System and method for aiding hearing
In one embodiment of the system, a programming interface is configured to communicate with a device. The system screens, via a speaker and a user interface associated with the device, a left ear—and separately, a right ear—of a patient. The system then determines a left ear hearing range and a right ear hearing range. The hearing ranges are modified with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient. The subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient may be a completed assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound.
1. A system for aiding hearing, the system comprising:
a programming interface configured to communicate with a device, the device including a housing securing a speaker, a user interface, a processor, non-transitory memory, and storage therein, the device including a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the speaker, the user interface, the processor, the memory, and the storage;
the non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, by the processor cause the system to:
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, a left ear of a patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 50 Hz to 5,000 Hz at a first increment at a decibel range of 10 db to 120 db, with detected frequencies being re-ranged tested at a second increment, the second increment being more discrete than the first increment;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the left ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz at a third increment at a decibel range of 10 dB to 120 dB, with detected frequencies to be re-range tested at a fourth increment, the fourth increment being more discrete than the third increment;
determine a left ear preferred hearing range, the left ear preferred hearing range being a range of sound corresponding to highest hearing capacity of the left ear of the patient between 50 Hz and 10,000 Hz;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, a right ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 50 Hz to 5,000 Hz at the first increment at a decibel range of 10 db to 120 db, with detected frequencies being re-ranged tested at the second increment;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the right ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz at the third increment at a decibel range of 10 dB to 120 dB, with detected frequencies to be re-range tested at the fourth increment;
determine a right ear preferred hearing range, the left ear preferred hearing range being a range of sound corresponding to highest hearing capacity of the left ear of the patient between 50 Hz and 10,000 Hz;
for the left ear preferred hearing range, complete an assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound through a test of different sounds;
modify the left ear preferred hearing range with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient;
for the right ear preferred hearing range, complete an assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound through a test of different sounds; and
modify the right ear preferred hearing range with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient.
2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the right ear is screened prior to the left ear.
3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the test of different sounds further comprises human voices.
4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the test of different sounds further comprises musical sounds.
5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the test of different sounds further comprises animal sounds.
6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the test of different sounds further comprises vehicular sounds.
7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a smart device.
8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the smart device further comprises a device selected from the group consisting of smart watches, smart phones, and tablet computers.
9. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a computer.
10. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a headset hearing tester.
11. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor executable instructions further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to utilize distributed processing between the device and a server to screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the left ear of the patient.
12. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor executable instructions further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to utilize distributed processing between the device and a server to screen, via the speaker and the user interface, each of the left ear of the patient and the right ear of the patient.
13. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor executable instructions further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to execute hearing aid programming for each of the left ear and the right ear.
14. A system for aiding hearing, the system comprising:
a programming interface configured to communicate with a smart device, the smart device including a housing securing a speaker, a user interface, a processor, non-transitory memory, and storage therein, the device including a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the speaker, the user interface, the processor, the memory, and the storage, the smart device being a device selected from the group of consisting of smart watches, smart phones, and tablet computers;
the non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, by the processor cause the system to:
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, a left ear of a patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 50 Hz to 5,000 Hz at 50 Hz increments at a decibel range of 10 db to 120 db, with detected frequencies being re-ranged tested at a 5 Hz to 20 Hz increment;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the left ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz in 200 Hz increments at a decibel range of 10 dB to 120 dB, with detected frequencies to be re-range tested at a 5 Hz to 20 Hz increment to better identify the frequencies and decibel levels heard;
determine a left ear preferred hearing range, the left ear preferred hearing range being a range of sound corresponding to highest hearing capacity of the left ear of the patient between 50 Hz and 10,000 Hz;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, a right ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 50 Hz to 5,000 Hz at 50 Hz increments at a decibel range of 10 db to 120 db, with detected frequencies being re-ranged tested at a 5 Hz to 20 Hz increment;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the right ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz in 200 Hz increments at a decibel range of 10 dB to 120 dB, with detected frequencies to be re-range tested at a 5 Hz to 20 Hz increment to better identify the frequencies and decibel levels heard;
determine a right ear preferred hearing range, the left ear preferred hearing range being a range of sound corresponding to highest hearing capacity of the left ear of the patient between 50 Hz and 10,000 Hz;
for the left ear preferred hearing range, complete an assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound through a test of different sounds;
modify the left ear preferred hearing range with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient;
for the right ear preferred hearing range, complete an assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound through a test of different sounds; and
modify the right ear preferred hearing range with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient.
15. The system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the processor executable instructions further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to utilize distributed processing between the device and a server to at least one of screen the left ear, screen the right ear, determine the left ear preferred hearing range, determine the right ear preferred hearing range, completion of the assessment of the left ear, completion of the assessment of the right ear, modification of the left ear preferred hearing range, and modification of the right ear preferred hearing range.
16. A system for aiding hearing, the system comprising:
a programming interface configured to communicate with a device, the device including a housing securing a speaker, a user interface, a processor, non-transitory memory, and storage therein, the device including a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the speaker, the user interface, the processor, the memory, and the storage;
the non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, by the processor cause the system to:
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, a left ear of a patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 50 Hz to 5,000 Hz, with detected frequencies being re-ranged tested to better identify the frequencies and decibel levels heard;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the left ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz, with detected frequencies to be re-range tested to better identify the frequencies and decibel levels heard;
determine a left ear preferred hearing range, the left ear preferred hearing range being a range of sound corresponding to highest hearing capacity of the left ear of the patient between 50 Hz and 10,000 Hz;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, a right ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 50 Hz to 5,000 Hz, with detected frequencies being re-ranged tested to better identify the frequencies and decibel levels heard;
screen, via the speaker and the user interface, the right ear of the patient at an incrementally selected frequency between a frequency range of 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz, with detected frequencies to be re-range tested to better identify the frequencies and decibel levels heard;
determine a right ear preferred hearing range, the left ear preferred hearing range being a range of sound corresponding to highest hearing capacity of the left ear of the patient between 50 Hz and 10,000 Hz; and
for the left ear preferred hearing range, complete an assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound through a test of different sounds;
modify the left ear preferred hearing range with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient;
for the right ear preferred hearing range, complete an assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound through a test of different sounds; and
modify the right ear preferred hearing range with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient.