WO2017171219A1

WO2017171219A1 - Device for treating tinnitus and hearing loss and method for driving device for treating tinnitus and hearing loss

Info

Publication number: WO2017171219A1
Application number: PCT/KR2017/001290
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이용흠; 이나라; 남기륭; 변상준
Original assignee: 연세대학교 원주산학협력단
Priority date: 2016-04-01
Filing date: 2017-02-06
Publication date: 2017-10-05
Also published as: KR101756723B1

Abstract

The present application relates to a device for treating tinnitus, and the device may comprise: a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field in an ear of a user; a sound wave generation unit for generating, in the ear, a sound wave having a plurality of frequency band properties; and a control unit for selectively driving at least one of the magnetic field generation unit and the sound wave generation unit.

Description

Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Treatment Apparatus and Driving Method of Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Treatment Apparatus

The present application relates to a tinnitus and hearing loss treatment device and a method of driving the tinnitus and hearing loss treatment device.

Aging, hearing loss, dizziness, headache, and potential patient populations are rapidly increasing due to aging and living conditions. As the age increases, the function of the hair cells of the cochlea, which plays a central role in hearing, may decrease and hearing may be reduced. In addition, some modern people have a habit of wearing earphones and listening to music loudly. If this habit persists, it may damage the hair cells of the cochlea and cause tinnitus and hearing loss.

However, the above-mentioned treatment mechanisms and treatment techniques for treating tinnitus and hearing loss do not keep up with the demand. In addition, special treatment mechanisms and treatment techniques for the treatment of tinnitus and hearing loss are presently absent, and there is an increasing need for new source treatment techniques to alleviate or fundamentally treat these symptoms. The background technology of the present application is disclosed in Korea Patent Publication No. 10-0958570 (registered May 11, 2010).

The present application is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, tinnitus treatment device and tinnitus treatment that can induce the activation of hair cells by stimulating the ear auditory cells using the properties of the magnetic field that penetrates the medium regardless of the characteristics of the medium It is intended to provide a method of driving a device.

The present application is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, according to the user's symptoms or treatment purposes, and a method for driving a tinnitus treatment device and tinnitus treatment device that can generate a magnetic field and a complex frequency sound simultaneously or selectively in the ear. To provide.

In addition, the present application is to solve the problems of the prior art described above, the tinnitus treatment that can cancel the tinnitus phenomenon by using a complex frequency by generating pink noise sound waves, brown noise sound waves, white noise sound waves simultaneously or selectively in the ear. An apparatus and a method of driving a tinnitus treatment apparatus are provided.

In addition, the present application is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, a tinnitus treatment device and tinnitus that can provide a tinnitus and hearing loss treatment according to the user characteristics by generating a magnetic field and sound waves suitable for the hearing ability of the user through hearing measurement It is intended to provide a method of driving a treatment device.

However, the technical problem to be achieved by the embodiments of the present application is not limited to the technical problems as described above, and other technical problems may exist.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, the tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application includes a magnetic field generating unit for generating a magnetic field in the ear of the user; A sound wave generator for generating sound waves having a plurality of frequency band characteristics at the ear speed; And a controller for selectively driving at least one of the magnetic field generator and the sound wave generator.

According to one embodiment of the present embodiment, the tinnitus treatment device may further include an ear insertion part, and the magnetic field generating part and the sound wave generating part may be provided inside the ear insertion part.

According to one embodiment of the present embodiment, the ear insertion portion may include: a first protrusion inserted into the ear; And a second protrusion formed to be symmetrical to the first protrusion and inserted into the ear, the magnetic field generating unit may be provided in the first protrusion, and the sound wave generator may be provided in the second protrusion. have.

According to an example of the present embodiment, the ear insertion part includes a first ear insertion part and a second ear insertion part, the first ear insertion part generates a magnetic field in the ear speed, and the second ear insertion part generates sound waves in the ear speed. Can be generated.

