110 results about "Auditory stimulation" patented technology

An implantable hearing unit is provided that includes an implantable microphone, a rechargeable power storage device and a speech signal processor. The hearing unit further includes a signal coupling device that is adapted for electrical interconnection to an implantable auditory stimulation device, which is operative to stimulate an auditory component of a patient. Such a stimulation device may include cochlear implants, brain stem stimulation systems, auditory nerve stimulation systems, and middle or inner ear transducer systems. The signal coupling device is operative to provide processed drive signals from the signal processor to the stimulation device as well provide power from the power storage device to operate the stimulation device. In one arrangement, the signal coupling device is a wireless coupling between first and second coils. In such an arrangement, the hearing unit may be utilized with an existing implanted stimulation device to make that device a fully implanted hearing system.

Methods, apparatus and systems for treating sensrineural hearing loss include applying high frequency to ultrasonic frequency vibration stimulus to the head or neck of a patient for a suitable period of time. Hearing and sound discrimination are improved by stimulating the patient's cortices leading to stimulation of cortical neurons to increase sensitivity to high frequency sound. Stimulus signals may be applied by bone conduction via transducers attached to the head or neck, or by airborne conduction via headphones, or by a combination thereof. Stimulus signals may be recorded and may be remotely produced and transmitted via a telecommunications link to a receiver in a remote location. A compact auditory stimulation device includes electronics for storing a personalized stimulus signal, sound generators to produce the stimulus, a microprocessor, and a vibrator, such as headphones. Audiometer functions may be included in the auditory stimulation device to permit testing of the patient's hearing level thresholds.

A method of fitting an auditory stimulation system to a recipient the system having a plurality of channels, and the method including the steps of establishing an initial current level profile representative of a current level setting spanning across at least some of the plurality of channels and adjusting parameters of the initial current level profile in the presence of a stimulation signal. There is further included a programming apparatus adapted to be interfaced with the auditory stimulation system to allow manipulation of threshold (T) and comfort (C) levels of the system. The apparatus includes a graphical display means adapted to display a graphical representation of the current profile of the channel array and means for adjusting a current level setting of the current pmfile of the array.

An apparatus and method for enabling selective stimulation of oculomotor reflexes involved in retinal image stability. The apparatus enables real-time modification of auditory and visual stimuli according to the patient's head movements, and allows the generation of stimuli that integrate vestibular and visual reflexes. The use of accessories allow the modification of somatosensory stimuli to increase the selective capacity of the apparatus. The method involves generation of visual and auditory stimuli, measurement of patient response and modification of stimuli based on patient response. The apparatus and method may include a vestibular rehabilitation unit (VRU) and a remote training unit (RTU). Instructions may be transmitted from the VRU to the RTU, and information of detected responses may be transmitted from the RTU to the VRU.

This is a position sensing monitor that provides private sensory biofeedback to adults, in the form of auditory stimulus or tactile sensation (vibration), to promote non-supine sleep. The essential feature of this invention is to eliminate / reduce position-related snoring and obstructive sleep apnea and not disrupting sleep of bed partner. A variation of this concept is its use in infants to promote sleeping supine by parental notification of rolling from supine to side or prone positions, allow re-position to supine and thereby reducing the risk for SIDS.

A cognitive stimulating sterilizing device for providing visual, tactile and, or audible stimulation for infants while selectively sterilize select items and the surrounding ambient, including a housing adapted for removable connection to cribs, changing tables and similar furniture, ultraviolet light generating source in the housing for sanitizing items in the housing when closed and the ambient when opened, audio source and compartments for holding and storing select items. The housing may include reflective and, or transparent surfaces for directing, reflecting and, or passing ultraviolet light.

Embodiments of the invention allow sensors positioned on or near a remotely controlled device to monitor the status and / or internal conditions of the device and transmit the status information through a data link to a receiver station, or control station, where the information can be provided to a user or operator via sensory stimulation signals. Such sensory stimulation signals can include auditory stimulation signals that can convey the information to the user while allowing the user to maintain visual attention on the remote device. A remote station can obtain information from sensors operably connected to the remote device. The sensor information can be transmitted as digital information from the remote station to a control station, or receiver station, where it is converted to sensory stimulation signals, such as sounds. Such sounds can include tones, alarms, speech, other audible sounds, or combinations thereof. An operator controlling the remote device can, upon receiving the sensory stimulation signals, provide input signals for controlling the remote device.

