WO2013033872A1

WO2013033872A1 - Portable integrated system for hearing test and hearing-aid fitting

Info

Publication number: WO2013033872A1
Application number: PCT/CN2011/001609
Authority: WO
Inventors: 赵勇; 赵金萍
Original assignee: 江苏贝泰福医疗科技有限公司
Priority date: 2011-09-08
Filing date: 2011-09-23
Publication date: 2013-03-14
Also published as: CN102342834A; CN102342834B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hearing test and hearing-aid fitting system. The system comprises: a main body, a control unit disposed in the main body, and a hearing test device, a hearing-aid fitting device, a wireless Internet device, and a remote expert library sharing device that are electrically and mechanically connected to the control unit. The hearing test device comprises an internal audiometer, a hearing-aid fitting program, and an external hearing device. The hearing test device inputs detected air-conducted and bone-conducted comprehensive hearing (audio signals of loudness decibels that can be heard by the patient at different frequencies) related to a hearing-aid worn by a patient to the hearing-aid fitting device that is directly coupled to the hearing test device. The technical solution provides a portable integrated intelligent system for hearing test and hearing-aid fitting based on a notebook computer; the internal audiometer and the hearing-aid fitting program are coupled into one device, so that a hearing test environment and a hearing-aid fitting environment are exactly matched, and real hearing related to the hearing-aid fitting environment is measured at a non-silence environment. The real hearing can also be converted to pure tone hearing. Meanwhile, the detected air-conducted and bone-conducted comprehensive hearing is seamlessly input to the hearing-aid fitting device completely, thereby improving the actual use effectiveness of the hearing-aid, avoiding the error that the silence hearing test environment and the hearing-aid wearing and use environment are not matched, greatly reducing time required for the hearing test and hearing-aid fitting, and reducing the equipment cost and the service cost.

Description

Portable hearing test and hearing aid integration system

Technical field

The present invention relates to a hearing test and fitting system.

Background technique

The hearing test is in a silent environment (quiet room), the hearing impaired patient is sitting in the silent room, and the earphones worn outside the ear are connected to the audiometer placed outside the silent room to transmit and transmit audio signals. Operating the audiometer by a doctor or audiologist and recording the patient's pure audio audiogram;

The patient passes the paper audiogram to the fitter. The fitter then reads the hearing (decibel) from the audiogram - frequency (Hz) data and manually enters the hearing aid fitting software to start the hearing aid fitting in the general office or store environment. Commissioning

The above two steps are performed by two independent instruments and equipment, which are operated by more than one professional; the listening environment and the fitting environment are completely different; the hearing aid is worn differently than the hearing test earphones (such as the eared hearing aids in the ear, deep) The ear canal hearing aid); the professional operator and the patient are separated from each other due to the silence; the level and quality of the audiometry and fitting technology depends entirely on the independent operation professional and the interaction of the patient (especially the elderly and the child). Coordination, unable to monitor and guide; patients who cannot move (such as bedridden patients) can not enter the silent room for pure tone measurement; it takes a long time, costly, artificially uncertain factors, inaccurate, out of touch, expensive equipment and equipment It is large, not suitable for community families and remote villages; it is completely a traditional manual independent work mode and cannot use Internet technology.

Summary of the invention

The present invention is directed to providing a drawback that overcomes the prior art, ΒΡ, will be a hearing test device and The hearing aid fitting device is coupled into a physically integrated intelligent system.

The technical solution of the present invention for achieving the above object is: a hearing test and hearing aid fitting system, characterized in that the system comprises a main body, a control unit placed in the main body, and the control unit is electrically Connected hearing test device, hearing aid fitting device, wireless internet device, remote expert library sharing device, the hearing test device has built-in audiometer, hearing aid fitting program and external hearing device, which is detected by the hearing testing device The integrated hearing of air conduction and bone conduction (the audio signal of the audible loudness decibel at different frequencies) is input to the hearing aid fitting device directly coupled thereto. The technical solution is an integrated intelligent system for portable hearing test and hearing aid fitting based on a notebook computer, including but not limited to a hearing test device, a hearing aid fitting device, a wireless internet device, and a remote expert library sharing device. The seams are joined together to form a laptop-sized, portable, integrated system that organically couples the built-in audiometer and hearing aid fitting program into one device, matching the hearing test environment to the hearing aid wearing environment, and measuring in a non-silent environment With actual hearing, the actual hearing can also be converted into pure tone hearing, and at the same time, the integrated hearing of the detected air conduction and bone conduction can be completely seamlessly input into the hearing aid fitting, improve the practical use efficiency of the hearing aid, and avoid the usual silent hearing test environment. Errors that do not match the environment in which the hearing aid is worn, and greatly reduce the time required for separate hearing tests and hearing aid fittings.

