GB2562296A

GB2562296A - Device for assessing manual dexterity

Info

Publication number: GB2562296A
Application number: GB1707613.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bainbridge Thomas; Coughlan Andrew
Original assignee: Hearing Healthcare Centre Ltd
Current assignee: Hearing Healthcare Centre Ltd
Priority date: 2017-05-12
Filing date: 2017-05-12
Publication date: 2018-11-14
Also published as: GB201707613D0

Abstract

A manual dexterity assessment tool 2 comprises a main body 4 which incorporates at least two different hearing aid features. One of the features is from a first type of hearing aid and the second of the features is from a second, different, type of hearing aid. The features may include: battery compartment doors 12, 14, 18 where the battery 10, 17, 20 is a size 10, 312 or 13 button cell; wax filters or wax traps 28-28; volume adjustment dials; program or mode selection buttons; hearing aid domes (110, Fig. 3); and circular apertures of 1-3mm in diameter that simulate hearing aid vents (108, Fig. 3). The tool may have a labels that instruct the user on its use and an eye for attachment to a key chain. The tools body may be partly hollow and dimensioned as to be held in one hand.

Description

Title: Device for Assessing Manual Dexterity

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a device for assessing the manual dexterity of a person, and more especially for assessing the manual dexterity of a person requiring a hearing aid.

Background of the Invention

Hearing aids are widely used. Since hearing loss is often a consequence of old age, it is inevitable that a significant proportion of people requiring hearing aids will be in their 60s, 70s or 80s. The dexterity of such older people is often impaired compared to that of young people.

In addition, there is a tendency for hearing aid designs to be reducing in size, so as to be less conspicuous. However, such miniaturisation (which is facilitated by miniaturisation of the electronic components of the hearing aid: microphone, amplifier, digital signal processing component, loudspeaker) exacerbates the difficulty that older people experience in manipulating and maintaining a hearing aid due to reduced dexterity. This problem may also be compounded by loss of visual performance in older people, who are thus even more likely to experience difficulty in handling modern hearing aids and performing the various routine operations which are required to maintain and keep hearing aids clean and in good working order.

As an illustration, the batteries used in modem digital hearing aids are very small, and their working life may be quite short (measured in days or a few weeks), such that they need to be changed several times a month. Elderly people may have considerable difficulty in performing this routine maintenance operation.

Other operations that may need to be performed include replacement of wax filters or wax traps, cleaning of vents, volume adjustment, program or mode changes, dome replacement, and toggling power or functions on/off.

In view of the foregoing there is a need for a means of testing or assessing the dexterity of a person when providing a new hearing aid to the person, especially an elderly person and/or someone who has not previously used a hearing aid, and/or someone suffering from complex disorders (such as Parkinson’s Disease or Peripheral Neuropathy) to ensure that they have sufficient dexterity to operate the type of hearing aid which it is proposed to provide; or to adjust the type of hearing aid selected to suit the level of dexterity of the subject. At present, no suitable means exists, other than to present a variety of hearing aids to a person to ascertain which they are best able to manipulate.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect, the invention provides a manual dexterity assessment tool comprising a main body which incorporates at least two different hearing aid features, one of said two different features being present on a first type of hearing aid, and a second of said features being present on a second type of hearing aid different to the first type.

In a preferred embodiment the said at least two different features comprise two different types of battery compartment doors, flaps or access panels. More especially, the main body of the tool will comprise a first type of battery compartment door which is adapted and configured for use with one size of battery; and a second type of battery compartment door which is adapted and configured for use with a second size of battery.

In a preferred embodiment, the main body comprises three different types of battery compartment doors, flaps or access panels.

Conveniently, the main body will comprise a battery compartment door for at least two of size 10, 312 and 13 batteries (which are the battery sizes commonly used in hearing aids). More conveniently the main body will comprise three different types of battery compartment door - one each for size 10, 312 and 13 batteries (these batteries correspond to International Electrotechnical Commission [“IEC”] identifiers PR70, PR41 and PR48 respectively). These assess the ability of a subject to open and close the respective type of battery compartment and to insert and remove the relevant battery, which are most commonly used on hearing aids.