According to an example of the present embodiment, the ear insertion part may include a first ear insertion part and a second ear insertion part, and the control unit may include sound waves of the second ear insertion part when the magnetic field generating part of the first ear insertion part generates a magnetic field. The generator may control the sound wave generator of the second ear insertion part to alternately generate at least two sound waves of a pink noise sound, a brown noise sound, and a white noise sound wave.

According to an example of the present embodiment, the ear insertion part may include a first ear insertion part and a second ear insertion part, and the controller may include a magnetic field of the second ear insertion part when the sound wave generator generates sound waves. The generator controls the magnetic field generator of the second ear insertion part to alternately generate the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field, and the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms or frequencies. Can be.

According to an example of this embodiment, the sound wave may include a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave classified according to a frequency band.

According to an example of the present embodiment, the controller may control the sound wave generator such that the sound wave generator alternately generates at least two sound waves of the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave.

According to an example of the present embodiment, the magnetic field generating unit may generate a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field having any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies.

According to one embodiment of the present embodiment, the tinnitus treatment device may include a beep generator for generating beep sounds; And a measurement unit configured to measure the hearing loss frequency band information of the user based on a user input to the beep sound, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the first magnetic field and the first magnetic field based on the hearing loss frequency band information. At least one of two magnetic fields may be generated and the sound wave generator may be configured to generate at least one of the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave.

According to one embodiment of the present embodiment, the tinnitus treatment device includes a communication unit for performing a network connection between the tinnitus treatment device and the smart terminal; And a receiver configured to receive the user's hearing loss frequency band information from the smart terminal through the network, wherein the controller is configured to generate the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field based on the hearing loss frequency band information. And generating at least one of the sound wave generator and generating at least one of the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave.

According to an example of the present embodiment, the controller may alternately operate the magnetic field generating unit and the sound wave generating unit at predetermined intervals.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may generate the first sound wave when the magnetic field generating unit generates the first magnetic field, and the sound wave generating unit may generate the second magnetic field when the magnetic field generating unit generates the second magnetic field. The sound wave generator is driven to generate sound waves, wherein the first sound wave and the second sound wave are any one of pink noise sound waves, brown noise sound waves, and white noise sound waves. The first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies.

According to an example of this embodiment, the magnetic flux density of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field is any one of 100 gauss to 1000 gauss, and the waveforms of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field are sine waves. (Sinewave), Square wave (Square wave), Monophasic type and biphasic type may be any one.

According to one embodiment of the present embodiment, the magnetic field generating unit may include: a magnetic field core including a magnetic body; And a magnetic field coil wound around the magnetic field core, wherein a hole is formed to penetrate the center of the magnetic field core, and the sound wave generator may generate the sound wave in the ear through the hole.

Method for driving a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present embodiment includes the steps of generating a magnetic field in the ear of the user; And generating a sound wave having a plurality of frequency band characteristics into the ear, wherein the sound wave is a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise that are classified according to a frequency band. ) May include sound waves.

The above-mentioned means for solving the problems are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present application. In addition to the above-described exemplary embodiments, additional embodiments may exist in the drawings and detailed description of the invention.

According to the aforementioned problem solving means of the present application, regardless of the characteristics of the medium, it is possible to induce activation of the hair cells by stimulating the ear auditory cells using the property of the magnetic field penetrating the medium.

In addition, according to the above-described problem solving means of the present application, the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave can be generated simultaneously or selectively in the ear to cancel the tinnitus phenomenon by using the complex frequency.

In addition, according to the above-described problem solving means of the present invention, according to the user's symptoms or treatment purposes, the magnetic field and the sound waves of the complex frequency can be simultaneously or selectively generated in the ear to effectively alleviate or treat symptoms of tinnitus and hearing loss.

In addition, according to the above-described problem solving means of the present invention, the user is wearing a hearing aid form, earphone form or headphone form while the tinnitus, hearing loss treatment proceeds, the user does not need to hold the treatment device for a long time Can reduce fatigue.

In addition, according to the aforementioned problem solving means of the present application, it is possible to generate a magnetic field and sound waves suitable for the hearing ability of the user through the hearing measurement.

