EP3726852A1 - Adaptation of frequency and positioning of a hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a method for adapting a hearing aid (4) with the steps:
- three-dimensional recording (S1) of at least partial areas of the auditory canal (1) of a test person,
- Determination of data (S2) of the auditory canal (1), the data:
- the volume and geometry of the ear canal (1),
- the position and geometry of the eardrum (2) and
- the position and the geometry of the passage point of the ear canal on the skull
include,

- Using the data to create a model (S3) of the geometry and the acoustic impedance of the ear canal (1) and
- Using the model for adaptation (S4) of the frequency and the volume of a first earpiece (5) of the hearing aid (4) and the installation position of the hearing aid (4).

The invention also specifies a method for operating a method according to the invention and a measuring system (MS).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention

The present invention relates to a method for adapting a hearing aid, a method for operating a method according to the invention, and a measuring system.

Description of the prior art

When fitting hearing aids to compensate for hearing impairments or for active and passive hearing protection, the ear canal must be measured. A hearing aid is an aid that is used to compensate for a functional deficit in the hearing organ and thus to improve speech comprehension and restore speech understanding and the social integration of the hearing impaired. It is advantageous to measure the 3D geometry and the volume of the auditory canal as completely as possible from the auricle to the eardrum in order to improve the mechanical and / or acoustic adaptation of the hearing aid and / or hearing protection. In the following, only hearing aid is used as a representative and comprehensively hearing aid and hearing protection are meant.

The state of the art in the geometrical measurement of the auditory canal is to make a mechanical impression with a modeling compound and then to record it by a hearing care professional or in a laboratory with a 3D scanner. Based on this scan data, the customer-specific parts of the hearing aid are manufactured or the (acoustic) adaptation to the customer's ear is carried out.

The impression compound is e.g. silicone-like and designed in such a way that it cannot bond with hair in the ear canal and can thus be used despite the hair. Nevertheless, there is a risk that the impression material will reach the sensitive eardrum and stick there, which can lead to massive noises for the patient during removal and detachment or even damage the eardrum.

A contactless 3D measurement of the ear is therefore advantageous. The first systems are now on the market that allow 3D measurement of the auditory canal, but which are difficult to capture in 3D as far as the eardrum. In addition, the total volume measured has not yet been used to model the acoustic impedance of the individual auditory canal and to adjust the frequency of the earphones of the hearing aid.

What all the previous solutions have in common is the fact that only the cylindrical part of the auditory canal can be recorded, but not the geometry of the eardrum and also not the position of the cranial bones. The area where the auditory canal enters the skull or where the bone of the skull surrounds the external auditory canal is of particular relevance for fitting a hearing aid. At this point, the skin of the ear canal is particularly thin and sensitive. If the hearing aid is not precisely adapted, this can have a direct effect on the wearing comfort and thus also on the acceptance of the wearer for the hearing aid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide an improvement to the prior art and to improve the adaptation of hearing aids.

The invention results from the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to advantageous developments and refinements. Other features, Possible applications and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description.

One aspect of the invention is to detect both the position and the geometry of the auditory canal and that of the skull bones at the passage point of the auditory canal in 3D and to use them for the individual geometric and acoustic adaptation of the hearing aid and its installation position.

• dreidimensionales Erfassen von zumindest Teilbereichen des Gehörgangs eines Probanden,
• Ermitteln von Daten des Gehörgangs, wobei die Daten:
  • das Volumen und die Geometrie des Gehörgangs,
  • die Lage und die Geometrie des Trommelfells und/ oder
  • die Lage und die Geometrie des Durchgangspunkt des Gehörgangs am Schädel
    beinhalten,
• Verwenden der Daten zur Erstellung eines Modells der Geometrie und der akustischen Impedanz des Gehörgangs und
• Verwenden des Modells zur Anpassung der Frequenz und der Lautstärke eines ersten Hörers des Hörgerätes und der Einbaulage des Hörgerätes.