The invention belongs to the field of brain electricity-assisted auditory sense attention, aims at realizing a correct tracking function of a person on an auditory object and discloses a detection andextraction system based on a brain electrical signal. The system comprises an auditory stimulation module used for inducing a user to produce brain electricity, a brain electrical signal acquisitionmodule, a feature extracting and training module and an auditory sense tracking and classifying module, wherein the brain electricity signal acquisition module utilizes an electrode contacted with head surface of the user, acquires the brain electrical signal of the user and preprocesses the brain electrical signal; the feature extracting and training module carries out feature extraction on the preprocessed brain electrical signal and trains a model; and the auditory sense tracking and classifying module converts a brain electricity feature classification result into a classification value and calculates accuracy according to the classification value, and the accuracy is used for grading attention. A feature extraction method adopted by the feature extracting and training module combinescharacteristics of rhythm and information entropy, and noise can be effectively inhibited, so that the obtained brain electrical signal is more accurate.

A multi-mode hearing prosthesis for enhancing the hearing of a recipient, comprising: a sound input element configured to receive a sound signal component; a frequency spectral analysis module configured to analyze the sound signal component and to categorize the component into at least a high- or lower-frequency component; a bone conduction processor configured to generate bone conduction stimulation signals from at least one of said high- and lower-frequency component for bone conduction stimulation of the recipient's skull; and a second stimulation processor configured to generate auditory stimulation signals from at least one of said high- and lower-frequency components for stimulating the recipient.

Systems and methods for improving sound perception in a subject equipped with an implantable vibratory unit comprising a transducer and a transduction medium in which the transducer is disposed within or against the transduction medium. The transducer is configured to impart vibrations to a vibratory structure of a subject's ear through the transduction medium in response to an electrical signal corresponding to sound. In certain embodiments, the transduction medium directly contacts the vibratory structure of the subject's ear, whereas the transducer does not.

An improved implantable auditory stimulation system includes two or more implanted microphones for transcutaneous detection of acoustic signals. Each of the implanted microphones provides an output signal. The microphone output signals may be combinatively utilized by an implanted processor to generate a signal for driving an implanted auditory stimulation device. The implanted microphones may be located at offset subcutaneous locations and / or may be provided with different design sensitivities, wherein combinative processing of the microphone output signals may yield an improved drive signal. In one embodiment, the microphone signal may be processed for beamforming and / or directionality purposes.

A vehicle approach warning system is disclosed. The vehicle approach warning system includes: an in-vehicle communication apparatus (5) to be mounted to a vehicle (3), the in-vehicle communication apparatus (5) being configured to wirelessly transmit vehicle travel data to surroundings of the vehicle (3); and a portable warning terminal (4) to be carried by a pedestrian (2), the portable warning terminal (4) being configured to give in response to receiving the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus (5), and a warning about approach of the vehicle being emitted to the pedestrian (2) in a way other than auditory stimulation if electric field strength at a time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than a first threshold (P).

The invention relates to a method of measuring an electroencephalogram signal in response to an auditory stimulus applied to a subject or patient (99), wherein the method uses at the most a first electrode (EL1), a second electrode (EL2), a third electrode (EL3). The method comprises: i) positioning the first electrode (EL1) on the head (10) of the patient or subject (99) in a first region (R1) extending substantially between a right ear and a right eye; ii) positioning the second electrode (EL2) on the head (10) of the subject or patient (99) in a second region (R2) extending substantially between a left ear and a left eye; iii) positioning the third electrode (EL3) on the head (10) of the subject or patient (99) in a third region (Cz), the third region (Cz) being different from the first region (R1) and the second region (R2); iv) applying the auditory stimulus to at least one ear of the subject or patient (99); v) measuring a first potential difference between the first electrode (EL1) and the third electrode (EL3) in response to the auditory stimulus to obtain a first electroencephalographic signal, and measuring a second potential difference between the second electrode (EL2) and the third electrode (EL3) in response to the auditory stimulus to obtain a second electroencephalographic The invention further relates to a method of hearing screening a subject or patient, comprising such method. The invention also relates to a measurement system (such as a hearing screener) for carrying out such method and to an apparatus (head-set) for use in such system. The invention provides for an improved method of measuring an electroencephalogram signal in response to an auditory stimulus applied to a subject or patient, in particular where two channels are measured using only three electrodes.

A method comprises adjusting baseline auditory stimulation parameters of a cochlear implant on a living body and providing auditory electrical stimulation to a living body via electrodes of the cochlear implant in combination with adjusting the auditory stimulation parameters of the cochlear implant to the living body in real time, retaining a database of used auditory stimulation parameters for a patient and selecting, in real time, from the database a desired one of the stimulation parameters that produces desired hearing percepts in a patient.

Visual and auditory stimuli are provided to a patient to treat various neurological disorders or conditions and / or to provide improved mental or physical performance. The visual and auditory stimuli are provided by a wearable headset or sleep mask that may be comfortably worn by a user, such as in bed to induce sleep. The wearable headset or sleep mask is operated by a personal computing device of the user, such as smartphone, having downloaded and active thereon a control application or app for the therapy. The wearable headset or sleep mask also concurrently provides tactile stimuli, and the tactile stimulus is provided from bone conduction transducers that concurrently provides the auditory stimuli.

