Personalized tinnitus rehabilitation applications with sound therapy combined with visual matching

Abstract

The present invention relates to sound therapy and personalized tinnitus rehabilitation applications combined with objects placed in the video that meet the new, effective, relatively inexpensive and personalized tinnitus treatment / therapy needs of individuals with tinnitus, characterized in that it comprises a central processor (1) that allows the objects and pure sounds in the video to be provided to the patient simultaneously, software (2) that allows the objects and pure sounds in the video specially created for the patient to be provided at any time and the final product video to be recorded, goggles (3) that enable the visuals created in the software (2) to be transmitted to the patient, headset (4) that allows the patient-specific frequency and intensity of the sounds created in the software (2) to be transmitted to the patient, controller (5) that allows the objects and pure sounds to be provided to the patient synchronously with the headset (3) at the times determined by the user, at the time and frequency determined by the user in the video to be shown to the patient.

Description

[0001] PERSONALIZED TINNITUS REHABILITATION APPLICATIONS WITH SOUND THERAPY COMBINED WITH VISUAL MATCHING

[0002] Technical Field:

[0003] The present invention relates to sound therapy and personalized tinnitus rehabilitation applications combined with objects placed in videos that meet the new, effective, relatively inexpensive, and personalized tinnitus treatment / therapy needs of individuals with tinnitus in order to reach a better quality of life.

[0004] State of the Art:

[0005] Tinnitus refers to the perception of sound heard by the individual, in other words, ringing in ears, although there is no external stimulus. The formation mechanisms of this pathology, which can affect daily life, have not been fully elucidated even in today's technology. Especially with the aging of the society, increasing hearing losses and increases in tinnitus complaints are noteworthy.

[0006] In studies conducted worldwide, it is reported that 10% to 20% of the population has the complaint of tinnitus. It is considered that 20% of those with tinnitus complaints are looking for a treatment method and their quality of life decreases due to this complaint. It affects approximately 50 million adults in the United States, and for 12 million of this population, it affects their daily lives and causes severe psychological stress.

[0007] There are some known applications in the present art regarding tinnitus. The following are the treatment / rehabilitation methods used in the present art.

[0008] 1- Drug Treatments: Until today, different drug treatments have been tried for the purpose of therapy. However, as a result of the studies, no drug could be determined to be used safely and effectively in patients. There is no drug approved for the treatment of tinnitus by the competent authorities of the European Union Member States (EMA) and the United States (FDA).

[0009] 2- Hearing Aids: High-intensity sounds provided to patients can reduce their perception of tinnitus, but it is known that the frequency ranges of hearing aids are limited and have no effect on some receptors (ribbon cells) in the auditory nerve.

[0010] 3- rTMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Applications: It is aimed to change the perception of tinnitus at the cortical level through short magnetic pulses over the head. Although there are differences between the methods in these applications, the results obtained are generally considered unsuccessful.

[0011] 4- Sound Therapies: Until today, many sound therapy methods have been tried in order to change the perception of tinnitus, to get rid of it and / or to relieve patients. These include sound therapies such as TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy), Neuromonics Therapy, and deSyncra. However, research shows that there is an increase in tinnitus as a result of these sound therapies being performed blindly. It is an inadequate method alone.

[0012] 5- Complementary Medicine Practices: Within the scope of complementary and traditional medicine practices, different applications are performed, especially acupuncture. Although relief can be observed in patients in these applications, it is known that the effects of this relief on tinnitus are only instantaneous.

[0013] 6- Cognitive Behavioral Therapies: It basically includes the application of cognitive and behavioral therapy methods in order to reduce the psychological responses developed against the complaint of tinnitus. Since the general purpose of this system is not to eliminate tinnitus but to reduce the discomfort caused by tinnitus, it is seen that the discomfort does not disappear.

[0014] These methods used in the present art are often non-personalized methods that do not respond to treatment, requiring long-term therapy.

