Wearable Physiological Sound Masking for Tinnitus Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for effective treatments to mask tinnitus, an auditory perception of sound without an external source, affecting millions of people, and existing solutions are limited.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using wearable devices with sensors to capture physiological sounds, such as blood flow, heartbeat, and respiration, and output these sounds at supraphysiological levels to mask tinnitus, utilizing a processing device to process and mix these sounds for playback through headphones or cochlear implants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physiological sounds are amplified to supraphysiological levels to mask tinnitus, then the masking effectiveness is improved, but the risk of auditory damage or discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the amplification level of physiological sounds in real-time based on feedback from the user's auditory response and tinnitus severity, allowing the masking effect to be optimized while preventing excessive amplification that could cause auditory damage
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the output sound level is monitored and adjusted based on user response, ensuring that the supraphysiological amplification provides effective masking without exceeding safe auditory thresholds
2Reliability
If multiple physiological sounds are captured and processed to enhance masking效果, then the masking quality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple physiological sound sources (heartbeats, blood flow, respiration) into a unified masking output, leveraging the complementary characteristics of different body sounds to create a more effective and natural-sounding masking effect while sharing processing resources
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device is designed with multi-functional sensors that can detect various physiological sounds using the same hardware platform, allowing a single device to provide diverse masking options without proportionally increasing complexity
3Reliability
If physiological sounds are continuously monitored and played back, then the masking effectiveness is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring and playback, the system uses periodic sampling of physiological sounds and间歇性 playback, maintaining effective masking coverage while allowing energy-saving intervals that significantly reduce overall power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous masking effectiveness through efficient signal processing and caching mechanisms, where physiological sounds are processed and buffered strategically to ensure uninterrupted masking coverage while minimizing the actual computational and energy-intensive operations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively masks tinnitus by amplifying physiological sounds, allowing individuals to focus on their body's natural sounds, providing relief from the perceived ringing or other auditory disturbances.
Implementation Method 1
The wearable device may have an ultrasound sensor using Doppler effect to measure the blood flow and transmit a sound waveform from the blood flow measurements
Data Source
AI summary
A system for masking a perceived sound includes a wearable device disposed on a person, the wearable device including in a plurality of sensors, each of which is configured to output a sound waveform in response to sounds generated by physiological activity of the person. The system also includes a processing device coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to process the sound waveforms. The system further includes a sound output device coupled to the processing device, the sound output device is configured to output the sound waveforms to mask a perceived sound.