Automated Audible Contrast Threshold Estimation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT) test requires an audiologist's manual operation, limiting their focus on the test subject and necessitating optimization to reduce the need for human intervention, allowing more time to serve the subject.
Innovation Solution
A user-operated ACT (UACT) system that includes a transducer for stimulus delivery, a test subject interface for response detection, a stimulus generator for adaptive trial protocols, and an analysis unit to adjust the test protocol based on subject input, minimizing the need for human conduct and ensuring reliable threshold estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an audiologist manually conducts the ACT test, then the test can be performed with proper clinical supervision, but the audiologist's attention is divided between the equipment and the test subject, reducing the quality of patient care
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated adaptive threshold tracking that operates without continuous audiologist intervention. The stimulus generator automatically adjusts contrast levels based on subject responses, and the analysis unit autonomously determines threshold values, allowing the audiologist to focus entirely on the subject while the system serves itself
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback loops where subject responses are immediately analyzed and used to adjust subsequent stimulus parameters. The analysis unit continuously monitors subject input and automatically modifies the test protocol to maintain optimal testing conditions, ensuring reliable results without manual intervention
2Productivity
If the ACT test is automated to reduce audiologist intervention, then more time can be spent serving the test subject, but the test protocol must be sufficiently complex to ensure accurate threshold estimation
Solution Approach 1:
The test protocol dynamically adapts to each subject's responses in real-time. The stimulus generator continuously adjusts contrast levels, modulation frequencies, and stimulus durations based on the analysis unit's interpretation of subject input, creating an optimized testing pathway for each individual while maintaining automated operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically modifies multiple stimulus parameters including contrast level, modulation depth, frequency, and duration based on subject performance. These parameter changes are systematically controlled to converge on the threshold value while maintaining test automation and efficiency
3Loss of time
If the number of trials is reduced to save time, then productivity increases, but the precision of threshold estimation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs adaptive threshold tracking that concentrates testing efforts at the threshold region rather than uniformly sampling all contrast levels. This partial action approach focuses resources on the critical measurement zone, achieving high precision with fewer total trials compared to exhaustive methods
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements preliminary threshold estimation using adaptive algorithms that quickly converge on the threshold region before detailed measurement. This preliminary action narrows the search space, allowing subsequent trials to focus precisely on threshold determination with minimal trial count
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and methods for estimating a hearing ability of a test subject. The system can include a stimulus generator configured to provide a plurality of consecutive trials according to a test protocol, where the test protocol is created to estimate a hearing ability of test subject, and where each trial comprises two reference stimuli and one test stimulus. The test subject input can include two alternative options, one corresponding to the target stimulus and the other to the reference stimulus, and the stimulus generator is configured to provide a trial in response to a detected test subject input.