[0015] Application numbered KR20230092730 A discloses "Device and Surgery Method for the Treatment of Tinnitus". The invention discloses a tinnitus treatment device and method of operating it. A tinnitus treatment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a tactile device, imaging device, speaker, and memory. The device receives the user's motion commands and provides tactile feedback to the user. The memory is connected to and integrated with these components. At least one processor configured to execute computer- readable instructions generates content, including a cognitively mediated object corresponding to the user's tinnitus property. It is set to display on at least one of the device and speaker, to change the size and shape of the object according to the user's tactile device control, to display tactile feedback on the tactile device according to the change in the object.

[0016] In the above-mentioned application, the device and surgery method for the treatment of tinnitus are mentioned. The method used in this application belongs to surgery. However, the slightest mistake to be made in sensitive parts such as the eardrum in the ear canal during surgery will cause the person to have hearing loss. In addition, it is seen that the fact that the application includes a treatment method and surgery is also disadvantageous in terms of cost for patients suffering from this disease.

[0017] Patent application numbered US2009099474A1 discloses "System and Method for Adaptive Therapy Based on Combined Bioelectric Detection and Biosensor Feedback for Medical Disorders". The invention is a system and method for adaptive therapeutic intervention to affect real-time changes in the behavioral profile of the individual in order to facilitate the effectiveness of combined bioelectric detection and biosensor-based treatment for certain disorders. The system and method induce a transient physiological mood (e.g. increased relaxation) to affect permanent changes in the cognitive-emotional profile of the individual (e.g., reduced inner tinnitus). Sensory and mental state awareness responses are integrated into a two-way (i.e., bidirectional) feedback system that uses a dynamic interface with smartly controlled thresholds. The invention considers details of multivariate and non-linear dynamics and database templates to calculate the “state of mind” of the user more accurately. They then use this "state of mind" to guide the therapeutic and non-therapeutic stimulus intervention. Through a "combinatorial warning sequence" approach using customized sounds, the present invention creates a fine-tuned and well-controlled process. The importance of this interaction is that there is a long-term change in the cognitive-emotional profile of the individual.

[0018] In the above-mentioned application, the system and method for adaptive therapy based on combined bioelectric detection and biosensor feedback for medical disorders are mentioned. In this application, it is not aimed to treat the patient's tinnitus, but to reduce this tinnitus and relieve the patient. However, with this method, which cannot be completely solved, the patient is psychologically damaged by thinking that they are dependent on the machine by constantly applying this therapy, inviting other diseases with this psychological injury, wastes time and is constantly disadvantageous in terms of spending for this treatment.

[0019] As a result, a new technology is needed that completely eliminates the tinnitus problem of patients who can overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, increases the quality of life, eliminates the problems experienced in daily life and allows them to have a healthier psychology.

[0020] Definition of the Invention:

[0021] This invention is a new technology for personalized tinnitus rehabilitation applications with sound therapy combined with objects paired with visual stimuli, characterized in that it completely eliminates the tinnitus problem of patients, increases their quality of life, eliminates problems experienced in daily life and allows them to have a healthier psychology.

[0022] In order to realize all the objects that will emerge from the above-mentioned and detailed description below, the invention is an ear tinnitus rehabilitation aimed at eliminating these problems that reduce the living standards of patients with tinnitus without any external stimulus in daily life.

[0023] In order to eliminate or reduce the tinnitus caused by the product and method of the invention, a visual environment is created that primarily matches the visual and auditory stimuli to the patients. In this visual environment, the application system is trained by first adapting the patients with pure sounds in both ears and visual objects paired with these sounds. Then, the therapy of the patients is carried out by not giving auditory stimuli while only visual objects are provided to the patient at the tinnitus frequency, and in other frequencies, the patients are treated by synchronizing the sounds with the visual objects. At this time, the sounds adjusted for the patient by the audiologist are recorded as video recordings and the patients are offered the opportunity to watch and listen simultaneously at home. With this therapy system, patients with tinnitus-related disorders are treated in accordance with the tinnitus frequencies. With the invention, it brings a new perspective to the problem of tinnitus, which has been widely observed all over the world for many years and causes high economic costs and has no definite treatment.

