Remote Hearing Aid Adjustment via Cloud Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current hearing aid technologies require patients to travel to a professional's office for adjustments, limiting convenience, increasing costs and time, and are ineffective in real-life environments due to the absence of background noise, which can lead to suboptimal fitting and potential cognitive issues.

Innovation Solution

A method for real-time remote access and adjustment of hearing aids using a cloud-based system that allows hearing professionals to adjust settings while the patient is in their normal environment, eliminating the need for specialized software or hardware and enabling immediate feedback and iterative adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If patients travel to a professional's office for hearing aid adjustments, then the hearing professional can access and adjust the hearing aid settings, but this increases time consumption, travel costs, and inconvenience for the patient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing aid setting accuracyVSAvoidtime for office visits

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a remote communication system as an intermediary between the hearing professional and the patient. This intermediary enables the hearing professional to access and adjust hearing aid settings remotely through a communication device, eliminating the need for physical office visits while maintaining the ability to perform precise adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical travel and in-person appointments with an electronic communication system. The hearing professional uses a communication device to remotely connect to the patient's hearing aid, substituting the mechanical act of traveling to the office with an electronic data transmission process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If hearing aid adjustments are made in a quiet office environment, then the hearing professional can control the testing conditions, but the adjustments may not be optimal for real-life environments with background noise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing aid fitting precisionVSAvoidhearing aid performance in real-life environments

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables dynamic adjustment of hearing aid settings in the patient's actual listening environment. Instead of static adjustments in a controlled office setting, the hearing professional can observe and adjust settings while the patient is exposed to real-life background noises, making the fitting process adaptive to actual usage conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent allows the hearing professional to make preliminary adjustments based on office testing, then perform follow-up adjustments remotely when the patient provides feedback about real-life performance. This preliminary action followed by iterative refinement ensures both controlled testing and real-world adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple follow-up appointments are scheduled for hearing aid adjustments, then the hearing aid can be optimized for the patient's needs, but this increases travel burden and potential cognitive stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing aid optimizationVSAvoidpatient convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous optimization of hearing aid settings through remote communication. Instead of discrete in-person appointments, the hearing professional can perform multiple adjustment sessions remotely, allowing continuous refinement of settings without requiring the patient to repeatedly travel to the office.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent empowers the patient to participate actively in the adjustment process by providing real-time feedback about their listening experiences. The patient essentially performs part of the optimization process by reporting on performance in different environments, reducing the need for repeated professional interventions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11375061B2System for real time, remote access to and adjustment of patient hearing aid with patient in normal life environment

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 COCHLEAR LIMITED

AI summary

Real time, remote access to and adjustment of the hearing aid of a patient while the patient is located in a normal life environment that is remote from a hearing professional. A session request initiates a programming session. Adjustable settings from the patient's hearing aid are wirelessly streamed to the patient's mobile device and from the mobile device to a streaming cloud server. The settings are stored on the cloud, streamed from the cloud to a hearing professional's computer or mobile device and displayed. The hearing professional then changes at least one of the adjustable hearing aid settings and the changed settings are streamed to the cloud, stored on the cloud, streamed from the cloud to the patient's mobile device, wirelessly transmitted to the hearing aid and stored there. A telephonic voice connection between the hearing professional and the patient's mobile device is used to transmit the patient's evaluation of changed settings to the hearing professional.