Automated newborn hearing screening apparatus and method
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorF. Blair Simmons
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hearing screening apparatus of the type for measuring hearing of a human subject by measuring the change in subject motor activity in response to an unexpected auditory stimulus. The apparatus includes an audio signal reproducer spaced from the subject and a motion transducer coupled to receive subject motor activity and having an output. Means is provided for recording the transducer output as a function of time. Control means is provided for recording subject base line motor activity and at a predetermined time simultaneously transmitting an auditory test signal stimulus via said reproducer and recording subject motor activity response to said test signal stimulus.
Claims9
In a hearing screening apparatus of the type for measuring hearing of a human subject by measuring the change in subject motor activity in response to an unexpected auditory stimulus, the apparatus comprising,
- an audio signal reproducer disposed to stimulate the subject with audio energy,
- means for supporting said human subject,
- a motion transducer coupled to said support means serving to provide an electrical output signal responsive to movement of the support means responsive to movement of the human subject,
- means for recording the transducer output as a function of time,
- control means for recording a signal for the subject's baseline motor activity and at a predetermined time simultaneously transmitting an auditory test signal stimulus via said reproducer and recording a signal for the subject's motor activity response to said test signal stimulus.
In a hearing screening apparatus for newborn babies of the type for measuring hearing of a baby by measuring the change in the motor activity of the baby in response to an unexpected auditory test signal, the apparatus comprising,
- a crib,
- an audio signal reproducer disposed to direct an audio signal to said crib,
- a motion transducer coupled to the crib to detect movement of said crib, said transducer having an electrical signal output,
- means for recording the transducer electrical signal output as a function of time,
- control means for recording the baseline motor activity of a baby disposed in the crib and at a predetermined time simultaneously transmitting an audio test signal via said reproducer and recording the motor activity response of the baby to the test signal.
In a method for hearing screening of a baby in a normal nursery baby crib environment utilizing a test signal reproducer, a motion transducer coupled to said crib for receiving the motor activity of the baby, control and recording means coupled to said transducer the method comprising,
- recording the baseline motor activity of the baby, and simultaneously transmitting an auditory test signal of a predetermined level via said reproducer and detecting and recording the motor activity of the baby to said test signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.