Examples described herein relate to methods and systems of online hearing aid fitting and more particularly rapid fitting and/or self-fitting of hearing aids by non-experts. This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,467,556, titled CANAL HEARING DEVICE WITH DISPOSABLE BATTERY MODULE, and U.S. Publication No. 2013/0243229, titled BATTERY MODULE FOR PERPENDICULAR DOCKING INTO A CANAL HEARING DEVICE, and U.S. Publication No. 2014/0254844, titled RECHARGEABLE CANAL HEARING DEVICE AND SYSTEMS, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for any purpose. This application is also related to concurrently filed U.S. patent applications, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,031,247, titled METHOD OF HEARING AID FITTING USING SOUND SEGMENTS REPRESENTING RELEVANT SOUNDSCAPE, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,326,706, titled HEARING PROFILE TEST SYSTEM AND METHOD, and now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,107,016, titled INTERACTIVE HEARING AID FITTING SYSTEM AND METHODS, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for any purpose.
Current hearing aid fitting systems and methods are generally complex, relying on specialized instruments for operation by hearing professionals in clinical settings. For example, a typical fitting system may include an audiometer for conducting a hearing evaluation, a software program for computing prescriptive formulae and corresponding fitting parameters, a hearing aid programming instrument to program the computed fitting parameters, a real ear measurement (REM) instrument for in-situ evaluation of the hearing aid, a hearing aid analyzer, calibrated acoustic transducers, sound proof room, etc. These systems and methods for using them are generally not suitable for self-administration by a hearing aid consumer in home settings.
Characterization and verification of a hearing aid are generally conducted by presenting acoustic stimuli (sound) to the microphone of the hearing device, referred to herein generically as a “microphonic” or “acoustic” input. The hearing aid may be worn in the ear (in-situ) during the fitting process, for what is referred to as “real ear” measurements (REM), using an REM instrument. The hearing aid may also need to be placed in a test chamber for characterization by a hearing aid analyzer. The acoustic stimulus used for hearing aid and fitting assessment is generally tonal sound, but may include synthesized speech spectrum noise, or other speech-like signals sometimes referred to as “digital speech.” Real life sounds are generally not employed for determining a hearing aid prescription or for adjustment of the fitting parameters with the user's subjective assessment. Hearing aid consumers are generally asked to return to the dispensing office to make adjustments following real-life listening experiences with the hearing device. When simulated “real life” sounds are employed for hearing aid evaluation, calibration of the real life input sounds at the microphone of the hearing aid is generally required, involving probe tube measurements, or a sound level meter (SLM). Regardless of the particular method used, conventional fitting generally requires clinical settings to employ specialized instruments for administration by trained hearing professionals. Throughout this application, the term “consumer” generally refers to a person being fitted with a hearing device, thus may be interchangeable with any of the terms “user,” “person,” “client,” “hearing impaired,” etc. Furthermore, the term “hearing device” is used herein to refer to all types of hearing enhancement devices, including hearing aids prescribed for hearing impairment and personal sound amplification products (PSAP) generally not requiring a prescription or a medical waiver.
Programmable hearing aids rely on electronic adjustments of electroacoustic settings, referred to herein generally as “fitting parameters.” Similar to hearing assessments and hearing aid characterization, the programming of a hearing aid generally requires specialized instruments and involvement of a hearing professional to deal with a range of complexities related to programming fitting parameters.
Resorting to consumer computing devices for hearing evaluation and fitting, such as personal computers, smartphones and tablet computers, to produce test stimuli is generally problematic for several reasons, including the variability of sound output characteristics with consumer audio components employed therewith. For example internal speakers or external headphones may not be easily calibrated and/or may not meet audio standards of audiometric and hearing aid evaluations, such as total harmonic distortion (THD), accuracy of amplitudes, noise levels, frequency response, and the like.
Furthermore, conventional fitting processes are generally too technical and cumbersome for administration by a non-expert person. For the aforementioned reasons, among others, the fitting process for a programmable hearing device is generally not available to consumers for self-administration at home. A hearing aid dispensing professional is typically required for conducting one or more steps of the fitting process, from hearing evaluation to hearing aid recommendation and selection to prescription and programming of the fitting parameters into the hearing device. This process often requires multiple visits to the dispensing office to incorporate the user's subjective assessment from listening experiences after the initial fitting. As a result, the cost of a professionally dispensed hearing aid can easily reach thousands of dollars, and almost double that for a pair of hearing aids. This expense represents a major barrier to many potential consumers. Even though cost of parts and labor to manufacture a hearing device is generally under $100, the average retail price for a programmable hearing aid is well over $1000, largely due to the cost of fitting by the dispensing professional. In addition to the cost, another obstacle for potential hearing aid customers is the inconvenience of the multiple visits to a dispensing office that are required for hearing aid testing, selection and fitting.
