DEVICES AND METHODS FOR AUDITORY REHABILITATION FOR INTERAURAL ASYMMETRY
A device, system and related methods to provide assessment and treatment of amblyaudia through standardized methods that do not require advanced training or a booth with loudspeakers for the operator to administer. The ARIA stimuli protocols for both assessment and treatment, encoded in or to be used by a software program or application, are transferred to a stand-alone set of specialized noise-cancelling headphones attached or connected to, wired or wirelessly, a software platform on an electronic computing device. or integrated with the headphones. The program administers assessment tests to individuals through the noise-cancelling earphones. The device enables someone with minimal instructions to administer automatically or semi-automatically both assessment and treatment protocols, generate results, make interpretations, store data, and produce reports. The device or system may be loaded with standard protocols for English-speaking individuals, as well as dichotic speech material in any language.
1 . A system for assessing and treating amblyaudia, comprising:
a sound output device configured to be worn on the head of a user, wherein the sound output device covers or is inserted into both ears of the user;
a computing device comprising a microprocessor in electronic communication with a computer memory and a computer digital storage device;
a voice input device configured to receive oral input from the user; and
one or more computer program applications loaded in said computer memory and operable to process auditory rehabilitation for interaural asymmetry (ARIA) files, and electronically reproduce one of said ARIA files through said sound output device;
wherein the voice input device is configured to receive a vocal response from the user in response to electronic reproduction of at least a portion of the transmitted ARIA file, and to transmit said vocal response to the one or more computer program applications;
further wherein the one or more computer program applications are operable to modify a second of said ARIA files based at least in part on said transmitted vocal response.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sound output device is a pair of earphones, a pair of headphones, or a pair of earbuds.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sound output device is noise-cancelling.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the voice input device comprises a microphone.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the voice input device is integrated with the sound output device.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is integrated with the sound output device.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the voice input device and the computing device are integrated with the sound output device.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further wherein the second ARIA file is modified by changing the intensity level and/or timing delay in the signal to one ear of the user through the sound output device.
9 . The system of claim 1 , further wherein the second ARIA file is modified only after a plurality of vocal responses have been received from the user.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user has a dominant ear and a non-dominant ear, and the second ARIA file is modified by increasing the intensity level in the signal to the non-dominant ear of the user through sound output device.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ARIA files comprise dichotic speech material.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ARIA files are converted from free-field treatment sound files to modified head-related transfer function versions for use with the sound output device.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more ARIA files comprise speech material recorded onto binaural tracks.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ARIA files comprise amblyaudia diagnosis files, configured to determine whether the user has amblyaudia.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ARIA files comprise amblyaudia treatment files.