US 12,350,038 B2
Method for determining the auditory threshold of a test subject, hearing aid system, method for setting hearing aid parameters and computer readable medium for performing the method
Ulrich Giese, Fuerth (DE); and Eva Droste, Erlangen (DE)
Assigned to Sivantos Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Filed by Sivantos Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Filed on Dec. 11, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/118,968.
Claims priority of application No. 102019219385.4 (DE), filed on Dec. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0177309 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 5/12 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/12 (2013.01) [A61B 5/6815 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for setting hearing aid parameters of a hearing aid for a test subject, which comprises the steps of:
determining an auditory threshold of the test subject by the performing the substeps of:
presenting multiple tone sets, which predominantly contain a plurality of tones, in succession to the test subject by an output transducer of the hearing aid, the output transducer being a loudspeaker, a bone conduction receiver, or a cochlear implant;
asking the test subject to indicate a perceived number of tones from a presented tone set after each presentation of one of the multiple tone sets;
changing a plurality of properties of the plurality of tones in the multiple tone sets in dependence on the perceived number of tones, the plurality of properties being changed in relation to a preceding tone set for a presentation of a following tone set and presenting the following tone set to the test subject as one of the multiple tone sets;
estimating at least one value of the auditory threshold of the test subject in dependence on the perceived number of tones in the multiple tone sets that were presented;
controlling, by a separate control unit, the output transducer, the presenting step, the asking step, and the changing of the plurality of properties in the changing step, wherein the separate control unit performs the asking step; and
subsequently adapting a parameter of a signal processing algorithm configured to run on a signal processor of the hearing aid based on the at least one value of the auditory threshold to thereby adapt the hearing aid to a hearing impairment of the test subject;
wherein the parameter of the signal processing algorithm determines a frequency-specific amplification value to boost a microphone signal having a volume level below the at least one value of the auditory threshold;
wherein the plurality of properties that are changed in the changing step are selected from the group consisting of a first set of properties, a second set of properties, a third set of properties, and a fourth set of properties;
wherein the first set of properties includes a time duration of individual tones, a time duration of gaps between individual tones, an order of volume values, and a number of tones contained in one of the multiple tone sets with respect to a number of tones contained in another one of the multiple tone sets;
wherein the second set of properties includes the time duration of individual tones, the order of volume values, and the number of tones contained in one of the multiple tone sets with respect to the number of tones contained in another one of the multiple tone sets;
wherein the third set of properties includes the time duration of gaps between individual tones, the order of volume values, and the number of tones contained in one of the multiple tone sets with respect to the number of tones contained in another one of the multiple tone sets; and
wherein the fourth set of properties includes the time duration of individual tones, the duration of gaps between individual tones, and the order of volume values.