1 is a block diagram of a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

2 is a block diagram of a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

3A is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a magnetic field generator of a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

3B is a view exemplarily showing a cross-section of an intubation portion of a tinnitus treatment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3C is a view exemplarily showing a cross-section of the ear canal of the tinnitus treatment device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

4A to 4D are views illustrating a driving operation of the tinnitus treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating a magnetic field and sound waves of a tinnitus treatment apparatus based on a hearing loss frequency band according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 is a flow chart showing a method of driving a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present disclosure. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted for simplicity of explanation, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

Throughout this specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, it is not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" or "indirectly connected" with another element in between. "Includes the case.

Throughout this specification, when a member is said to be located on another member "on", "upper", "top", "bottom", "bottom", "bottom", this means that any member This includes not only the contact but also the presence of another member between the two members.

Throughout this specification, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, it means that it can further include other components, without excluding the other components unless specifically stated otherwise.

Of the 12 nerves connected from the brain, nerve 1 is the olfactory nerve that connects the nose and brain, and nerve 2 is the visual nerve that connects the eyes and ears. Ten of them are the vagus nerve, which is responsible for the movement and control of the internal organs of the human body. Recently, studies have reported that listening to certain sounds by applying electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve can cure or alleviate tinnitus. The present application relates to a device for treating tinnitus and hearing loss by stimulating the vagus nerve through sound waves and magnetic fields and a method of driving the device.

1 is a block diagram of a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may include a magnetic field generator 110, a sound wave generator 120, an ear plug 130, and a controller 140. The magnetic field generating unit 110 and the sound wave generating unit 130 may be included in the ear insertion unit 130. In addition, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a beep sound generating unit 150, a measuring unit 160, a communication unit 170, and a receiving unit 180. However, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is just one embodiment of the present disclosure, and may be modified in various forms based on the components illustrated in FIG. 1. Anyone with ordinary knowledge can understand. For example, components and functionality provided within those components may be combined into a smaller number of components or further separated into additional components.

The magnetic field generating unit 110 may generate a magnetic field toward the ear of the user. For example, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating unit 110 may be time-varying weak magnetic fields (PEMFs). The biocurrent is generated by the time-varying magnetic field, and the auditory nerve and auditory cells (hair cells, hair cells) are stimulated by the biocurrent to induce activation of the hearing cells, thereby promoting hearing loss treatment and recovery. In addition, the magnetic field has the property of permeating regardless of the characteristics of the medium, it can effectively stimulate the ear auditory cells.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the magnetic field generator 110 may generate the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user. In this case, the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies. Since the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field are generated based on the hearing loss frequency band of the user, it is possible to induce the activation of the hearing cells by stimulating the hearing cells more effectively in accordance with the user's current hearing ability state / internal state, and consequently, hearing loss. The treatment effect can be maximized. The hearing loss frequency band information is generated based on a hearing measurement result of a user, and a detailed description thereof will be described later.

The magnetic flux density of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 110 may be any one of 100 gauss to 1000 gauss. In addition, the waveforms of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may be any one of a sine wave, a square wave, a monophasic type, and a biphasic type. In addition, the generation frequency of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may be 0.1hz or more and less than 10hz. The magnetic field generator 110 may vary the intensity or frequency of the magnetic field stimulus in various ways according to the current intensity or frequency. A range of characteristics such as magnetic flux density, waveform, and frequency of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may be set based on a result of deriving a range of characteristics of the magnetic field effective for the treatment of hearing loss through experiments that stimulate auditory cells. Can be.

The magnetic field generator 110 may generate a magnetic field while the sound wave generator 120 generates sound waves in the ear of the user. According to an embodiment, the magnetic field generator 110 may alternately generate the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field when the sound wave generator 120 generates sound waves. According to another exemplary embodiment, the magnetic field generator 110 may generate a magnetic field according to the frequency characteristics of the noise sound waves generated by the sound wave generator 120 or the type of noise sound waves. For example, the magnetic field generator 110 may generate a first magnetic field when the sound wave generator 120 generates pink noise sound waves. In addition, the magnetic field generating unit 110 may generate a second magnetic field when the sound wave generating unit 120 generates white noise sound waves. The first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may have any one of different generation times, types, or magnitudes (strengths).

