US 8,298,155 B2 · Pure tone audiometer with automated masking

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pure tone audiometer, and more particularly, to a pure tone audiometer with automated masking which is capable of automatically performing air-conduction and bone-conduction hearing tests and automatically performing a masking test, if necessary, so that a person obtains an accurate pure tone hearing threshold without others' assistance. The pure tone audiometer of the present invention can accurately perform the pure tone hearing test with automated masking without assistance from a doctor or an audiologist. Thus, with the pure tone audiometer, people can easily check their hearing ability for prevention and early detection of hearing loss and take swift action to cure hearing loss.

A pure-tone audiometer apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display at least one of a use-procedure guide and a test result of a pure-tone hearing test;
a sound-generating circuit configured to selectively output an electrical signal in response to a sound-generating control signal;
an output unit including a headphone and a bone-conduction vibrator, wherein the output unit is coupled to receive the electrical signal from the sound-generating circuit, and wherein the output unit is configured to generate, in response to the electrical signal, at least one of a pure tone and a masking sound for the pure-tone hearing test;
an input unit configured to receive, from a user, a user response based on the user's hearing the pure tone generated by the output unit and to generate an input signal based on the user response received from the user;
an air-conduction hearing tester (ACHT) configured to control a first part of the pure-tone hearing test, wherein the first part of the pure-tone hearing test is based on the pure tone generated by the output unit when the electric signal is coupled to the headphone and the pure tone is output from the headphone and propagated via an external auditory meatus, wherein the ACHT outputs an ACHT control signal that causes the headphone of the output unit to selectively output the pure tone into air as an air pure tone to the user's left ear and to the user's right ear, and wherein the ACHT adjusts the air pure tone depending on the user response received from the user to obtain a measured air-conduction hearing threshold for each ear, and wherein when the measured air-conduction hearing threshold for each ear determines the left ear has better hearing than the right ear, then the left ear is determined to be a good ear having better hearing and the right ear is determined to be a bad ear having worse hearing, and when the measured air-conduction hearing threshold for each ear determines the right ear has better hearing than the left ear, then the right ear is determined to be the good ear having better hearing and the left ear is determined to be the bad ear having worse hearing;
a bone-conduction hearing tester (BCHT) configured to control a second part of the pure-tone hearing test, wherein the second part of the pure-tone hearing test is based on the pure tone generated by the output unit when the electric signal is coupled to the bone-conduction vibrator and the pure tone is output from the bone-conduction vibrator and propagated through the user's skull, wherein the BCHT outputs a BCHT control signal that causes the bone-conduction vibrator of the output unit to selectively output the pure tone as a conducted vibration pure tone to the user's left ear and to the user's right ear, and wherein the BCHT adjusts the vibration pure tone depending on the user response received from the user to obtain a measured bone-conduction hearing threshold for each ear;
a masking tester (MT) configured to control a masked part of the pure-tone hearing test, wherein the MT outputs an MT control signal that causes the masking sound to be coupled to the one ear having better hearing (the good ear) and the pure tone to the other ear when there is at least a first value of dB difference in the air-conduction hearing threshold between the user's left ear hearing and the user's right ear hearing measured by the ACHT, and wherein the MT outputs the MT control signal that causes the masking sound to be coupled to the good ear and the pure tone to be coupled to the other ear when there is at least a second value of dB difference in hearing threshold between the air-conduction hearing threshold of the ear having worse hearing (the bad ear) measured by the ACHT and the bone-conduction hearing threshold of the good ear measured by the BCHT;
and
a controller operatively coupled to the display unit, to the ACHT, to the BCHT, to the MT, and to the sound-generating circuit, wherein the controller is configured to control the sound-generating circuit to generate the pure tone and the masking sound in response to control signals from the ACHT, the BCHT, and the MT, and is configured to receive the input signal from the input unit and to send the input signal to the ACHT, the BCHT, and the MT, wherein the ACHT, the BCHT, and the MT are configured to determine the test result of the pure-tone hearing test based on the user response received from the user from the input unit, and wherein the controller is configured to output a display control signal to control the display unit to display the use-procedure guide and the test result.

6 more elements

Pure tone audiometer with automated masking

Life of this patent

Pure tone audiometer with automated masking

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20