US 10,368,785 B2Granted

In-ear hearing test probe devices and methods and systems using same

AssigneeEast Carolina University

InventorsGregg D. Givens, Jianchu Yao

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Abstract

A medical hearing testing method includes: inserting an in-ear test probe that is coupled to a hearing test adapter into an ear of a patient at a patient site; receiving device identification data at a web portal operating on a first electronic device over an electronic network between the first electronic device and the hearing test adapter, wherein the device identification data is uniquely identifies the hearing test adapter; receiving a control operation associated with a test session from the first user at the web portal; and responsive to receiving the control operation, transmitting an operational command from the web portal to the hearing test adapter over the electronic network, wherein the operational command controls an operation of the test probe.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A medical hearing testing method comprising:

inserting a first test probe that is coupled to a first hearing test adapter into an ear of a first patient at a first patient site, wherein the first hearing test adapter comprises a first integrated audiometer and a first communication circuit configured to convert a first control operation into a first operational command for the first integrated audiometer and/or the first test probe, wherein the first control operation is received from a network protocol of an electronic network;
inserting a second test probe that is coupled to a second hearing test adapter into an ear of a second patient at a second patient site, different from the first patient site, wherein the second hearing test adapter comprises a second integrated audiometer and a second communication circuit configured to convert a second control operation into a second operational command for the second integrated audiometer and/or the second test probe, wherein the second control operation is received from the network protocol of the electronic network;
electronically establishing a first session between a first user and a web portal and providing a first user interface that is customized based on first access permissions for the first user over the web portal, wherein the first access permissions permit the first user to control the first hearing test adapter and the second hearing test adapter using the first user interface;
electronically establishing a second session between a second user and the web portal and providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, that is customized based on second access permissions for the second user over the web portal;
electronically establishing a third session between a third user and the web portal and providing a third user interface over the web portal, different from the first user interface, that is customized based on third access permissions for the third user;
controlling first and second concurrent hearing tests at the first and second patient sites, respectively, by electronically transmitting, by the first user, the first control operation to the first hearing test adapter and the second control operation to the second hearing test adapter;
converting, by the first communication circuit, the first control operation into the first operational command, wherein the first operational command controls an operation of the first integrated audiometer and/or the first test probe;
converting, by the second communication circuit, the second control operation into the second operational command, wherein the second operational command controls an operation of the second integrated audiometer and/or the second test probe;
and
transmitting, to the first user via the web portal, a first response from the first hearing test adapter and a second response from the second hearing test adapter responsive to the first operational command and the second operational command, respectively.

7 more elements

A medical hearing test method comprising:

(a) receiving a hearing test adapter from a plurality of hearing test adapters shipped to a plurality of different patient sites;
(b) receiving first device identification data uniquely identifying a first hearing test adapter at a first patient site from among the plurality of different patient sites;
(c) transmitting the first device identification data from the first hearing test adapter to a web portal remote from the first patient site;
(d) transmitting a first access request from a first user at the first patient site to the web portal requesting a first hearing testing session;
(e) responsive to the first access request, receiving a first user interface at the first patient site from the web portal that is customized based on access permissions for the first user, wherein the access permissions permit the first user to provide hearing test feedback responsive to operation of the first hearing test adapter;
(f) receiving from the web portal an indication that a first test session has been created;
(g) receiving a first control operation associated with the first test session from the web portal;
(h) responsive to receiving the first control operation, transmitting a first operational command to the first hearing test adapter, wherein the first operational command changes an operation of the first hearing test adapter;
(i) responsive to the change in the operation of the first hearing test adapter, transmitting first test feedback from the first user to the web portal;
and
further comprising the following steps at least some of which are carried out concurrently with steps (b) through (i):
receiving second device identification data uniquely identifying a second hearing test adapter at a second patient site from among the plurality of different patient sites;
transmitting the second device identification data from the second hearing test adapter to the web portal remote from the second patient site;
transmitting a second access request from a second user at the second patient site to the web portal requesting a second hearing testing session;
responsive to the second access request, receiving a second user interface at the second patient site from the web portal that is customized based on access permissions for the second user, wherein the access permissions permit the second user to provide hearing test feedback responsive to operation of the second hearing test adapter;
receiving from the web portal an indication that a second test session has been created;
receiving a second control operation associated with the second test session from the web portal;
responsive to receiving the second control operation, transmitting a second operational command to the second hearing test adapter, wherein the second operational command changes an operation of the second hearing test adapter;
and
responsive to the change in the operation of the second hearing test adapter, transmitting second test feedback from the second user to the web portal.

17 more elements

A medical hearing test system comprising:

a test probe configured to be inserted into an ear canal of a patient at a patient site;
a hearing test adapter configured to be communicatively coupled to the test probe and at the patient site, wherein the hearing test adapter comprises an integrated audiometer and a communication circuit configured to convert a control operation that is received from a network protocol into an operational command for the integrated audiometer and/or the test probe;
and
a microphone coupled to the hearing test adapter and configured to receive measurements of environmental noise,
wherein the hearing test adapter is configured to perform operations comprising:
transmitting an access request requesting a hearing testing session from the hearing test adapter to a web portal over an electronic communications network between the hearing test adapter and the web portal;
responsive to the access request, receiving a user interface from the web portal that is customized based on access permissions for the patient, wherein the access permissions permit the patient to provide hearing test feedback responsive to operation of the hearing test adapter;
receiving the control operation for the integrated audiometer and/or the test probe from the web portal over the electronic communications network;
responsive to receiving the control operation, transmitting the operational command to the integrated audiometer and/or the test probe, wherein the operational command changes an operation of the integrated audiometer and/or the test probe;
receiving a response command from the integrated audiometer responsive to the operational command;
responsive to receiving the response command from the integrated audiometer, transmitting test feedback from the patient to the web portal over the electronic communications network,
communicating with the microphone to receive measurements of environmental noise at the patient site;
selecting the test probe from a plurality of output devices to be coupled to the hearing test adapter responsive to the received measurements of the environmental noise;
prior to transmitting the operational command to the integrated audiometer, providing an electronic message indicating the test probe to be coupled to the hearing test adapter;
and
adjusting the operational command transmitted to the integrated audiometer responsive to the received measurements of the environmental noise.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/812,443Filed 14 Nov 2017 · continuation in part
Priority: 24 Oct 2008
Published: US 2018/0064374 A18 Mar 2018
Granted: 6 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

A61B 5/121
Audiometering: evaluating hearing capacity
A61B 5/0022
Characterised by features of the telemetry system: monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
A61B 5/72
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic…
A61B 5/7465
Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient; User input means: arrangements for interactive communication between…

Family

Application61/108,116Us provisional application · filed 24 Oct 2008
PCT/US2009/005789Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Oct 2009
US 2018/0064374 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Mar 2018
Application13/124,280Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2011/0257994 A1Published application
US 10,368,785 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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