Adaptive stimulation tone adjustment for treating tinnitus in acoustic coordinated reset meuromodulation systems, devices, components and methods

1. A method of providing stimulation signals for acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation therapy to be delivered to a patient, the method comprising:

providing an audio-detection threshold calibration, which defines a frequency dependent hearing level of the patient;

providing a frequency-discrimination threshold calibration, which defines an intensity dependent bandwidth of frequencies not discriminable by the patient;

evaluating a tinnitus frequency for tinnitus experienced by a patient;

determining a tinnitus bandwidth as the width of a tinnitus frequency band centered at the tinnitus frequency; and

generating at least one primary stimulation signal with a primary stimulation frequency and a primary stimulation intensity such that

the primary stimulation intensity exceeds a hearing level of the patient, as defined by the audio-detection threshold calibration at the primary stimulation frequency, by a predetermined quantity; and

the primary stimulation frequency is offset from the tinnitus frequency such that a primary stimulation frequency band and the tinnitus frequency band overlap by a predetermined amount, wherein the primary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band centered at the primary stimulation frequency and having a primary stimulation bandwidth according to a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the primary stimulation intensity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the at least one primary stimulation signal comprises:

determining at least one initial primary stimulation frequency offset from the tinnitus frequency;

determining the primary stimulation intensity based on the at least one initial primary stimulation frequency according to the audio-detection threshold calibration;

determining the primary stimulation bandwidth as a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the primary stimulation intensity;

modifying the at least one primary stimulation frequency so that the tinnitus frequency band and a modified primary stimulation frequency band overlap by the predetermined amount, wherein the modified primary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band with the determined primary stimulation bandwidth centered at the modified primary stimulation frequency; and

generating the at least one primary stimulation signal based on the modified primary stimulation frequency and the primary stimulation intensity.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

modifying the at least one primary stimulation intensity based on the modified at least one primary stimulation frequency such that the modified primary stimulation intensity exceeds a hearing level of the patient, as defined by the audio-detection threshold calibration at the modified primary stimulation frequency, by a predetermined quantity;

modifying the at least one primary stimulation bandwidth on the basis modified at least one primary stimulation intensity; and

adjusting the at least one primary stimulation frequency so that the tinnitus frequency band and an adjusted primary stimulation frequency band overlap by the predetermined amount, wherein the adjusted primary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band with the modified primary stimulation bandwidth centered at the adjusted primary stimulation frequency.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one primary stimulation frequency comprises a first primary stimulation frequency and a second primary stimulation frequency, the first primary stimulation frequency having a positive offset from the tinnitus frequency and the second primary stimulation frequency having a negative offset from the tinnitus frequency.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the tinnitus bandwidth comprises:

calculating the tinnitus bandwidth as the tinnitus frequency multiplied by a predetermined factor.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the tinnitus bandwidth comprises:

determining a tinnitus intensity as an intensity of the tinnitus perceived by the patient; and

determining the tinnitus bandwidth according to a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the determined tinnitus intensity.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising testing the hearing level of the patient for a plurality of frequencies including the tinnitus frequency and the stimulation frequencies to obtain the audio-detection threshold calibration.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

estimating an ambient noise level parameter;

modifying the at least one primary stimulation intensity based on the ambient noise level parameter.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

generating at least one secondary stimulation signal with a secondary stimulation frequency and a secondary stimulation intensity such that

the secondary stimulation intensity exceeds a hearing level of the patient, as defined by the audio-detection threshold calibration at the secondary stimulation frequency, by a predetermined quantity; and

the secondary stimulation frequency is offset from the tinnitus frequency by an amount greater than the offset of the primary stimulation frequency such that a secondary stimulation frequency band and the tinnitus frequency band overlap by a predetermined amount, wherein the secondary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band centered at the secondary stimulation frequency and having a secondary stimulation bandwidth according to a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the secondary stimulation intensity.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein generating the at least one secondary stimulation signal comprises:

determining at least one initial secondary stimulation frequency offset from the tinnitus frequency, wherein the offset of the at least one initial secondary stimulation frequency is greater than the offset of the at least one primary stimulation frequency;

determining the secondary stimulation intensity based on the at least one initial secondary stimulation frequency according to the audio-detection threshold calibration;

determining the secondary stimulation bandwidth as a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the secondary stimulation intensity;

