Patient controlled master hearing aid

• US 4,759,070 A
• Filed: 05/27/1986
• Issued: 07/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: M-E Manufacturing and Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Voroba Technologies Associates
• Inventors: Wilkinson, James P., Voroba, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schroeder, L. C.
• Application Number:
  US06/867,487
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 381/68.2, 381/68, 381/68.6, 128/746
• US Class Current: 381/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Abstract

A programmable patient controlled master hearing aid is disclosed which consists of a hearing aid test module, an operator'"'"'s console and a patient'"'"'s console, both of which are microprocessor based, and all of which are interconnected to provide a testing apparatus which is used by the patient to select electronic components to be imployed in a hearing aid. The testing device has selectable electronic components that match the components which will be used in the hearing aid which the patient selects as best assisting or addressing the patient'"'"'s hearing loss. The patient is located in the center of a sound field created by multiple speakers which accurately reproduce both pre-recorded environmental background sounds and pre-recorded or live "target-stimuli" such as speech. Thus surrounded by a simulation of real-world listening situations, the patient initially selects a hearing aid shell assembly which comfortably fits in the patient'"'"'s ear. A test module which is connected to the patient'"'"'s console is then employed which snaps into the hearing aid shell assembly and provides decision tree choices of electronic components and concomitant sound qualities which the patient chooses by listening to various combinations of components and sound conditions. The patient chooses those components which give the most acceptable amplification and performance characteristics, which best address the patient'"'"'s hearing loss. Similarly, tinnitus conditions can be addressed as well.

After the patient has completed the test procedure and selected those components which best address the patient'"'"'s hearing condition, electronic components with the same specifications as those used during testing are snapped into the earshell assembly used during the test so that the patient can leave with the hearing aid that he or she has selected.

Claims

1. A system for providing a patient selectable hearing aid to a hearing impaired patient comprising:

a plurality of prefabricated patient selectable earshell assemblies one of which will substantially conform to the diameter and geometry of the patient'"'"'s ear;

a hearing aid test module for insertion into the patient selectable earshell assembly configured to receive both ambient sound and test-signal sound and to pass amplified sound through to the patient'"'"'s ear having certain sound response characteristics;

paired comparison means operably connected to the hearing aid test module for discretely varying the sound response characteristics of the hearing aid test module such that the patient is presented with a pair of different sound response characteristics as a paired comparison;

means for demarking the listening interval for each one of the pair of different sound response characteristics, the demarking means comprising selection means for permitting the patient to select one of the paired comparison.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a hearing aid amplifier module for insertion into the patient selectable earshell assembly with the same sound response characteristics as the sound response characteristics of the hearing aid test module as chosen by the patient with the selection means.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the paired comparison means comprises different combinations of electronic components for the hearing aid test module for selection and wherein the hearing aid amplifier module comprises a prefabricated hearing aid module with the same electrical specifications as the finally selected electronic components used in the paired comparison means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the demarking means comprise visual lights of different colors.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the demarking means comprise at least one key pad which the patient depresses to listen to one of the different sound response characteristics.

6. A system for providing a hearing aid to a patient with a hearing impediment comprising:

three or more speakers arrayed around the patient'"'"'s head;

a plurality of prefabricated earshell assemblies for patient selection, at least one of which has a diameter and geometry to conform to the patient'"'"'s right ear and at least another of which has a diameter and geometry to conform to the patient'"'"'s left ear;

a selectively removable test module for insertion into the patient'"'"'s selected earshell assembly to pass sound having certain amplified sound response characteristics through the test module to the patient'"'"'s eardrum in the ear in which the test module is inserted;

an operator'"'"'s console comprising;

at least two sound sources one of which produces ambience or environmental background sound and the other of which produces test-signal sounds;

means for electronically mixing the sound from the sound sources and connecting the mixed sound to the speakers; and

a patient console connected to the test module, the patient console comprising;

selectable electronic components at least one of which varies the sound response characteristics of sound passing through the test module with the selection of components being made by the operator'"'"'s console such that the patient is presented with a pair of different sound response characteristics as a paired comparison;

at least two light panels each of which is alternatively activated for each of the paired comparison sound response characteristics;

selection means for responding to one of the paired comparison sound response characteristics or light panels;

separate volume controls to change the volume of sound passing through the left and right test modules;

wherein both the patient console and the operator'"'"'s console comprise means for transmitting the receiving data from and to the other console; and

wherein the operator'"'"'s console further comprises means for selecting the electronic components in the patient console such that the selections of electronic components are presented as a series of paired comparisons to the patient for a patient preferred selection of each of the paired comparisons.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the patient console further comprises means for producing a pseudo-random noise for tinnitus masking and wherein the operator'"'"'s console comprises means for selectively connecting the pseudo-random noise to the test module.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the selectable electronic components are varied to vary the gain of the sound response characteristics of sound passing through the test module.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the selectable electronic components are varied to vary the saturation sound pressure level of the sound response characteristics of sound passing through the test module.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the selectable electronic components are varied to vary the slope of the frequency response of the sound response characteristics of sound passing through the test module.