The following is a technical solution for optimizing the present invention from different aspects and angles:

The hearing test device includes a built-in audiometer and an external hearing device. The built-in audiometer is placed inside the system, including a digital signal processor (DSP) or hearing aid and embedded hearing test software. The digital sound processor operates the sound generator software to generate digital sound signals of different loudness and frequency (at 200Hz to 8000Hz frequency). Interval, there are no less than 4 designated frequencies The rate is from 25 decibels to 130 decibels with a non-high 20-decimal intermittent or uninterrupted audio signal) and output to an external hearing device. External hearing devices include a computer USB cable, a programmer or programmer (a digital signal processing system external interface module that connects the hearing aid to the fitting software, or can be placed in an integrated system), programming leads, hearing tubes and digital signals Processor or hearing aid. As an application exception, the built-in audiometer and external hearing device can also share an external digital signal processor or hearing aid. The hearing tube includes a receiver and an ear mold or earplug. The hearing tube can be placed in the ear canal, and the ear mold and the ear canal wall are elastically or inelastically contacted, and the earphone is fixed in the ear canal, and a hollow body is formed between the ear and the eardrum, so as to facilitate testing and the cavity, that is, the hearing aid Wear the actual relative hearing associated with the environment (corresponding to the patient's ear canal and the structure and materials that the patient will wear the hearing aid model and ear mold).

Connect the hearing test device to a hearing aid analyzer, such as the Fonix Hearing Aid Analyzer, or other audio generator for audio calibration or calibration to ensure that the hearing test device has a hearing test relative to the hearing amplitude or even an absolute hearing value at different frequencies between 200 and 8000 Hz. Accuracy and reliability. It is also possible to calibrate the corresponding numerical and logical relationship between the digital signal processor or hearing aid used by the hearing test device and other hearing aids selected for the patient to find the correction factor or compensation constant. The invention is suitable for linear or non-linear hearing aids, in particular digitally programmable hearing aids.

The fitting software is embedded in the system, and the real listening audio signal data is directly read from the built-in audiometer data storage, and the hearing aid is adjusted to the best by using automatic matching fitting or different embedded fitting prescription formula or fitting mode to change relevant parameters. Matching the working state, so that the hearing aid wearing the actual environment is similar to the hearing test environment, improving the authenticity and effectiveness of the fitting, especially improving the sound quality, comfort, speech audibility, loudness, intelligibility and improvement of the hearing aid. Noise ratio and sound intensity Or performance indicators such as sound pressure. Place the system or laptop at different distances, angles, and heights from the human ear. Use the system's built-in sound field generator to emit sound fields of various frequencies and loudness, simulating various sounds from low to high frequencies, such as wind and thunder. Sound, car engine sound, bird sound, mahjong sound, child crying, piano sound, etc., verify the authenticity, clarity, loudness, and comfort of the various sound and frequency sounds heard by the hearing aid.

During the test, the hearing test calibration is associated with the hearing aid fitting algorithm and automatically optimizes the approximation digital processing and the nonlinear coupling cycle approximation to ensure that the integrated system real hearing test matches the hearing aid fitting; the segment operations are organically and seamlessly Connect, integrate and optimize to form an integrated software operating system.

In order to make the integrated system suitable for different human ear canal physiological structures, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of ear molds of different shapes and sizes, or an instant molding earmold to ensure close contact between the selected ear mold and the ear canal wall of the human body. , to ensure that the end of the receiver is not more than 10mm away from the eardrum of the human ear, forming a sound field cavity that is sealed or partially sealed (corresponding to the structure and material that the patient will wear the hearing aid ear mold), and the same ear mold is used for hearing test and fitting. Hearing aids can improve the general applicability and accuracy of the system. When performing a hearing test in a noisy environment, the patient can also wear protective earmuffs.