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for interactive fitting of a hearing device online by a non-expert user, without resorting to clinical setups and instrumentation. In one embodiment, the online fitting system may include an audio generator positioned on a client side, the audio generator configured to deliver calibrated test audio signals to an audio input of a programmable hearing device in-situ. The test audio signals correspond to sound segments at varied sound pressure levels and frequency characteristics. The online fitting system may also include a programming interface configured to interactively deliver programming signals to the hearing device in-situ. The online fitting method generally involves instructing the hearing device consumer to listen to the audible output of the hearing device in-situ and adjust fitting parameters of the hearing device interactively by delivering a sequence of test audio signals and programming signals according to the subjective assessment of the consumer from the audible output of the hearing device in-situ. In one embodiment, the user interface is browser-based and generally configured to allow the consumer to adjust fitting parameters using controls presented in subjective lay terms, such as volume, audibility, clarity, and the like, rather than generally objective methods, technical terms and complex graphical tools conventionally used by hearing professionals in clinical settings.
In some embodiments, the online fitting system includes a handheld fitting device, a personal computer, and web-based fitting software applications hosted on a remote web server. The handheld fitting device includes the audio generator configured to generate test audio signals and deliver the test audio signals to an input of the hearing device in-situ. The handheld fitting device is generally handheld-sized and may be worn on the body of the consumer or placed in the vicinity of the consumer's ear during the online fitting process. The handheld fitting device also comprises the programming circuitry configured to interactively deliver programming signals to the hearing device in-situ. The fitting device in one embodiment is provided with USB connectivity for interfacing with a broad range of personal computing devices, including smartphones and tablet computers.
In one embodiment, the online fitting system further comprises an earphone to conduct a hearing evaluation. In another embodiment, the hearing evaluation may be conducted by delivering acoustic test signals to an audio input of a hearing device in-situ. The online fitting system may also include a microphone configured to sense sound in the vicinity of the consumer.
The online fitting system and methods disclosed herein allow consumers to inexpensively and interactively test their own hearing ability, develop their own “prescription”, and fine-tune the fitting parameters at home, without requiring conventional prescriptive methods, specialized fitting instruments and clinical software that are typically limited to clinical settings. In some embodiments, by delivering audio signals directly to an audio input of the hearing device, calibration of test sounds at the fitting site may be eliminated. The audio signal may be delivered directly, either electrically or wirelessly, to the hearing aid input. Similarly, the programming signal may be delivered electrically or wirelessly.
The disclosed systems and methods generally allow consumers to manipulate hearing aid parameters based on the subjective audibility of in-situ hearing aid output. In one embodiment, test audio segments are presented to the hearing aid input sequentially until all corresponding fitting parameters are manipulated and adjusted according to the consumer's preference. Subsequent adjustments after the initial fitting may be readily administered to refine the personally developed fitting prescription. Test audio segments used herein are preferably designed with minimal overlap in level and frequency characteristics to minimize overlap in fitting parameter control and to result in a convergent and expedited fitting process for self-administration by a non-expert hearing impaired consumer, or non-expert person assisting the hearing impaired customer.
In some embodiments, the online fitting system enables home hearing aid dispensing, including home hearing evaluation and home prescription and programming. The online process may be self-administered, resulting in reduced cost by eliminating expenses associated with professional services in clinical settings. In one embodiment, the home fitting system positioned is connected online to a remote customer support computer, allowing for remote hearing aid configuration, remote fitting parameter control, and audio streaming of instructions from customer support personnel. The audio streaming also allows for online delivery of test signals to the hearing aid of the consumer.
The above and still further objectives, features, aspects and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain preferred and alternate embodiments and method of manufacture and use thereof, including the best mode presently contemplated of practicing the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Certain details are set forth below to provide a sufficient understanding of embodiments of the invention. Some embodiments, however, may not include all details described. In some instances, well known structures may not be shown in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments of the invention.
The present disclosure describes example online fitting systems and methods, shown in
On the remote side 4, the server 60 generally hosts software components 61, which may include a fitting website 62 serving a fitting web application 63, a hearing test web application 64, and a web service layer 68 comprising a server fitting API 69 and Command Dispatcher 66. The fitting system 100 on the client side 3 includes an audio signal generator 22 and a programming signal generator 23, incorporated within the handheld fitting device 20, which may be worn on the body of the consumer 1 or placed in the vicinity of the consumer's ear 2. The audio signal generator 22 may be configured to deliver audio signals 21 directly to an input 51 of the hearing device 50.