11. A method of providing a patient selectable hearing aid during a single visit to a dispenser'"'"'s office comprising:

establishing a first sound signal simulating a background acoustical environment;

establishing a second sound signal for testing purposes;

mixing the first and second sound signals and presenting them to a hearing impaired patient;

selecting one of a plurality of earshell assemblies, the selected earshell assembly conforming to the size and geometry of the patient'"'"'s hearing impaired ear;

selecting one of a plurality of venting conditions for the earshell assembly;

inserting a test module in the selected earshell assembly for modifying sound response characteristics of the established sound signals;

varying at least one of the sound response characteristics of the test module such that the patient is presented with a pair of different sound response characteristics as a paired comparison of two members;

choosing by patient selection which member of the paired comparison of sound response characteristics best aids the patient'"'"'s hearing impediment; and

providing to the patient during the same office visit that the testing takes place a prefabricated hearing aid having the same sound response characteristics as chosen by the patient to best aid the hearing impediment.

12. A test device for prescribing the electronic sound response characteristics of hearing aid for a patient with an impaired hearing condition comprising:

at least one test signal sound source for creating a sound to be listened to by the patient through electronic components to select preferred sound response characteristics of the sound as passed through the electronic components;

an operator test console for selectively determining the sound response characteristics to be presented to the patient through the electronic components;

means for presenting each of a set of pairs of different sound response characteristics as a paired comparison to the patient;

a test module for insertion into the patient'"'"'s ear for receiving each of the paired comparisons so that the patient may choose which one of each paired comparison best assists the patient'"'"'s hearing condition;

means for demarking the listening interval of each of the pair of different sound response characteristics; and

means for permitting the patient to select one of each paired comparison.

13. A test device for prescribing the electronic sound resonse characteristics of a hearing aid for a patient with an impaired hearing condition comprising:

electronic circuit means for selectively creating varying sound response characteristics and presenting the sound response characteristics to the patient in paired comparisons;

means inserted into the patient'"'"'s ear for receiving the paired comparisons of sound response characteristics so that the patient may choose which sound response characteristic best assist the patient'"'"'s hearing condition; and

means for enabling the patient to select which sound response characteristic best assists the patient'"'"'s impaired hearing condition.

14. A test device for prescribing a hearing aid for a patient with an impaired hearing condition comprising:

an earshell assembly for insertion into the patient'"'"'s ear;

a test module comprising a microphone and receiver contained within the earshell assembly;

variable amplifying means connected to the test module for varying amplified sound response characteristics of the sound and for presenting the amplified sound response characteristic in paired comparisons so that the patient can select which amplified sound response characteristic best assists the patient'"'"'s impaired hearing condition; and

means to indicate to the patient when each of the pair of sound response characteristics are being presented.

15. A patient controlled master hearing aid comprising:

a sound receiver for insertion into the patient'"'"'s ear;

a patient console connected to the receiver comprising at least one volume control to vary the volume of sound passing through the receiver;

an operator'"'"'s console connected to the patient console comprising;

at least one means for monitoring the volume of sound chosen by the patient on the patient console volume control; and

means for varying the volume selected by the patient whereby the operator can override the selection of volume control chosen by the patient and independently control the volume of sound transmitted through the receiver.

16. A method for prescribing the electronic sound response characteristics of a hearing aid for a patient with an impaired hearing condition comprising:

creating a sound to be listened to by the patient through electronic components;

selectively determining the sound response characteristics to be presented to the patient through the electronic components and presenting each of a set of pairs of different sound response characteristics of the patient as paired comparisons;

presenting each paired comparison to the patient so that the patient may choose which one of each paired comparison best assists the patient'"'"'s hearing condition; and

demarking each sound response characteristic interval in each set of pairs of different sound characteristics so that the patient can select one of each paired comparison.

17. A method for prescribing the electronic sound response characteristics of a hearing aid for patient with an impaired hearing condition comprising:

inserting a receiver into the patient'"'"'s ear so that the patient may choose which sound response characteristics of sound transmitted to the receiver best assists the patient'"'"'s impaired hearing condition;

selectively presenting varying sound response characteristics to the patient by presenting each of a set of pairs of different sound response characteristics as paired comparisons the variations being caused by switching between different electrical components; and

permitting the patient to select which sound response characteristic best assists the patients'"'"' impaired hearing condition;

providing a hearing aid with components the same as the electrical components which caused the sound response that the patient selected.

18. A method of prescribing a hearing aid for a patient with an impaired hearing condition comprising:

inserting an earshell assembly into the patient'"'"'s ear;

inserting a test module comprising a microphone and receiver into the earshell assembly; and

selectively varying the sound response characteristics of sound transmitted to the receiver in paired comparisons by establishing varying sets of pairs, each set generated with the same sound source with a different amplification characteristic;

presenting each of the sets of pairs of different sound response characteristics to the patient; and

permitting the patient to manually select one of each sound response characteristic in each pair so that the patient can select which sound response characteristic best assists the patient'"'"'s impaired hearing condition.