Provided herein are systems and methods where an implantable microphone of an implantable hearing system is positioned at a location spaced from the surface of the patient's skull. More specifically, the microphone is mounted to soft tissue of the patient to at least partially isolate the microphone from skull-borne vibrations. Accordingly, by utilizing a soft tissue mount, the microphone may be made more sensitive to ambient sounds with reduced concern to amplification of non-ambient vibrations caused by skull-borne vibrations including, for example, transducer feedback, talking and / or chewing. The system will further include an auditory stimulation device that is located proximate to the skull of the patient and which is operative to stimulate an auditory component of the patient in accordance with an output signal generated by the microphone. A subcutaneously routed signal wire may extend between the implanted microphone and the auditory stimulation device.

The invention discloses a virtual upper limb control system based on myoelectricity and motion capture and a method of the system. The system comprises a myoelectric device, a motion capture device, avirtual game development environment and a virtual / augmented reality device, wherein the virtual game development environment comprises a virtual upper limb model and a virtual game scene; the myoelectric device is used for detecting myoelectric signals and gesture information of different gestures and sending the myoelectric signals and the gesture information to the virtual upper limb model; the motion capture device is used for acquiring joint coordinates and spatial posture information of upper limbs and sending the joint coordinates and the spatial posture information to the virtual upper limb model. The virtual game scene receives data sent by the virtual upper limb model and sends the data to the virtual / augmented reality device, the virtual / augmented reality device feeds back visual auditory stimulation to the user, and virtual objects are placed in a corresponding real environment for operation. The system has the advantages of being low in cost, high in precision, comfort degree, timeliness and interactivity and diversified in scene, has an upper limb integrated game pattern and can increase the game enthusiasm of users.

The invention discloses an intelligent blind assisting system based on auditory and tactile guidance. The device comprises a sound acquisition module, a camera shooting module, an information processing module, an auditory stimulation module and a tactile stimulation module; the sound acquisition module acquires an external sound signal and outputs the external sound signal to the information processing module; the camera shooting module acquires external scene image information and outputs the external scene image information to the information processing module; the information processing module analyzes and processes the external sound signal and the scene image information and outputs a processing result to the auditory stimulation module and the tactile stimulation module through an auditory and tactile information distribution algorithm, the auditory stimulation module outputs a voice prompt according to the processing result, and the tactile stimulation module implements tactilestimulation according to the processing result. According to the method, the auditory stimulation module and the tactile stimulation module are combined for guidance; prompt voice which has a virtualthree-dimensional sound effect and contains position and space estimation distance information of a target object relative to the camera shooting module is transmitted to a user, and prompt information of the direction and distance of the target object relative to an object taking hand is given to the user through the tactile stimulation module so as to efficiently complete daily complex activities.

A waterproof audio device and system that transmits sound via transcutaneous bone conduction provides therapeutic auditory stimulation music to a dog. The device is integrated into an adjustable dog collar component and a removable adjustable muzzle component. Both the dog collar and the muzzle components will be adjustable or available in various sizes to fit any sized dog. The present invention uses commercially available transducers to produce sounds in the low, mid and high frequency ranges. A commercially available sound source for the therapeutic auditory stimulation music signal can also be provided as part of the waterproof audio device. Commercially available fasteners enable the dog's owner to position the device on the neck and head of the dog for providing acceptable sound conduction and individualized fit for the dog.

An implantable hearing unit is provided that includes an implantable microphone, a rechargeable power storage device and a speech signal processor. The hearing unit further includes a signal coupling device that is adapted for electrical interconnection to an implantable auditory stimulation device, which is operative to stimulate an auditory component of a patient. Such a stimulation device may include cochlear implants, brain stem stimulation systems, auditory nerve stimulation systems, and middle or inner ear transducer systems. The signal coupling device is operative to provide processed drive signals from the signal processor to the stimulation device as well provide power from the power storage device to operate the stimulation device. In one arrangement, the signal coupling device is a wireless coupling between first and second coils. In such an arrangement, the hearing unit may be utilized with an existing implanted stimulation device to make that device a fully implanted hearing system.

A system for electrically stimulating a first cochlear implant includes (a) an electrode contact simultaneously transmitting a first electrical stimulus from stimulation hardware to a first ear fitted with the first cochlear implant and a second stimulus from the stimulation hardware to a second ear, the second stimulus being one of electrical and acoustical; (b) a component establishing a plurality of frequency-to-electrode maps used to determine the first electrical stimulus; (c) a user-interface component permitting a user to adjust the frequency-to-electrode maps and receive the corresponding auditory stimulation in the first cochlear implant; (d) a component storing the frequency-to-electrode maps; and (e) a display component displaying a visual representation of multiple frequency-to-electrode maps to facilitate a comparison between the frequency-to-electrode maps in making a determination by a user of a most desired frequency-to-electrode map.

