recording patient responses to the speech discrimination test, the speech discrimination threshold test containing a plurality of words that are presented to the patient by the diagnostic hearing test instrument through the transducer, the speech discrimination module further allowing the hearing health professional to manually or automatically set a masking level for the speech discrimination test;

wherein the pure tone module, the speech reception module, and the speech discrimination module are configured to store a patient response to a hearing test signal as and when manually indicated by the hearing health professional before a next hearing test signal is presented to the patient, and to generate a report illustrating a result of the respective tests thereof.

2. The diagnostic hearing test instrument according to claim 1, wherein the speech reception module further allows the hearing health professional to manually record a patient response to a word presented to the patient during the speech reception test by selecting a picture representation of the word displayed on the display unit.

3. The diagnostic hearing test instrument according to claim 1, wherein the speech discrimination module further allows the hearing health professional to manually record a patient response to a word presented to the patient during the speech discrimination test by selecting a picture representation of the word displayed on the display unit.