The invention claims a method for fitting a hearing aid with the following steps:

• three-dimensional recording of at least partial areas of the auditory canal of a test person,
• Determination of data of the ear canal, whereby the data:
  • the volume and geometry of the ear canal,
  • the location and geometry of the eardrum and / or
  • the location and geometry of the passage point of the ear canal on the skull
    include,
• Use the data to model the geometry and acoustic impedance of the ear canal and
• Using the model to adjust the frequency and volume of a first earpiece of the hearing aid and the installation position of the hearing aid.

The test person is a hearing creature, such as a human or an animal, which can also be referred to as a patient. The first listener and each subsequent listener can also be referred to as a loudspeaker.

The determination of the entire volume and the geometry of the auditory canal and the position and the geometry of the eardrum have the advantage that the remaining volume (i.e. the volume behind the hearing aid to the eardrum) can also be determined therefrom and the data for creating a model of the Geometry and the acoustic impedance of the ear canal of the individual subject can be used.

The model can be used for automatic adaptation or at least presetting the frequency and volume of a first earpiece of the hearing aid of the hearing aid. Due to the known geometry and the 3D model of the ear with the adaptation of the hearing aid, the acoustic impedance can be determined and an acoustic adaptation can be carried out on the model, e.g. by calculating a frequency-dependent adaptation for the given geometry. This frequency-dependent adaptation thus takes into account all the geometric effects of the hearing aid in the ear of the respective test person / patient. Another frequency-dependent fitting curve can be used to spectrally adjust the hearing sensitivity, e.g. with hearing loss or protected areas of the ear.

If, in addition, the position and the geometry of the passage point of the auditory canal on the skull are determined and included in the model, this can be taken into account when adapting the shape or geometry and the installation position of the hearing aid.

The measuring systems for detecting the auditory canal preferably have a strong radial component in the measuring direction in order to be able to detect the shape of the auditory canal as precisely as possible in the radial direction. Can be used e.g. an external camera with optical transmission or a compact camera in the applicator that is inserted into the ear. A wiper ring can also be used for the hair in the ear canal. The measurement is preferably carried out from the inside out or, for more data, both ways.

The position and the geometry of the eardrum are measured in a straight line so that the geometry and distance from the eardrum can also be recorded. The measuring system for measurements in a straight line ideally has a strong axial component in order to be able to capture the geometry around the eardrum well.

In a further embodiment, the auditory canal can be detected by means of a first optical measuring method at at least one first wavelength.

In a further embodiment, the first optical measuring method can be a light section method, color coded triangulation, binary triangulation, Graycode triangulation and / or random dot triangulation.

In a further embodiment, the position and the geometry of the passage point of the auditory canal through the skull can be recorded using a second optical measuring method with at least one second measuring wavelength.

The second measurement wavelength can be a measurement wavelength that passes through the upper layer of the skin of the auditory canal with only slight attenuation and detects tissue and / or bone material lying behind it. In this way, the thickness of the skin layer can be measured and the wearing comfort can be improved by taking it into account.

In a further embodiment, the second optical measurement method can have a multispectral measurement and / or a hyperspectral measurement and reflected light and / or scattered light can be detected in the area of the auditory canal.

In a further embodiment, the multispectral measurement and / or the hyperspectral measurement can be carried out in the infrared range. A measurement in the infrared range has the advantage that the thin skin above the bone at the passage point of the auditory canal is only weakly absorbed and the deeper-lying bone has different reflection properties than the surrounding tissue.

In a further embodiment, the second optical measurement method can be a light section method that is carried out in the radial direction.

In a further embodiment, when the auditory canal is detected, an external reference object on the test person can also be detected. The external reference object can be the auricle, for example. An external reference object is particularly preferred for depth measurement in order to minimize measurement errors.

In a further embodiment, the auditory canal can be detected in area sections and the area sections can be joined together.