The system has a built-in wireless internet card and remote video and audio control system, so that system A and system B can be connected to different places, or connected to the technology center system, so that the hearing experts and fitting experts of the technology center can remotely guide, monitor, and even operate. Systems in remote areas, or systems operated by inexperienced fitters, directly detect hearing and fitting hearing aids for hearing-impaired patients. Pass The system has a built-in wireless internet card and expert system that allows remote fitters and listeners to connect to the expert system on the Technology Center server to retrieve similar cases, consult information, help diagnose, optimize solution options, share technology Resources and sharing experiences. Personalized hearing test and hearing aid fitting data can be transmitted and shared over the network, facilitating networked customer service and maintenance, and the technical center to accumulate local customer data and establish a unified library database.

The system of the invention can also accept the purely audio input pattern manually input by the external hearing and the hearing aid fitting, and can also input the pure tone hearing by using the real hearing contrast measured by the system, and correct the fitting parameters and the formula or mode of the fitting.

DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in the claims

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a hearing test and hearing aid fitting system of the present invention.

detailed description

The scope of the present invention and the additional aspects thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the <RTIgt;

Built-in intelligent system for portable hearing test and hearing aid fitting based on laptops, including but not limited to hearing test devices, hearing aid fitting devices, wireless internet devices, remote expert library sharing devices, these devices are completely seamlessly connected Forming a laptop-sized, portable, all-in-one system that organically couples the built-in audiometer and hearing aid fitting program into one device, matching the hearing test environment to the hearing aid wearing environment, and simultaneously detecting the air conduction and bone Conducted comprehensive hearing (not pure tone listening measured in a silent environment) Fully seamless input into the hearing aid fitting, improving the practical use of the hearing aid, avoiding the error that the usual silent listening test environment does not match the hearing aid wearing environment, and greatly reducing the time required for the separate hearing test and hearing aid fitting.

The hearing test device includes a built-in audiometer and an external hearing device. The built-in audiometer is placed inside the system, including a digital signal processor (DSP) or hearing aid and embedded hearing test software. The digital sound processor operates the sound generator software to generate digital sound signals of different loudness and frequency (at 200HZ to 8000Hz frequency). The interval, there are no less than 4 intermittent or uninterrupted audio signals from 25 decibels to 130 decibels at a specified frequency of no more than 20 decibels, and output to an external hearing device. External hearing devices include a computer USB cable, a programmer or programmer (a digital signal processing system external interface module that connects the hearing aid to the fitting software, or can be placed in an integrated system), programming leads, hearing tubes and digital signals Processor or hearing aid. As an application exception, the built-in audiometer and external hearing device can also share an external digital signal processor or hearing aid. The hearing tube includes a receiver and an ear mold or earplug. The hearing tube can be placed in the ear canal, and the ear mold and the ear canal wall are elastically or inelastically contacted, and the earphone is fixed in the ear canal, and a hollow body is formed between the ear and the eardrum, so as to facilitate testing and the cavity, that is, the hearing aid Wear the actual relative hearing associated with the environment (corresponding to the structure and materials that the patient will wear the hearing aid model and ear mold).

Connect the hearing test device to a hearing aid analyzer, such as the Fom'x Hearing Aid Analyzer, or other audio generator for audio calibration or calibration to ensure accuracy of the hearing test device relative to the hearing amplitude or even the absolute hearing value at different frequencies. And reliability.

The fitting software is embedded in the system, and the real audio and audio signal data is directly read from the built-in audiometer data storage. The automatic fitting or different fitting prescription formula or fitting mode is used to transform the relevant parameters. The number of the hearing aids is adjusted to the best matching working state, so that the hearing aid wearing the actual environment is similar to the hearing test environment, improving the authenticity and effectiveness of the fitting.

Place the system or laptop at different distances, angles, and heights from the human ear. Use the system's built-in sound field generator to emit sound fields of various frequencies and loudness, simulating various sounds from low to high frequencies, such as wind and thunder. Sound, car engine sound, child crying, piano sound, etc., verify the authenticity and clarity of the various sound and frequency sounds heard by the hearing aid.

Using the system's built-in sound field generator to emit sound fields of various frequencies and loudness, and to simulate the hearing values of various types of life heard from low frequency to high frequency, the calibration operation and the fitting operation can be repeated several times to obtain a comparison. The ideal fitting effect, the hearing test calibration is associated with the hearing aid fitting algorithm and automatically optimizes the approximation digital processing and the nonlinear coupling loop approximation to ensure that the integrated system real hearing test matches the hearing aid fitting; Sewing ground connection, integration and optimization to form an integrated software operating system.

