US 6,674,862 B1 · Method and apparatus for testing hearing and fitting hearing aids

Abstract

A system and method for testing hearing or for testing and fitting hearing aids is provided, which includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of, compound multi-channel dynamic filters. The system is equipped with earphones, enabling the test operator to hear sounds transmitted to the subject simultaneously with the transmission. A signal is transmitted to the test operator that representing a condition in the patient's ear canal or canals. The test operator modifies the signal using the filter or filters to produce a transmitted signal conforming to and indicating the hearing loss of the subject. This information may then be used to adjust or fit a hearing prosthesis as appropriate, and can also be used to recognize a situation in which the subject's hearing is normal but the subject has lost capability to process sounds.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A system for audibly monitoring and testing hearing of a subject by a test operator comprising:

a source of at least one test signal;
at least one probe for insertion into the ear canal of a subject;
at least one first speaker for emitting the test signal into the ear of the subject;
a signal generator for receiving from the ear via a probe, an audible signal representative of a condition within the ear, and for generating therefrom an electrical signal;
an audio transducer for converting the electrical signal into an audible signal;
and at least one filter for filtering out low-level sound tones from the audible signal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for testing hearing and fitting hearing aids

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for testing hearing and fitting hearing aids

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10