The tool may optionally be provided with the relevant batteries to fit in the respective battery compartments.

In a preferred embodiment, the device will further comprise at least one wax filter bushing, onto which a subject may mount a respective conventional hearing aid wax filter or wax trap. More advantageously the main body of the device will incorporate a plurality of different wax filter bushings, which will preferably be adapted to accept a respective plurality of different conventional hearing aid wax filters or traps. The bushings may differ, for example, in size (especially diameter) and presence or absence of a screw thread etc.

The plurality of wax filter bushings will desirably include two or more of those which are most commonly used on hearing aids. Preferably the wax filter bushings will include at least four different types, and more preferably up to eight different types/sizes. These may be selected from, or include all of, for example, the following types: HF3 and HF4 wax filter bushings (manufacturer GN Resound); “Cerustop” (Phonak, Unitron, Widex, GN Resound); “No Wax” (Oticon); “HearClear” (Starkey) Cerustop XL (Widex); Pro Wax (Oticon); and Smart Guard (Phonak). The foregoing list is not intended to be exhaustive and bushings for other types of wax filter systems may be used.

These bushings can be used to assess the ability of a subject to mount a wax filter on the appropriate bushing, and to extract a filter therefrom. There are two main types, which use either a push/click insertion and removal operation, or a twist/pull operation. Such wax filters or wax traps often need to be replaced if they become clogged with wax.

The device will desirably further comprise at least one conventional hearing aid volume adjustment dial. The device will desirably comprise at least one conventional hearing aid program or mode selection button. Preferably the device will comprise both a volume adjustment dial and one or more program or mode selection buttons. These features will conveniently be mounted on the main body. (It will be appreciated that although described as, for example, a “volume adjustment dial” and a “program button” etc., the device will typically not actually comprise the associated digital electronic components necessary to act as a hearing aid, so that “volume adjustment dial”, “program button” etc. are, more accurately described as simulations of the sort of controls which are present on a conventional hearing aid, or “dummy” controls). A preferred embodiment of the device comprises, or further comprises, one or more apertures which simulate vent holes. The simulated vent hole is typically circular and has a diameter in the range 1.0-3.0 mm. The hole need not be especially deep since the key factor is to determine if a prospective hearing aid user has the dexterity required to insert a narrow (e.g. nylon) vent cleaning instrument into the hole. Thus the hole may be, for example, of a depth in the range 0.2-1.0 cm, typically about 0.3-0.7 cm in depth.

As an illustration, vents of various diameter may be used to test the ability of a patient to insert a narrow nylon vent cleaning cord into the hole (1 mm diameter vent); insert a narrow nylon vent cleaning cord, a wax loop or use an air-puffer cleaner (2 mm diameter vent); or insert a wax loop or use an air-puffer cleaner (3 mm diameter vent). A preferred embodiment of the device comprises, or further comprises, a fitting adapted and configured for accepting a conventional hearing aid “dome” component.

The dome of a hearing aid is a removable component which fits snugly inside the outer ear of the patient and serves to retain the receiver inside the patient’s ear. Removal and/or replacement of the dome is a regular maintenance task for hearing aid users and so is another operation which can usefully be checked using the device of the invention, to see if a patient has the required level of dexterity for a particular type or design of hearing aid.

In one embodiment, the main body is provided with one or more nipples or the like which protrude from the surface of the main body. The nipple is generally formed from a synthetic plastics material and simulates that part of a conventional hearing aid on which the dome is mounted. The one or more nipples may be at least partially accommodated with a recess formed in the main body and may be retained therein by a frictional engagement and/or by the use of a compatible adhesive or by any other suitable means. A dome may be mounted on that part of the nipple which protrudes from the surface of the main body.

An audiologist or other hearing healthcare professional can use the tool of the invention to assess the dexterity of a patient, by reference to the ease with which they can manipulate the tool and perform various activities which closely simulate operations which may be required to be performed using various types of hearing aid. In this way, the audiologist or other professional can be guided to select a particular design or type of hearing aid which is best suited to the dexterity level of the patient.