The joining of the area sections can be done by stitching. In stitching, data from measurements of the external auditory canal, the position of the cranial bones or the eardrum and preferably also natural markers / reference objects such as vessels, tissue transitions, etc. can be used. In stitching, the data of the axial and radial components of the measurements are preferably combined with the respective location information of the measuring system for the respective measurement. So e.g. A higher accuracy can be achieved by using methods for triangulation with the larger basis from the displacement of the measuring system for the axial and radial recording.

The invention also claims a method for operating a hearing aid adapted according to a method according to the invention, which is characterized in that an acoustic signal is coupled into a skull bone by a second receiver of the hearing aid as structure-borne sound.

In order to couple a signal through the thin ear canal into the skull with the second earpiece (which can also be referred to as a loudspeaker or sound generator) at least for parts of the frequency spectrum, the installation position previously determined and individually adapted to the test person is used. Using the second earpiece has the advantage that areas of the individual hearing curve are severely restricted or even complete hearing loss can be better compensated for. In this way, a multi-modal hearing aid for airborne and body-borne noise can be manufactured and used.

The invention also claims a measuring device which is designed to carry out a method according to the invention. The measuring device has a computing unit, two external cameras for the spatial recording of an external reference object on the test subject, and a housing that is transparent for the first measurement wavelength and the second measurement wavelength. The housing has at least one internal camera (can be infrared sensitive) for three-dimensional recording of at least partial areas of the test person's auditory canal, an internal optical deflection element (e.g. a mirror), at least one light source (e.g. LED or optical fibers) and at least one pattern projector.

• Vollständige 3D-Vermessung des Außenohres, insbesondere Teile der Ohrmuschel ggf. mit externen Referenzobjekten/ äußeren Bezugsmarkern, des Gehörgangs im Außenohr und der Geometrie des Trommelfells,
• Messung der Lage der Schädelknochen um den Gehörgang, bevorzugt mit Infrarot-Licht,
• Modellgestützte akustische Frequenzanpassung aufgrund Geometrie (Luftschall und Körperschall),
• Nutzung der Schalleinkopplung vom Hörgerät in einen Schädelknochen für verbesserte oder erweiterte Schalleitung und
• Patientenabhängige Anpassung der individuellen Hörkurve/ Empfindlichkeitskurve.

The invention offers the following advantages over the prior art:

• Complete 3D measurement of the outer ear, especially parts of the auricle, possibly with external reference objects / external reference markers, of the auditory canal in the outer ear and the geometry of the eardrum,
• Measurement of the position of the skull bones around the ear canal, preferably with infrared light,
• Model-based acoustic frequency adjustment based on geometry (airborne and structure-borne noise),
• Use of the sound coupling from the hearing aid into a skull bone for improved or extended sound conduction and
• Patient-dependent adaptation of the individual hearing curve / sensitivity curve.

In summary, the invention also offers the advantage that there is a separation between, on the one hand, the frequency adaptation based on the acoustic impedance and geometry and, on the other hand, the subject-specific / user-specific / patient-specific adaptation of the hearing or filter characteristics. This can make the adjustment process significant can be accelerated, since the hearing curve for a test person / patient is currently only determined in the acoustic laboratory, then the hearing aid is selected and the test person-specific / user-specific / patient-specific adaptation of the acoustic impedance based on the 3D geometry data is imported into the hearing aid and stored there. The hearing aid is adjusted to the geometrical relationships on the patient's ear. Furthermore, data for the subject-specific / user-specific / patient-specific adaptation or compensation of the hearing or filter characteristics are also imported into the hearing aid and stored there. The hearing aid is then inserted and a further, finer re-adjustment can be carried out step by step.

Here, the model-based frequency adaptation based on the modeling of the acoustic impedance can help to take into account the geometric conditions and then the final adaptation curve can be transferred directly to the hearing aid via the frequency spectrum from the previously determined hearing curve of the test person / patient, e.g. as a table of values or in the sense of a functional description. Alternatively, the patient curve and the installation curve can be transmitted separately and the final adaptation curve can be calculated from this in the hearing aid or determined using other parameters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The special features and advantages of the invention are evident from the following explanations of several exemplary embodiments with the aid of schematic drawings.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt durch ein Messsystem mit mehreren Kameras,

Fig. 2

eine Frontansicht auf ein Messsystem mit mehreren Kameras,

Fig. 3

einen Längsschnitt durch ein Messsystem mit Lichtfeldkamera,

Fig. 4

Verfahren zur Anpassung und zum Betrieb eines Hörgerätes und

Fig. 5

ein Hörgerät mit zwei Hörern in einem Gehörgang.

