US 12,251,215 B2
Hearing assessment system and method
Collette McKay, East Melbourne (AU); Hamish Innes-Brown, East Melbourne (AU); Mehrnaz Shoushtarian, East Melbourne (AU); and Stefan Weder, St. Brunswick (AU)
Assigned to THE BIONICS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, East Melbourne (AU)
Filed by THE BIONICS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, East Melbourne (AU)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/384,492.
Application 18/384,492 is a continuation of application No. 16/630,173, granted, now 11,857,312, previously published as PCT/AU2018/050726, filed on Jul. 13, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2017902753 (AU), filed on Jul. 13, 2017; and application No. 2018901572 (AU), filed on May 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0130639 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0225485 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/12 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/0205 (2006.01); A61B 5/021 (2006.01); A61B 5/024 (2006.01); A61B 5/08 (2006.01); A61B 5/1455 (2006.01); A61B 5/346 (2021.01); A61B 5/372 (2021.01); A61B 5/38 (2021.01)
CPC A61B 5/125 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0075 (2013.01); A61B 5/0205 (2013.01); A61B 5/14553 (2013.01); A61B 5/346 (2021.01); A61B 5/372 (2021.01); A61B 5/38 (2021.01); A61B 5/6803 (2013.01); A61B 5/6844 (2013.01); A61B 5/7207 (2013.01); A61B 5/7235 (2013.01); A61B 5/7278 (2013.01); A61B 5/021 (2013.01); A61B 5/02416 (2013.01); A61B 5/0816 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of assessing the hearing of a patient using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the method comprising:
determining parameters of an aural stimulation to be delivered to the patient, the parameters including a first intensity;
delivering to the patient the aural stimulation having the first intensity;
receiving at least one response signal from an optode placed on a scalp of the patient, the at least one response signal comprising fNIRS data generated by the optode and relating to the aural stimulation received by the patient;
comparing at least one parameter of the at least one response signal to a predetermined parameter value;
estimating, based on the result of the comparison and to assess the hearing of the patient, a loudness perceived by the patient experiencing the aural stimulation;
delivering to the patient further aural stimulation having a second intensity; and
repeating the steps of receiving at least one response signal from an optode, comparing at least one parameter of the at least one response signal to a predetermined parameter value and estimating a loudness perceived by the patient experiencing the aural stimulation.