The sound wave generator 120 may generate sound waves having a plurality of frequency band characteristics in the ear. The sound wave generated by the sound wave generator 120 may include noise having a plurality of frequency bands, and the noise sound waves having the plurality of frequency bands are simultaneously or selectively generated in the ear to generate tinnitus phenomenon through complex frequency stimulation. Can be offset.

For example, the sound wave may include a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave classified according to a frequency band. White noise is noise having the same energy in all frequency bands, and noise having a waveform characteristic in which sound or vibration energy exhibits a constant spectrum regardless of frequency or frequency. However, in the octave band that is actually audible, the frequency increases by two times as the octave band increases, so the energy of white noise per octave band increases by two times. That is, the white noise has a constant energy density with respect to frequency, but in the octave band, the white noise increases by 3 db per octave band. Therefore, the white noise is characterized in that the high frequency band has more energy than the low frequency band. Pink noise is noise filtered to have the same energy per octave band. Pink noise is a noise having the same energy (db) in all octave bands regardless of the increase or decrease of the octave band by applying a filter that decreases by 3db per octave band to white noise. Brown noise is a noise obtained by applying a white noise reduction filter by 6db per octave band. Brown noise is characterized by having a stronger energy in the mid-low range than pink noise.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the sound wave generator 120 may alternately generate at least two sound waves of pink noise sound waves, brown noise sound waves, and white noise sound waves in the ear according to a predetermined period. For example, the sound wave generator 120 may generate the white noise sound wave in the user's ear for 10 seconds, and generate the brown noise sound wave in the user's ear for the next 10 seconds. As another example, the sound wave generator 120 may generate two sound waves at the same time and provide the same to the user's ear.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the sound wave generator 120 may generate the first sound wave and the second sound wave based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user. The first sound wave and the second sound wave may be any one of a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave. Therefore, the tinnitus phenomenon can be more effectively canceled according to the hearing ability state / internal state of the user.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the magnetic field generating unit 110 and the sound wave generating unit 120 may be provided in the inner ear insertion unit 130. A detailed description of the ear insertion unit 130 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

The controller 140 may control operations of the magnetic field generator 110 and the sound wave generator 120. For example, the controller 140 generates a control signal for controlling the operations of the magnetic field generator 110 and the sound wave generator 120, and the control signal to the magnetic field generator 110 and the sound wave generator 120. Can be transmitted. The controller 140 may selectively control at least one operation of the magnetic field generator 110 and the sound wave generator 120.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 140 controls the sound wave generator 120 so that the sound wave generator 120 alternately generates at least two sound waves of pink noise sound waves, brown noise sound waves, and white noise sound waves. can do.

In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the controller 140 may alternately operate the magnetic field generator 110 and the sound wave generator 120 according to a preset period.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 140 may generate a control signal in consideration of the correlation between the magnetic field generating unit 110 and the sound wave generating unit 120, for example, the control unit 140 When the magnetic field generating unit 110 generates the first magnetic field, the sound wave generating unit 120 generates the first sound wave, and when the magnetic field generating unit 110 generates the second magnetic field, the sound wave generating unit 120 The sound wave generator 120 may be driven to generate the second sound wave. At this time, in addition to the above-described embodiment, the control unit 140 continuously combines the first magnetic field or the second magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating unit 110 with the first sound wave or the second sound wave generated by the sound wave generating unit 120. The magnetic field generator 110 and the sound wave generator 120 may be controlled to be generated. In this case, the first sound wave and the second sound wave may be any one of a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave. In addition, the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies.