The invention provides a brain control wheelchair system based on touch and auditory evoked potential. The brain control wheelchair system comprises a signal acquisition module, an initialization module, a parameter offline training module, a signal processing module, a touch and auditory stimulation module and a control module. The signal acquisition module collects and preprocesses electroencephalogram signals of a user. The initialization module conducts detection on resistance value of electrodes and sets parameters of electrode positions, the optimal Round number and a P300 classifier. The parameter offline training module obtains the optical electrode passageway and the optical Round number, and trains the P300 classifier. The signal processing module is used for extracting and recognizing P300 characteristics. The touch and auditory stimulation module exerts touch and auditory bimodal random stimulation on the user so that the P300 characteristic potential in electroencephalogram signals can be induced. The control module is used for generating a corresponding control instruction according to the P300 characteristic potential, converting the control instruction into a voltage signal and controlling a wheelchair to execute corresponding operation according to the voltage signal. The brain control wheelchair system is simple in principle, easy and convenient to obtain and high in control accuracy, and the operation efficiency of the system can be improved.

The invention discloses a name calling consciousness promoting system for consciousness disturbance patients. The system comprises a name calling stimulation module, an electroencephalogram collectingmodule and a data processing module; the name calling stimulation module randomly plays a self-name of a subject and other names to the subject in certain proportion; the electroencephalogram collecting module records electroencephalogram signals of the subject in real time; the data processing module can output the on-line accuracy in real time and analyze prognosis conditions of the subject offline. According to the name calling consciousness promoting system, a brain-computer interface with a name calling oddball normal form is adopted to carry out the consciousness promoting treatment onthe consciousness disturbance patients, and EEG data of the patients is analyzed after the self-name and other name calling simulation. The on-line analysis accuracy is fed back to a tester and the subject in real time, and the offline analysis allows the electroencephalogram response changes of the consciousness disturbance patients to be contrasted during the rehabilitation process and accurateprognosis to be made on the rehabilitation. The system promotes the consciousness awakening of the consciousness disturbance patients through constant auditory stimulation of name calling, and the patient consciousness and behavior reactions of the patients are improved, thereby achieving the treatment purpose of awakening consciousness.

The invention relates to an anesthesia detector, which comprises a signal generator, a paster, and the receiving optical fiber and transmitting laser fiber on the paster, analyzing circuit, data collecting circuit, and data analyzing system. The invention uses sound induction NIRS method to test the oxygen density of brain to test the brain metabolism, with the advantages of sound induction potential method and near-infrared laser oxygen testing method. The invention has high response as 0.1s, low cost and simple structure. And improve can improve the anesthesia quality, to judge the anesthesia depth.

An improved implantable auditory stimulation system includes two or more implanted microphones for transcutaneous detection of acoustic signals. Each of the implanted microphones provides an output signal. The microphone output signals may be combinatively utilized by an implanted processor to generate a signal for driving an implanted auditory stimulation device. The implanted microphones may be located at offset subcutaneous locations and / or may be provided with different design sensitivities, wherein combinative processing of the microphone output signals may yield an improved drive signal. In one embodiment, the microphone signal may be processed for beamforming and / or directionality purposes.

In an exemplary assessment system of speech sound listening, an output section presents a speech sound to a user as an auditory stimulation; a positive component determination section determines whether a positive component appears in an event-related potential of an electroencephalogram signal of the user in a range from 600-900 ms from a starting point, the starting point being a point in time at which the speech sound is presented, and outputs an assessment result as to whether the user is listening to the speech sound with strife or not; and a negative component determination section determines whether a negative component appears in the event-related potential in a range from 100-300 ms from a starting point, the starting point being the point in time at which the speech sound is presented, and outputs an assessment result as to whether the user is annoyed by the speech sound or not.

A method of evaluating hearing in a subject is described. The method includes delivering a pre-pulse auditory stimulus to the subject, allowing a stimulus gap from 10 to 200 milliseconds to pass, delivering an auditory startle stimulus to the subject, measuring the startle response of the subject, and determining if the startle response of the subject to the auditory startle stimulus has decreased compared with a control value for the startle response, repeating these steps until the pre-pulse auditory stimulus administered has a value sufficient to cause a decrease in the startle response of the subject, and determining that the subject has hearing loss if the pre-pulse auditory stimulus required to decrease the startle response is higher than a pre-pulse auditory stimulus threshold value for the subject. The method can be used to evaluate the effect of drugs on hearing, both in terms of hearing loss and improved hearing.