Show it

Fig. 1

a longitudinal section through a measuring system with several cameras,

Fig. 2

a front view of a measuring system with several cameras,

Fig. 3

a longitudinal section through a measuring system with a light field camera,

Fig. 4

Method for fitting and operating a hearing aid and

Fig. 5

a hearing aid with two earphones in one ear canal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a measuring system MS / camera system for measuring the outer ear. The measuring system MS has a strong radial component in the measuring direction. The measuring system has a handle GS, a first external camera EK1, a second external camera EK2 and a transparent housing TG. The transparent housing TG is permeable to the measuring wavelength used. The transparent housing TG has a first internal camera K1, a second internal camera K2, a third internal camera K3 and a deflection element S.

The recording area of the first internal camera K1, the second internal camera K2 and the third internal camera K3 overlap in order to ensure reliable stitching. The first external camera EK1 and the second external camera EK2 are used to record an external reference object (e.g. the auricle). The handle GS has connections for data exchange and for power supply.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of a measuring system MS with several internal cameras. The measuring system has a first internal camera K1, a second internal camera K2, a third internal camera K3, a fourth internal camera K4, a first sample projector M1, a second sample projector M2, a third sample projector M3, a first illuminant LED1, a second illuminant LED2 and a third light source LED3 on. The first internal camera K1, the second internal camera K2, the third internal camera K3 and the fourth internal camera K4 have an overlapping recording area in order to ensure reliable stitching. The first pattern projector M1, the second pattern projector M2 and the third pattern projector M3 can be used in order to project patterns onto the skin of the ear canal during the 3D measurement of the auditory canal. By recording these projections by the first internal camera K1, the second internal camera K2, the third internal camera K3 and the fourth internal camera K4, the recorded images can be analyzed in a further step and the distortions in the patterns can be determined and, from this, the 3D Geometry of the ear canal can be calculated. In this way, a 3D model of the ear canal can be created. The first illuminant LED1, the second illuminant LED2 and the third illuminant LED3 can be used to illuminate the auditory canal during the recording.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a measuring system MS with a light field camera LFK. The measuring system has a handle GS, a light field camera LFK, a lighting element BE, a first lens L1, a second lens L2, possible further lenses and a transparent housing TG. The transparent housing TG is permeable to the measuring wavelength used. The lighting element BE can have, for example, optical fibers, LEDs with a supply line, a laser and / or infrared lighting. The first lens L1 and the second lens can, for example, be rod lenses of a different type.

• dreidimensionales Erfassen S1 von zumindest Teilbereichen des Gehörgangs eines Probanden,
• Ermitteln von Daten S2 des Gehörgangs, wobei die Daten:
  • das Volumen und die Geometrie des Gehörgangs,
  • die Lage und die Geometrie des Trommelfells und
  • die Lage und die Geometrie des Durchgangspunkt des Gehörgangs am Schädel beinhalten,
• Verwenden der Daten zur Erstellung eines Modells S3 der Geometrie und der akustischen Impedanz des Gehörgangs und
• Verwenden des Modells zur Anpassung S4 der Frequenz und der Lautstärke eines ersten Hörers des Hörgerätes und der Einbaulage des Hörgerätes.

Fig. 4 shows a flowchart for a method for fitting and operating a hearing aid. The procedure for fitting the hearing aid has the following steps:

• three-dimensional recording S1 of at least partial areas of the auditory canal of a test person,
• Determination of data S2 of the ear canal, whereby the data:
  • the volume and geometry of the ear canal,
  • the location and geometry of the eardrum and
  • include the location and geometry of the passage point of the ear canal on the skull,
• Use the data to create an S3 model of the geometry and acoustic impedance of the ear canal and
• Using the model to adapt S4 the frequency and volume of a first earpiece of the hearing aid and the installation position of the hearing aid.