The beep generator 150 may generate a beep sound for measuring a hearing characteristic of a user, and may generate a beep sound for each frequency band and amplification level for each frequency band. The beep sound generated by the beep sound generator 150 may be a mechanical sound or a signal sound for distinguishing whether the user can listen to the sound, such as a 'beep' sound. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the beep sound may include a sound including a word or a sentence.

The measurement unit 160 may measure the hearing loss frequency band information of the user based on the user input for the beep sound. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may include an input unit (for example, a button) for receiving a user input for a beep sound. The measurement unit 160 may generate the hearing loss frequency band information of the user based on the user input of the audibility and the hearing sensitivity of each frequency band and the amplification level of the beep sound.

On the other hand, according to another embodiment of the present application, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may receive the hearing loss frequency band information of the user from the smart terminal connected through the network. The communication unit 170 performs a network connection between the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 and the smart terminal. The network refers to a connection structure capable of exchanging information between each node such as a terminal and a server. Examples of such a network include a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, and a WIMAX (World) network. Interoperability for Microwave Access Network, Internet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Personal Area Network (PAN), Bluetooth Network, Satellite Broadcasting Networks, analog broadcasting networks, digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) networks, and the like.

The smart terminal is a device interworking with the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 through a network, for example, a smartphone, a smart pad, a smart TV, a tablet PC, a PCS (Personal Communication System), and a GSM (Global). System for Mobile communication (PDC), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Personal Handyphone System (PHS), Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT) -2000, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) -2000, W-CDMA ( It may include all kinds of wireless communication devices such as W-Code Division Multiple Access (W-Code Division Multiple Access) and a wireless broadband Internet (Wibro) terminal.

The smart terminal may generate a beep to measure the hearing characteristics of the user, generate the hearing loss frequency band information of the user, and transmit the generated hearing information to the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100. The receiver 180 may receive the user's hearing loss frequency band information from the smart terminal through the network.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 140 may include the magnetic field generating unit based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user measured by the measuring unit 160 or the hearing loss frequency band information of the user received by the receiver 180 from the smart terminal. The control unit 110 and the sound wave generator 120 may be controlled. The control unit 140 may generate at least one of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field by the magnetic field generator 110 based on the hearing loss frequency band information, and the sound wave generator 120 may generate a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white light. It can be controlled to generate at least one of the noise sound waves.

As described above, according to the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application, the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field having different magnetic field characteristics according to the symptoms of tinnitus and hearing loss, and the first of different frequency bands. By simultaneously or selectively generating the sound wave and the second sound wave in the ear of the user, it is possible to maximize the therapeutic effect of tinnitus or hearing loss.

2 is a block diagram of a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 2, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 200 may include a first ear plug 210, a second ear plug 220, a cable 230, and a controller 240.

Inside each of the first ear insertion part 210 and the second ear insertion part 220, a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field in the ear of a user and a sound wave generator for continuously generating sound waves having a plurality of frequency band characteristics. It may be provided. Since the magnetic field generating unit and the sound wave generating unit have been described above with reference to FIG. 1, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The front end portions of the first ear insertion part 210 and the second ear insertion part 220 protrude in correspondence with the average ear hole size of a person so that they can be easily inserted into the ear of the user.

The cable 230 may electrically connect the first ear plug 210, the second ear plug 220, and the controller 240. The magnetic field generating unit and the sound wave generating unit built in the first ear insertion part 210 and the second ear insertion part 220 may receive a control signal from the control unit 240 via the cable 230. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cable 230 may be omitted, and the first ear plug insertion unit 210 and the second ear plug insertion unit 220 and the control unit 240 through a wireless communication network such as Bluetooth. Can be connected.