During the hearing aid fitting process 71, audio signals 21 produced by the audio signal generator 22 correspond to sound segments 34, each of which generally has unique sound characteristics. The programming signal generator 23 may be configured to deliver programming signals 24 to the hearing device input 51 via a programming cable 26, or wirelessly to a wireless input, as will be described further below. The online fitting method generally involves instructing the consumer 1 to listen to hearing device output 55 (also referred to herein as “acoustic test signal”) to interactively adjust fitting parameters 80 according to the subjective assessment and response to the hearing device output 55. As will be described in the example of
In one embodiment, the audio signal generator 22 may be a single chip audio system designed for converting digital audio streams from a personal computing device 10 to audio signals 21 for delivery to an audio input of the hearing device 50 in-situ. Sound segments 34 are typically represented by digital audio files stored in memory within the fitting system 100 and presented as test audio signals 21 at the client side 3. The programming signal generator 23 may include I2C (inter-integrated circuit) circuitry and firmware to implement I2C communication protocols as known in the art of electronics and programmable hearing aids. The fitting device 20 in the example embodiment of
The delivery of programming signals 24 and test audio signals 21 directly to an input of a hearing device 50 may be electrical, as shown in
In the example embodiments shown in
By delivering audio signals directly to a non-acoustic input of a hearing device 50, delivery and calibration of a test sound 53 from an external speaker (not shown) to the hearing aid microphone 59 may be eliminated. For example, if a 120 μV audio signal 21 is determined to correspond to 60 dB SPL for a sound segment, referenced to hearing aid microphone 59 input, simulation of other sound input levels may be readily computed by a software application and presented using proper scaling factors. For example, to present the sound segment equivalent to 80 dB SPL, the audio signal 21 may be delivered at 1.2 mV (+20 dB=10× electrically). Similar correlation and intrinsic calibration characteristic also apply to wireless audio signals 28. In other embodiments (not shown), delivery of test acoustic signals to the hearing aid may be implemented with a calibrated circumaural headphone with its speaker positioned in proximity to the microphone of the in-situ hearing device 50, for example a canal hearing aid as shown in
In some embodiments, a fitting system microphone 25 may be incorporated into the fitting system 100, such as on the handheld fitting device 20 (
The online systems and methods disclosed herein may allow consumers to inexpensively and interactively test their own hearing ability, and self-fit a hearing device at home, without requiring conventional fitting instruments and complex methods limited to hearing professionals and clinical setting.
The disclosed online fitting system 100 in the example embodiments allows consumers to manipulate complex hearing aid fitting parameters 80 primarily based on the subjective assessment of audibility of hearing aid output 55 produced by the in-situ hearing aid with the server hosted fitting application accessible from a personal computer with a generic browser. The interactive online process of fitting parameter adjustment is repeated for each sound segment until all session fitting parameters 80 are adjusted according to the consumer's preference, thus forming an individualized “prescription” without relying on a professional to determine or program the prescription for a consumer. Subsequent adjustments to fitting parameters 80 may be administered after the initial fitting process 73, for example to fine tune fitting parameters 80 after adaptation and gaining listening experience with the hearing device 50, or after experiencing a difficult listening scenario with a particular subscription. In some embodiments, multiple sets of fitting parameters are provided for the consumer to deal with a variety of listening condition. In some embodiments, test audio segments 34 are selected with minimal overlap in amplitude and frequency characteristics, thus minimizing overlap in fitting parameter control, and expediting a convergent fitting process for administration by a non-expert user, including self-fitting. Various data and software components of the fitting software system, such as digital audio files representing sound segments 34, calibration data for producing calibrated levels of test sounds, patient info, test results, and the like, may be stored on the personal computer 10, the handheld fitting device 20, the server 60, and/or a database server 84. For example, sound segments 67 may be stored on the remote server 60, as shown in
In one embodiment, shown in
Using the web-based applications and processes described above, consumer data including fitting parameters, may be readily stored and retrieved by the consumer 1, customer support personnel 6, or the manufacturer of a hearing device. Furthermore, any of the aforementioned processes may be performed from virtually any location with a computer and online access, simply by connecting the handheld fitting device 20 to an available online connected personal computer via a standard USB port. In one embodiment, a consumer may login to a personal account to access the aforementioned web-based fitting services, as well as other services related to the dispensing of a hearing device, such as ordering hearing aid parts, subscribing, payments, and the like. The hearing device 50 may be communicatively coupled to the fitting system for administering a fitting process involving hearing aid parameters 80, to receive test audio signals 21 to an input, and to receive programming signals 24. The online-based fitting system may also allow for real-time as well as recorded monitoring of an online fitting session.
The online fitting system and methods disclosed herein enable home hearing aid dispensing, including delivery of a hearing aid 50 to the consumer's home, by mail for example, and to administer home hearing evaluation, prescription, and fitting using the fitting device 20 and the online fitting process. Additionally, the online fitting system and interactive methods disclosed herein may enable self-fitting for a consumer 1 with minimal computer skills, or by a non-expert person assisting the consumer 1. This allows for a more affordable and accessible hearing aid solution for the rapidly growing aging population with increased access to the Internet 65, and utilization thereof.
Although embodiments of the invention are described herein, variations and modifications of these embodiments may be made, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the above-described embodiments of the invention should not be viewed as exhaustive or as limiting the invention to the precise configurations or techniques disclosed. Rather, it is intended that the invention shall be limited only by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application 61/847,032, entitled “ONLINE HEARING AID FITTING SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR A NON-EXPERT USER,” filed Jul. 16, 2013. The aforementioned provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, for any purpose.
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