[0024] Although the subject matter of the invention requires long-term application of alternative therapy methods, it constitutes a system with successful results in 8 weeks. It can be applied individually according to the tinnitus frequencies of the patients and most importantly, it is not an invasive method.

[0025] The invention includes a product and method. The product creates the environment in which the patient learns and receives treatment by matching visual stimuli and pure sound stimuli. Thanks to the display connected to the central processor and a special headset, a video visual paired with the visual is created for the treatment of the patient. The method is related to the application of the product. Patient information (name, surname, date of birth, ear with tinnitus, other chronic diseases, anamnesis of the patient) is entered into the system manually or received automatically by the system. The frequency of the patient's tinnitus is selected from the sounds played to by the patient and an object (wind, koala, rabbit, bird, and squirrel) is assigned to this determined sound. For each of the objects assigned to the appropriate frequencies selected for the patient, the planned pure sounds are played for the period determined by the audiologist and the visuals are played randomly but synchronized with the sound. At the end of the period planned by the audiologist, the sound at the frequency compatible with tinnitus is turned off. The object determined for this frequency is shown to the patient for the time planned by the audiologist. Within the scope of the software in the product subject to the invention, 8 different pure sounds and matched objects are used. This ensures that the patient can hear the sound in a better quality and respond quickly to the treatment and prevents loss of time.

[0026] The structural and characteristic features and all the advantages of the product subject to the invention will be understood more clearly with the figures given below and the detailed description with reference to these figures, and therefore the evaluation should be made by taking these figures and detailed description into consideration.

[0027] Description of the Figures: The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the features of the invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated, but it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to encompass all alternatives, modifications and equivalents which may be included in the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that the details shown have been provided to ensure the demonstration of preferred embodiments of the present invention and shaping of the methods and to provide the most useful and understandable definition of the rules and conceptual features of the invention. The figures are as follows:

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic view of the product of the invention.

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic view of the method of the invention.

[0030] The figures that will assist the understanding of this invention are numbered as specified in the enclosed image and the corresponding designations are given below.

[0031] Description of the References:

[0032] 1. Central Processor

[0033] 2. Software

[0034] 3. Goggles

[0035] 4. Headset

[0036] 5. Controller

[0037] 10. Entering Patient Data

[0038] 20. Identifying Object in the Selected Frequency Range

[0039] 30. Synchronously Playing Object Sounds to the Patient

[0040] 40. Rehabilitation Application

[0041] Description of the Invention:

[0042] The invention includes a central processor (1) that allows the simultaneous delivery of the objects and pure sounds in the video provided to the patient, software (2) that allows the objects and pure sounds in the video specially created for the patient to be given at any time and the final product video to be recorded, goggles (3) that enable the visual created in the software (2) to be transmitted to the patient, headset (4) that allows the patient-specific frequency and intensity of the sounds created in the software (2) to be transmitted to the patient, controller (5) that allows the objects and pure sounds to be provided to the patient synchronously with the headset (3) at the times determined by the user, at the time and frequency determined by the user in the video to be shown to the patient.

[0043] It comprises software (2) that transfers the objects to the goggles (3) and pure sounds to the headset (4) in the visual it creates, and the software (2) that assigns them to one of the five different objects whose frequency range has been determined as a result of the determination of the patient's tinnitus frequency.

[0044] The invention relates to the method of personalized tinnitus rehabilitation product with sound therapy synchronized with the objects placed in the video, characterized in that it comprises the following: entering the patient's name, surname, date of birth, ear with tinnitus, tinnitus frequency and intensity, other chronic diseases, anamnesis into the system manually or automatically (10), defining the sound at the predetermined frequency and intensity by the patient to the object in the selected frequency range predefined by the software (2) (40), playing the sounds synchronously to the patient for the desired period of time in accordance with the user's request with the software (2), while the object and its sounds are played over the video recording synchronously to the patient (50), rehabilitation of the sounds given through the headset (4) by the patient with the control (5) at the desired time by turning off only the sound compatible with the tinnitus frequency and giving only the image of the object while continuing to present the other sounds in synchronization with the objects (60).