In order to make the integrated system suitable for different human ear canal physiological structures, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of ear molds of different shapes and sizes, or an instant molding earmold to ensure close contact between the selected ear mold and the ear canal wall of the human body. , to ensure that the end of the receiver is not more than 10mm away from the human eardrum or tympanic membrane, forming a sound field cavity that is sealed or partially sealed (corresponding to the structure and material that the patient will wear the hearing aid ear mold), and the same ear mold is used for hearing test and examination. With hearing aids, it can improve the universal applicability and accuracy of the system, especially improve the sound quality, comfort, speech audibility, loudness, intelligibility, sound signal to noise ratio and sound intensity or sound pressure after wearing the hearing aid. .

The system has a built-in wireless internet card and remote video and audio control system, so that system A and system B can be connected to different places, or connected to the technology center system, so that the hearing experts and fitting experts of the technology center can remotely guide, monitor, and even operate. a system in a remote area, or experience The system of the fitter's operation of the foot directly detects hearing and fitting hearing aids for patients with hearing impairments. Through the system's built-in wireless Internet card and expert system, remote testers and audiologists can connect to the expert system on the technology center server to share technical resources and share experiences.

Personalized hearing test and hearing aid fitting data can be transmitted and shared over the network, facilitating network customer service and maintenance, and the technical center to accumulate local customer data and establish a unified library database.

Establish an online sales management platform (BTB and BTC).

Mobile community home door hearing test and hearing aid fitting integration service.

Mobile Unlimited Internet Connection to ERP System on Technology Center Server (Enterprise

Resource Planning Enterprise Resource Planning Application Platform) Seamlessly connect remote, network technical maintenance, customer service, resources, logistics, finance, etc. with corporate headquarters. It can be extended to link to national and local health care systems and health insurance systems.

The system of the invention can also accept the externally input pure tone audiogram and perform the hearing aid fitting, and can also input the pure tone hearing by using the real hearing contrast measured by the system, and the fitting formula and the formula of the fitting prescription or the mode should be corrected. .

The integrated system host and external portion of the present invention can share one or more circuit and mechanical connection interfaces.

The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to allow those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and the best mode of practicing the invention. The description of the present invention will be understood by those skilled in the art and will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims.

Claims

A hearing test and hearing aid fitting system, characterized in that the system comprises a main body, a control unit placed in the main body, a hearing test device and a hearing aid fitting with the control unit phase circuit and mechanical connection a device, a wireless internet device, a remote expert library sharing device, the hearing test device incorporating an audiometer, a hearing aid fitting program, and an external hearing device, the hearing testing device combining the detected hearing input of air conduction and bone conduction To the hearing aid fitting device directly coupled thereto.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the audiometer comprises a digital signal processor (DSP) or a hearing aid and embedded hearing test software, and the sound generator software is operated by a digital signal processor to generate different loudness and The digital audio signal of the frequency is input to the external hearing device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said digital audio signal is no more than 20 decibels between 25 decibels and 130 decibels in a frequency range of 200 Hz to 8000 Hz and not less than 4 specified frequencies. Amplified intermittent or uninterrupted audio signal.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the external hearing device comprises a programmer or programmer, a programming lead, a hearing tube and a digital signal processor or a hearing aid.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the external hearing test device is coupled to the system via a USB cable.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the hearing tube comprises a receiver and an ear mold or earplug.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the programmer interfaces the hearing aid to the digital signal processing system external interface module of the fitting software, which can also be placed in the system.

8. System according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the built-in audiometer and external The hearing device can also share an external digital signal processor or hearing aid.

9. The system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the hearing tube can be placed in the ear canal, and the ear mold and the ear canal wall are elastically or inelastically contacted, and the earphone is fixed in the ear canal while A hollow body is formed between the eardrum and the human ear.

10. A system according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the hearing test device is coupled to a hearing aid analyzer, or other audio generator, for audio calibration or calibration.

11. A system according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an embedded fitting software that reads real hearing or audio data directly from the built-in audiometer data store, using an automatic matching fit or Different embedded fitting prescription formulas or fitting modes transform the relevant parameters to fit the hearing aid.

12. A system according to any of claims 1 to 6, comprising an ear mold of a different shape and size, or an instant molding earmold.

13. A system according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a remote video and / or remote audio manipulation system.

14. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which can also accept externally input pure tone audiograms and perform hearing aid fitting, and can also input pure tone hearing with the real hearing contrast measured by the system, and the fitting parameters. And the prescription formula or mode for the correction should be corrected.