The controller 240 may perform the same function performed by the controller 140 of the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 described with reference to FIG. 1. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 2, the controller 240 may include the sound wave generator and the magnetic field generated by the sound wave generator and the magnetic field generator included in the first ear plug insertion unit 210 and the second ear plug insertion unit 220. An interface for receiving a user input for selecting the intensity, the stimulation mode, the frequency of stimulation, the operation time, and the like may be provided. For example, the controller 240 may include a separate switch, a button, a touch panel display, a motion recognition device, and the like that control the power of the ear canal treatment device 200 or select a sound wave intensity, a magnetic field intensity, and an operation time. It may be, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

In addition, the controller 240 may be carried by an individual, attached to a wall, or installed on a cart and moved. In addition, although two

whistle insertion parts

210 and 220 are illustrated in FIG. 2, the control part 240 may be connected to one or three whisker insertion parts.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the magnetic field generating unit of the first ear insertion unit 210 generates a magnetic field, the control unit 240 generates a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a sound generation unit of the second ear insertion unit 220. The sound wave generator of the second ear insertion part 220 may be controlled to alternately generate at least two sound waves of the white noise sound waves. In addition, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 240 is the magnetic field generating portion of the second ear insertion portion 220 when the sound wave generating portion of the first ear insertion portion 210 generates sound waves, the first magnetic field and the first magnetic field. The magnetic field generating unit of the second ear insert 220 may be controlled to alternately generate two magnetic fields.

3A is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a magnetic field generator of a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3A, the magnetic field generator 310 may include a magnetic field core 320 including a magnetic material and a magnetic field coil 330 wound around the magnetic field core 320. For example, both ends of the magnetic material may be provided with a disk shape having a diameter larger than the diameter of the central cylinder. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3A, a hole 321 may be formed in the center of the magnetic field core 310 to penetrate the center thereof. The sound wave generator may generate sound waves in the ear through the hole 321.

When an alternating current is applied to the magnetic field generating unit 310 by the power supplied to the tinnitus treatment device, the magnetic field is generated by the magnetic field core 320 including the magnetic body and the magnetic field coil 330 wound around the magnetic field core 320. . In this case, the generated magnetic field may be pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs). The biocurrent is generated by such a time-varying magnetic field (hair cell, hair cell), and the auditory cells are stimulated by the biocurrent to induce activation of the hearing cells, thereby promoting the treatment and recovery of hearing loss.

The intensity and magnetic flux density of the magnetic field generated from the magnetic field generator 310 are controlled within the range of 100 to 1000 Gauss depending on the size of the magnetic body of the magnetic field generator 310, the number of coils 330, the magnitude of the alternating current, and the like. Can be. In addition, the direction of the magnetic field may be determined according to the direction of the current applied to the magnetic field generator 310.

3B is a view exemplarily showing a cross-section of an intubation portion of a tinnitus treatment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3B, the ear insertion part 300 may include a magnetic field generator including a magnetic field core 320 and a magnetic field coil 330 and a sound wave generator 340 for generating sound waves. For example, the magnetic field generator may be located at the protruding side of the ear insertion part 300, and the sound wave generator 340 may be located at the rear of the magnetic field generator. In addition, the sound wave generator 340 may irradiate the generated sound wave into the ear of the user through the hole 321 formed to penetrate the center of the magnetic field core 320.

3C is a view exemplarily showing a cross-section of the ear canal of the tinnitus treatment device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3C, the ear insert 350 may be formed symmetrically with the first protrusion 351 and the first protrusion 351 inserted into the ear, and may include a second protrusion 352 inserted into the ear. have. In addition, the magnetic field generator 310 may be provided inside the first protrusion 351 of the ear insertion part 350, and the sound wave generator 340 may be provided inside the second protrusion 352. .

Therefore, when the user wants to generate a magnetic field or sound wave in the ear, the user may select and insert the magnetic field generator or the protrusion in which the sound wave generator is built into the ear.

The configuration of the first ear insertion part 210 and the second ear insertion part 220 shown in FIG. 2 may be the same as the configuration of the ear insertion part shown in FIG. 3B or 3C.

In addition, the tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured in the form of earphone, stethoscope or headphone. Accordingly, the user does not need to hold the tinnitus treatment device by hand during the treatment of tinnitus or hearing loss disease, and the user can wear it without the need for a separate fixing device. Therefore, inconvenience of the user can be reduced.