[0045] Detailed Description of the Invention:

[0046] The invention consists of two parts, the product, and the method.

[0047] All the parts that make up the product consist of the central processor (1), software (2), goggles (3), headset (4) and controller (5). Technical features of the invention;

[0048] The central processor (1) is an operating system that will run the software (2) that synchronizes audio and video and can present them to the patient at any time. The goggles (3), which play a role in the created software, act as the main station with the central processor (1) of the headset (4) and the controller (5). The software (2) allows the sound and visual to be provided to the patients to be matched and presented in a video visual. When the patient comes to rehabilitation, a personalized rehabilitation environment is provided by entering the patient's name, surname, date of birth, ear with tinnitus, tinnitus frequency and intensity data, other chronic diseases, anamnesis into the system manually or automatically (10). In patients with headset (4), the sound intensity compatible with tinnitus is determined first. At this stage, it is given by the audiologist by increasing the sound intensity with the controller (5). As a result of determining the appropriate frequency and intensity of the patient, this frequency range is assigned to one of the five objects defined to the system and the other four objects are assigned frequency ranges defined by the system. The frequency ranges of these objects are in the range of 125-500 Hz for wind, 500-2000 Hz for koala, 2000-4000 Hz for rabbit, 4000-8000 Hz for bird, and 8000- 20000 Hz for squirrel. By entering the patient data (10), the rehabilitation period that the user deems appropriate for the patient is calculated, and the sounds assigned to these five objects are transmitted to the patient in a way that the sound and visual are synchronized (e.g. on a raft) at the time and frequency planned by the user. Then, when the time during which the sound and visual are transmitted synchronously to the patient is completed and the patient matches the sound and the object, it will be ensured that only the visual transmission at the tinnitus frequency and the object paired with the visual at other frequencies will be presented synchronously to the patient within the period determined by the user.

Claims

CLAIMS1. The invention relates to a personalized tinnitus rehabilitation product with sound therapy combined with visual objects, characterized in that it comprises the following: central processor (1) that allows the objects and pure sounds in the video to be provided to the patient simultaneously, software (2) that enables the simultaneous presentation of objects and pure sounds in the video created specifically for the patient at the time desired by the patient and the recording of the final product video, goggles (3) that enable the visuals created in the software (2) to be transmitted to the patient, headset (4) that allows the patient-specific frequency and intensity sounds created in the software (2) to be transmitted to the patient, controller (5) that enables the synchronized delivery of objects and pure sounds to the patient with the headset (3) at times and frequencies determined by the user within the video to be shown to the patient.

2. A personalized tinnitus rehabilitation product with sound therapy synchronized with the objects placed in the video according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises software (2) that transfers the objects to the goggles (3) and pure sounds to the headset (4) in the visual it creates.

3. A personalized tinnitus rehabilitation product with sound therapy synchronized with the objects placed in the video according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises software (2) that assigns it to one of the five different objects with a predetermined frequency range as a result of determining the tinnitus frequency of the patient.

4. The invention relates to the method of personalized tinnitus rehabilitation product with sound therapy synchronized with the objects placed in the video, characterized in that it comprises the following process steps: entering the patient's name, surname, date of birth, ear with tinnitus, tinnitus frequency and intensity, other chronic diseases, anamnesis into the system manually or automatically (10),defining the sound at the predetermined frequency and intensity by the patient to the object in the selected frequency range predefined by the software (2) (40), playing the sounds synchronously to the patient for the desired period of time in accordance with the user's request with the software (2), while the object and its sounds are played over the video recording synchronously to the patient (50), rehabilitation of the sounds given through the headset (4) by the patient with the control (5) at the desired time by turning off only the sound compatible with the tinnitus frequency and giving only the image of the object while continuing to present the other sounds in synchronization with the objects (60).

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