The tool is preferably small enough to be easily held in one hand, whilst being large enough to preferably incorporate most or all of the foregoing preferred or advantageous features. Typically the main body will be a substantially rectangular cuboid with either right-angle or rounded edges. Typical dimensions may be, for example, 20-40mm wide, 20-40mm deep, and 40-70mm long. A particular embodiment is about 25mm wide, 25mm deep and 50mm long.

The main body will generally be formed from a synthetic plastics material (e.g. polycarbonate, polymethylacrylate), which has the advantage of low cost and ease of manufacture. The main body could however be formed of any suitable material such as aluminium or other metal, or metal alloy.

Where the main body is formed from a synthetic plastics material, it may be manufactured by any convenient manufacturing process, including moulding, extrusion, 3D printing or the like.

Conveniently the main body of the tool is formed with or comprises an eye or the like, to enable the tool to be suspended from a chain such as a key chain, or from a key ring. Desirably the tool will further comprise a fob, tag, label or the like which is flexibly attached to the main body. The fob, tag or label can conveniently be attached to the other end of a key chain, for example. The fob, tag or label will desirably include a legend or diagram identifying the various parts formed on the main body, and may also include a brief description of how the tool is to be used. The fob, tag or label may be formed of metal or a metal alloy, such as aluminium or brass, but may also be made of a synthetic plastics material.

In summary, the tool of the invention incorporates a plurality of different features, which are not found together on a single hearing aid. In this way, a single tool in accordance with the invention can be used by an audiologist or the like to check the compatibility of several different conventional hearing aids with the level of dexterity of a prospective hearing aid user.

The tool of the invention will now be further described by way of illustrative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of a first embodiment of a tool in accordance with the invention; and

Figures 2-4 are side elevations of a second embodiment of a tool in accordance with the invention.

Detailed description of an Embodiment

Referring to Figure 1, a dexterity assessment tool 2 comprises a partially hollow main body 4 which is a substantially rectangular cuboid with rounded edges. The main body 4 is formed of a synthetic plastics material and has dimensions of about 2.5cm x 2.5cm x 5.0cm, and so can be comfortably held in one hand.

The main body has, on three of its faces, a recess or slot which accommodates a moulded plastics insert. In Figure 1, one of these faces is obscured by the main body, but two of the three moulded plastics inserts 6, 8 are visible. The moulded insert 8 includes a battery compartment, which is adapted and configured to accommodate a size 10 battery. In the Figure, the battery 10 is included - although this is an optional feature in the tool of the invention. The battery 10 is held by frictional engagement in the battery compartment door, which is hinged at one end. The door includes a small projection 12 which, when the battery compartment door is clicked closed, is raised above the surface of the rest of the door. A user may insert a finger nail beneath the projection 12 so as to open the battery compartment door. When the door is closed the button cell is accommodated within the hollow portion of the main body 4. A similar arrangement is provided on the adjacent face obscured by the main body. On that face, the battery compartment door 14 is more easily seen. This door also includes a raised projection 16 which, like projection 12, facilitates opening of the door 14 from its closed position, by permitting a user to insert a finger nail beneath the projection. The battery 17, a size 13 battery, is clearly visible and is held in the compartment door 14 by frictional engagement. When the door 14 is clicked closed, the battery is accommodated within the hollow portion of the main body 4.

On insert 6, yet another type of battery compartment door design is included. The hinged door 18 accommodates a battery 20, which is a size 312 battery. The door 18 has, at one edge, a projection 22, which facilitates opening of the door from a closed position. When the door 18 is clicked closed, the battery is accommodated within the hollow portion of the main body 4.

To one side of the door 18 is a simulated volume control dial 23, which is a facsimile of the type of volume control dials found on many types of hearing aid. Rotation of the dial 23 would, on a hearing aid, increase or decrease the volume of sound output from the hearing aid receiver.