modifying the at least one secondary stimulation frequency so that the primary stimulation frequency band and a modified secondary stimulation frequency band overlap by the predetermined amount, wherein the modified secondary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band with the determined secondary stimulation bandwidth centered at the modified secondary stimulation frequency; and

generating the at least one secondary stimulation signal based on the modified secondary stimulation frequency and the secondary stimulation intensity.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one secondary stimulation frequency comprises a first secondary stimulation frequency and a second secondary stimulation frequency, the first secondary stimulation frequency having a positive offset from the tinnitus frequency and the second secondary stimulation frequency having a negative offset from the tinnitus frequency.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount is in the range of about 2% to about 40% of the tinnitus frequency band, preferably in the range of about 5% to about 35% of the tinnitus frequency band, more preferably in a range of not more than about 30% of the tinnitus frequency band, most preferably in a range of not more than about 25% of the tinnitus frequency band.

13. A system or device configured to provide stimulation signals for acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation therapy, the system comprising:

means for providing an audio-detection threshold calibration, which defines a frequency dependent hearing level of the patient;

means for providing a frequency-discrimination threshold calibration, which defines an intensity dependent bandwidth of frequencies not discriminable by the patient;

means for evaluating a tinnitus frequency for tinnitus experienced by a patient;

means for determining a tinnitus bandwidth as the width of a tinnitus frequency band centered at the tinnitus frequency; and

means for generating at least one primary stimulation signal with a primary stimulation frequency and a primary stimulation intensity such that

the primary stimulation intensity exceeds a hearing level of the patient, as defined by the audio-detection threshold calibration at the primary stimulation frequency, by a predetermined quantity; and

the primary stimulation frequency is offset from the tinnitus frequency such that a primary stimulation frequency band and the tinnitus frequency band overlap by a predetermined amount, wherein the primary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band centered at the primary stimulation frequency and having a primary stimulation bandwidth according to a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the primary stimulation intensity.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable code, which when loaded and executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to:

provide an audio-detection threshold calibration, which defines a frequency dependent hearing level of the patient;

provide a frequency-discrimination threshold calibration, which defines an intensity dependent bandwidth of frequencies not discriminable by the patient;

evaluate a tinnitus frequency for tinnitus experienced by a patient;

determine a tinnitus bandwidth as the width of a tinnitus frequency band centered at the tinnitus frequency; and

generate at least one primary stimulation signal with a primary stimulation frequency and a primary stimulation intensity such that

the primary stimulation intensity exceeds a hearing level of the patient, as defined by the audio-detection threshold calibration at the primary stimulation frequency, by a predetermined quantity; and

the primary stimulation frequency is offset from the tinnitus frequency such that a primary stimulation frequency band and the tinnitus frequency band overlap by a predetermined amount, wherein the primary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band centered at the primary stimulation frequency and having a primary stimulation bandwidth according to a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the primary stimulation intensity.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein executing the code to cause the computer system to generate the at least one primary stimulation signal comprises:

determining at least one initial primary stimulation frequency offset from the tinnitus frequency;

determining the primary stimulation intensity based on the at least one initial primary stimulation frequency according to the audio-detection threshold calibration;

determining the primary stimulation bandwidth as a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the primary stimulation intensity;

modifying the at least one primary stimulation frequency so that the tinnitus frequency band and a modified primary stimulation frequency band overlap by the predetermined amount, wherein the modified primary stimulation frequency band represents a frequency band with the determined primary stimulation bandwidth centered at the modified primary stimulation frequency; and

generating the at least one primary stimulation signal based on the modified primary stimulation frequency and the primary stimulation intensity.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one primary stimulation frequency comprises a first primary stimulation frequency and a second primary stimulation frequency, the first primary stimulation frequency having a positive offset from the tinnitus frequency and the second primary stimulation frequency having a negative offset from the tinnitus frequency.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the code that causes the computer system to determine the tinnitus bandwidth comprises code, which when loaded and executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to:

calculate the tinnitus bandwidth as the tinnitus frequency multiplied by a predetermined factor.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the code that causes the computer system to determine the tinnitus bandwidth comprises code, which when loaded and executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to:

determine a tinnitus intensity as an intensity of the tinnitus perceived by the patient; and

determine the tinnitus bandwidth according to a bandwidth defined by the frequency-discrimination threshold calibration at the determined tinnitus intensity.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , further comprising code, which when loaded and executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to test the hearing level of the patient for a plurality of frequencies including the tinnitus frequency and the stimulation frequencies to obtain the audio-detection threshold calibration.