The subsequent method for operating a hearing aid adapted according to the method according to the invention is characterized by coupling B1 of an acoustic signal by a second receiver of the hearing aid as structure-borne sound into a skull bone.

Fig. 5 shows a hearing aid 4 with two headphones in an auditory canal 1 of a test person. The hearing aid sits in the ear canal 1 outside / in front of the eardrum 2. In addition, the skull bones 3 and the auricle are shown as an example of an external reference object 7. The skull bones 3 are crucial because they determine the position and the geometry of the passage point of the auditory canal 1. The position and geometry of the passage point of the auditory canal are decisive for the adaptation of the shape of the hearing aid 4, in particular for the adaptation of the subject-specific parts.

The hearing aid 4 has a first receiver 5 and a second receiver 6. The first earpiece 5 emits a signal with a definable volume and frequency. The second earpiece 6 can be used to couple an acoustic signal as structure-borne sound into one of the skull bones 3.

The combination of earpiece 5 and earpiece 6 in one hearing aid also makes it possible to select the route that is more favorable for providing the hearing signal for the test subject. On the one hand, cheaper can mean choosing the listener where the test person has the better perception. On the other hand, cheaper can mean to choose the listener where the energy expenditure in the Hearing aid for providing the corresponding hearing signal is minimal in order to minimize the energy requirement of the hearing aid during operation, which can extend the battery life in the hearing aid and thus extend the wearing or usage time of a charge.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in more detail by the exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims (11)

Procedure for fitting a hearing aid (4) with the following steps: - three-dimensional recording (S1) of at least partial areas of the auditory canal (1) of a test person, - Determination of data (S2) of the auditory canal (1), the data: - the volume and geometry of the ear canal (1), - the position and geometry of the eardrum (2) and - the position and geometry of the passage point of the ear canal on the skull (3)
include, - Using the data to create a model (S3) of the geometry and the acoustic impedance of the ear canal (1) and - Using the model to adapt (S4) the frequency and the volume of a first earpiece (5) of the hearing aid (4) and the installation position of the hearing aid (4). Method according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the auditory canal (1) is detected by means of a first optical measuring method at at least one first wavelength. Method according to claim 2,
characterized,
that the first optical measurement method is a light section method, color coded triangulation, binary triangulation, graycode triangulation and / or random dot triangulation. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the location and the geometry of the passage point of the auditory canal (1) through the skull is carried out using a second optical measuring method with at least one second measuring wavelength. Method according to claim 4,
characterized,
that the second optical measuring method has a multispectral measurement and / or a hyperspectral measurement and reflected light and / or scattered light is detected in the area of the auditory canal (1). Method according to claim 5,
characterized,
that the multispectral measurement and / or the hyperspectral measurement is carried out in the infrared range. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
characterized,
that the second optical measuring method is a light section method that is carried out in the radial direction. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that when the auditory canal (1) is detected, an external reference object (7) is also detected on the test subject. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the auditory canal (1) is detected in area sections and the area sections are joined together. Method for operating a hearing aid adapted according to a method of claims 1 to 9,
marked by: - Coupling (B1) of an acoustic signal through a second earpiece (6) of the hearing aid (4) as structure-borne sound into a skull bone (3). Measuring system (MS) designed to carry out a method according to claims 1 to 9,
having: - an arithmetic unit, - two external cameras (EK1, EK2) for the spatial recording of an external reference object (7) on the test subject and - A housing (TG) that is transparent for the first measurement wavelength and the second measurement wavelength, the housing having : ∘ at least one internal camera (K1, K2, K3) for three-dimensional recording (S1) of at least partial areas of the test person's auditory canal, ∘ an internal optical deflection element (S), ∘ at least one lamp (LED1, LED2, LED3) and ∘ at least one sample projector (M1, M2, M3).

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