4A to 4D are views illustrating a driving operation of the tinnitus treatment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user may operate the sound wave generator and the magnetic field generator, or operate together, according to the type, symptom, or severity of the ear disease. The user inserts the first ear insertion part and the second ear insertion part into both ears, respectively, and selectively drives the sound wave generator and the magnetic field generator built in each ear insertion part according to the state of the ear of the user, thereby driving the sound wave and the magnetic field. Can occur in the ear. For example, the first ear insert can generate a magnetic field in the ear, and the second ear insert can generate sound waves in the ear. As another example, the first ear insert may generate sound waves in the ear, and the second ear insert may generate a magnetic field in the ear. Also, the first whisker insert and the second whisker insert may generate a magnetic field in the ear, and the first whisker insert and the second whistle insert may generate sound waves in the ear.

Referring to the drawings, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, a user may generate a magnetic field in both ears by driving a magnetic field generating unit embedded in the first and second ear inserts. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4B, a user may generate a magnetic field in one ear by driving a magnetic field generator embedded in the first ear insert, and drive a sound wave generator embedded in the second ear insert to generate sound waves. It can also occur in the ear. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4C, the user drives the sound wave generator embedded in the first ear insertion part to generate sound waves in one ear, and drives the magnetic field generator built in the second ear insertion part to drive the magnetic field in the other ear. Can be generated. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 4D, the user may generate sound waves in both ears by driving the sound wave generator built in the first ear insert and the second ear insert. At this time, the frequency band of the sound wave generated in the ear can be selected as a single frequency or a complex frequency band.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating a magnetic field and sound waves of a tinnitus treatment apparatus based on a hearing loss frequency band according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method of generating the magnetic field and sound waves shown in FIG. 5 is performed by the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4D. Therefore, even if omitted below, the description of the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 through FIGS. 1 to 4D may be applied to FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, in step S510, a network may be connected between the smart terminal 500 and the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100. In operation S520, the smart terminal 500 may generate a beep sound for measuring a hearing ability of the user. The smart terminal 110 may generate a beep sound for each frequency band and amplification level for each frequency band. In step S530, the smart terminal 500 receives a user input for audibleness and listening sensitivity for each frequency band and amplification level of the beep, and measures the hearing loss frequency band information of the user based on the received user input. can do.

In operation S540, the smart terminal 500 may transmit hearing data including hearing loss frequency band information of the user to the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 through a network. In operation S550, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may adjust the magnetic field characteristics based on the received hearing data. In operation S560, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may adjust sound wave characteristics based on the received hearing data. In operation S570, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may generate a magnetic field and sound waves in which magnetic field characteristics and sound wave characteristics are adjusted, into the ear of the user. The tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may generate a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user. The first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies. In addition, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may generate the first sound wave and the second sound wave based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user. The first sound wave and the second sound wave may be any one of a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave. In addition, the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 may generate a magnetic field and sound waves simultaneously or selectively in the ear of the user.

6 is a flow chart showing a method of driving a tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The driving method illustrated in FIG. 6 is performed by the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4D. Therefore, even if omitted below, the description of the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100 through FIGS. 1 to 4D also applies to FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step S610, the controller (or control device) generates a control signal. In operation S620, based on the control signal, the magnetic field generator 110 generates a magnetic field in the ear of the user. At this time, the magnetic field generating unit 110 may generate based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user. In operation S630, the sound wave generator 120 generates sound waves having a plurality of frequency band characteristics in the ear. The sound wave generator 120 may generate a plurality of noise sound wave signals having a complex frequency band based on the hearing loss frequency band information of the user. Steps S620 and S630 may be simultaneously performed by the tinnitus treatment apparatus 100, and may be sequentially or alternately performed in some cases.

Method for driving the tinnitus treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means may be recorded on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic disks, such as floppy disks. Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

The above description of the present application is intended for illustration, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be easily modified in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present application. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present application is indicated by the following claims rather than the above description, and it should be construed that all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are included in the scope of the present application.

