Device to reduce tinnitus

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for reducing tinnitus. According to the invention, the characteristics of the tinnitus—frequency, noise bandwidth before and after the frequency, slope before and after the frequency, and masking level—are transmitted to a programmable signal processing component (2). This component transforms the frequency envelope of a sound source by adding a gain corresponding to the frequency envelope of the tinnitus and then transmits the signal to the person's ear. An application allows the tinnitus characteristics to be modified. In one particular configuration, if the person with tinnitus has associated hearing loss, the programmable signal processing component takes the hearing loss data into account to compensate for it. In another particular configuration, the device does not use an external sound source and can also create soothing sounds that perfectly match the tinnitus noise.A smartphone app allows you to adjust the noise. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: figure 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Device for reducing tinnitus

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for reducing or eliminating tinnitus. [Fig. 1]

[0002] In audiology, it is possible to evaluate tinnitus by comparison; we then define the frequency [Fig.2B] (1), the power, the masking level, the noise band width before the frequency [Fig.2B] (2) and the noise width after the frequency [Fig.2B] (3) as well as the slope before the frequency [Fig.2B] (4) and the slope after the frequency [Fig.2B] (5); unfortunately, the individual with this symptom has few solutions to soothe it.

[0003] An acoustic method for alleviating tinnitus is sound therapy, which is characterized in three ways: either by listening to soothing sounds, or by listening to a modulated sound similar to the tinnitus, or by listening to white noise truncated by a notch corresponding to the tinnitus. These sounds are generally only approximate in relation to the tinnitus because the available tools do not allow for a perfect match; they are either hearing aids or pre-recordings.

[0004] Another acoustic method for alleviating tinnitus is hearing correction, which compensates for hearing loss at the site of the tinnitus, but no device takes into account the precise data of the tinnitus.

[0005] The device in a particular form allows the integration of tinnitus parameters

[0006] The device in a particular form integrates Frequency, Widths, Slopes, Power, Masking Level and makes it possible to listen to noises corresponding exactly to the tinnitus and modulate them.

[0007] The device in a particular form allows to integrate all the parameters of the tinnitus: Frequency, Widths, Slopes, Power, Masking level and to make listen to a white noise with a notch corresponding exactly to the inverse of the tinnitus.

[0008] The device in another particular form allows the tinnitus and hearing parameters to be integrated in order to correct hearing in real time exactly according to the tinnitus curve.

[0009] The device in another particular form makes it possible to integrate all the parameters of the tinnitus and also the hearing loss if there is one and to correct the hearing in real time exactly according to the curve of the tinnitus and the hearing loss.

[0010] In a particular form the device has one or more input sources: microphone, wired digital or analog audio input, wireless digital input or analog input by induction coil.

[0011] The sound received from this source [Fig.2A] is processed to increase the signal in accordance with the tinnitus envelope [Fig.2B] so that the emitted sound is modified [Fig.2C] in order to exceed the level of the tinnitus and to mask it.

[0012] The device has one or more outputs: speaker, earphone, vibrator, wired digital or analog audio output, wireless digital output or analog output by induction coil.

Claims

Demands

1. Device composed of: a. A sound card equipped with:

2. • Digital or analog audio input [Fig 1] (1) • Programmable signal processing component [Fig 1] (2) • Digital or analog audio output [Fig 1] (3) b. A database [Fig 1] (4) containing non-exhaustive tinnitus information. The frequency [Fig 2B] (1), the noise width before [Fig 2B] (2) and after [Fig 2B] (3), the noise frequency and slope before [Fig 2B] (4) and after the frequency [Fig 2B] (5), as well as the level of masking noise that can be entered into this database. c. A link between the database and the sound card to load all the tinnitus data. d. Firmware programmed on a signal processing component to retrieve the tinnitus data [Fig 2B], analyze the sound, and process the signal according to the received parameters.Signal processing involves modifying the frequency envelope [Fig 2A] by adding a gain [Fig 2C] at the tinnitus frequency, according to the bandwidth before and after the frequency and the slope before and after the tinnitus frequency. e. A user interface allows modification of the database information. Similar device without audio input. The device does not have...

3. audio input. The programmable signal processing component creates tinnitus-like noise to modulate it via an interface, or white noise with a notch in the inverted shape of tinnitus. Device similar to claims 1 and 2 but without a user interface

4. A device similar to claims 1, 2, and 3. The programmable signal processing component also corrects hearing by adjusting the gain by bands and levels

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