On the face 24 of the main body there is an array of four apertures 26-26”’. These apertures 26 are each a respective type of wax filter or wax trap bushing, each of which can accommodate a respective co-operating wax trap 28-28’”. One of the wax traps is inserted into its bushing by a screw action - the other three wax traps are inserted into their respective bushings by a push-in or plug-in action. As can be seen in the Figure, the wax traps, and their respective bushings, are of differing diameter. The wax traps can be inserted or removed by the patient using the appropriate wax trap sticks.

Figures 2-4 are side elevations of a second embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention. The embodiment is generally of similar dimension and construction to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, but the edges of the main body are not rounded.

The face shown in Figure 2 includes two inserts, 102 and 104. Insert 102 includes a battery compartment for a size 13 button cell, and insert 104 includes a battery compartment for a size 312 button cell.

On the opposite face, as shown in Figure 3, there is an insert 106 which includes a battery compartment for a size 10 button cell. On the same insert 106 there is a vent aperture 108. This simulates the size of aperture present in many hearing aids, and can be used to test the ability of a patient to insert a cleaning implement into such tubing. The aperture 108 is typically 1 or 2mm in diameter.

Feature 110 is a plastics nipple which protrudes above the surface of the main body. Nipple 110 can be used to mount a hearing aid dome, and thus test the ability of patient to attach a dome to a hearing aid. If desired, nipples of different sizes may be provided on the main body, each of which accepts a different type of hearing aid dome. It also simulates the bore of the thin tube which links the receiver to the rest of the hearing aid. A third face of the embodiment is shown in Figure 4. This face includes an array of eight different wax trap bushings 112 (in two rows of four), each bushing being adapted to accommodate and receive a respective one of eight different types of wax trap.

An end face of the embodiment incorporates an eye, through which a chain can be threaded. At the other end of the chain, and flexibly attached to the main body thereby, is a metal or plastic fob or tag, on which is provided information as to the arrangement of the features on the main body, and directions for use of the tool. This information may be formed by, for example, etching on a metal fob, or by attaching (with suitable adhesive) a printed label onto the fob or tag.

Claims

1. A manual dexterity assessment tool comprising a main body which incorporates at least two different hearing aid features, one of said two different features being present on a first type of hearing aid, and a second of said features being present on a second type of hearing aid different to the first type.

2. A tool in accordance with claim 1, comprising two different types of hearing aid battery compartment doors, flaps or access panels.

3. A tool in accordance with claim 1, comprising a first type of battery compartment door which is adapted and configured for use with a first size of battery, and a second type of battery compartment door which is adapted and configured for use with a second size of battery.

4. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising three different types of battery compartment door, flap or access panel.

5. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising a battery compartment door adapted and configured for use with a size 10 button cell.

6. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising a battery compartment door adapted and configured for use with a size 312 button cell.

7. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising a battery compartment door adapted and configured for use with a size 13 button cell.

8. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one bushing adapted and configured to receive a conventional hearing aid wax filter or wax trap.

9. A tool in accordance with claim 8, comprising a plurality of different bushings adapted and configured to receive a respective plurality of different conventional hearing aid wax filters or wax traps.

10. A tool in accordance with claim 9, comprising a plurality of different bushings adapted and configured to receive a respective plurality of different conventional hearing aid wax filters or wax traps, selected from the group consisting of: HF3, HF4, Cerustop, “No Wax”, Hear Clear, Cerustop XL, Pro Wax and Smart Guard.

11. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one simulated or dummy conventional hearing aid volume adjustment dial.

12. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one simulated or dummy conventional hearing aid program or mode selection button.

13. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one aperture which simulates a conventional hearing aid vent.

14. A tool in accordance with claim 13, wherein the aperture is circular and 1.0-3.0mm in diameter.

15. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one fitting adapted and configured to accept a conventional hearing aid dome.

16. A tool in accordance with claim 15, wherein the fitting comprises a nipple which protrudes from the main body of the tool.

17. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an eye or the like for attachment to a key chain or key ring.

18. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, physically associated with a fob, tag or label, which fob, tag or label bears information regarding the features on the main body and/or directions for use of the tool.

19. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body is partly hollow.

20. A tool in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, shaped and dimensioned so as to be held easily in one hand.