Claims

In the tinnitus treatment device,

Magnetic field generating unit for generating a magnetic field in the ear of the user;

A sound wave generator for generating sound waves having a plurality of frequency band characteristics at the ear speed; And

A controller selectively driving at least one of the magnetic field generator and the sound wave generator;

Tinnitus treatment device comprising a.
The method of claim 1,

Further including an ear insert,

The magnetic field generating unit and the sound wave generating unit is provided within the ear insertion portion.
The method of claim 2,

The ear insert portion,

A first protrusion inserted into the ear; And

A second protrusion formed symmetrically with the first protrusion and inserted into the ear;

Including,

The magnetic field generating unit is provided inside the first protrusion, and the sound wave generating unit is provided within the second protrusion.
The method of claim 3,

The ear insertion portion includes a first ear insertion portion and a second ear insertion portion,

The first ear insert portion generates a magnetic field into the ear and the second ear insert portion generates sound waves into the ear.
The method of claim 3,

The ear insertion portion includes a first ear insertion portion and a second ear insertion portion,

When the magnetic field generating portion of the first ear insertion portion generates a magnetic field, the controller may include a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave. And controlling the sound wave generator of the second ear canal insert to alternately generate at least two sound waves.
The method of claim 3,

The ear insertion portion includes a first ear insertion portion and a second ear insertion portion,

The control unit controls the magnetic field generator of the second ear insertion part such that the magnetic field generator of the second ear insertion part alternately generates the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field when the sound wave generator of the first ear insertion part generates sound waves. ,

And the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies.
The method of claim 1,

The sound wave includes a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave classified according to a frequency band.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And the control unit controls the sound wave generator so that the sound wave generator alternately generates at least two sound waves of the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave.
The method of claim 1,

The magnetic field generating unit generates a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field having any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms or frequencies.
The method of claim 9,

A beep generator for generating a beep sound; And

A measuring unit which measures the hearing loss frequency band information of the user based on a user input of the beep sound;

More,

The control unit may be configured to generate at least one of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field by the magnetic field generator based on the hearing loss frequency band information, and the sound wave generator by the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave. And at least one of the control of the tinnitus treatment device.
The method of claim 9,

Communication unit for performing a network connection between the tinnitus treatment device and the smart terminal; And

Receiving unit for receiving the hearing loss frequency band information of the user from the smart terminal through the network,

More,

The control unit may be configured to generate at least one of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field by the magnetic field generator based on the hearing loss frequency band information, and the sound wave generator by the pink noise sound wave, the brown noise sound wave, and the white noise sound wave. And at least one of the control of the tinnitus treatment device.
The method of claim 1,

And the control unit alternately operates the magnetic field generating unit and the sound wave generating unit at predetermined intervals.
The method of claim 1,

The controller generates the sound wave such that the sound wave generator generates the first sound wave when the magnetic field generator generates the first magnetic field, and the sound wave generator generates the second sound wave when the magnetic field generator generates the second magnetic field. Drive wealth,

The first sound wave and the second sound wave are any one of pink noise sound waves, brown noise sound waves, and white noise sound waves.

And the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field have any one of different magnetic flux densities, waveforms, or frequencies.
The method of claim 13,

The magnetic flux density of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field is any one of 100 gauss to 1000 gauss,

Waveforms of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field is any one of a sine wave (Sinewave), square wave (Square wave), Monophasic type and biphasic type.
The method of claim 1,

The magnetic field generating unit,

Magnetic field cores comprising magnetic bodies; And

A magnetic field coil wound around the magnetic field core,

Including,

A hole is formed to penetrate the center of the magnetic field core,

And the sound wave generator generates the sound wave in the ear through the hole.
In the method of driving a tinnitus treatment device,

Generating a magnetic field in the ear of the user; And

Generating sound waves having a plurality of frequency band characteristics into the ear;

Including,

The sound wave includes a pink noise sound wave, a brown noise sound wave, and a white noise sound wave divided according to a frequency band.
A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 16 on a computer.