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KR-20260067020-A - Method and System for Audiometry Using Pupil Dilation Response

KR20260067020AKR 20260067020 AKR20260067020 AKR 20260067020AKR-20260067020-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a technology for performing a hearing test, and provides a system and method that can perform a hearing test even if the subject is young or unable to respond to a conventional hearing test by performing the hearing test based on the pupil dilation response that occurs when hearing a sound, and can ensure objectivity and perform a highly reliable hearing test by excluding subjective responses and evaluating hearing using physiological responses.

Inventors

  • 김창성
  • 임종민
  • 김성진

Assignees

  • 주식회사 제이엘파트너

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241105

Claims (20)

  1. In a hearing evaluation system utilizing pupil dilation response, Power supply unit that provides power; A control unit that controls the operation of the system; A sound signal providing unit that provides a sound signal to the subject; A pupil imaging unit that photographs the subject's pupil; An input/output unit that receives input from an examiner, performs basic settings for a hearing test, and outputs test results after the test; A hearing evaluation system using a pupil dilation response characterized by being composed of:
  2. In paragraph 1, A hearing evaluation system utilizing pupil dilation response, characterized by further including a server that receives and analyzes hearing evaluation results via wired or wireless means.
  3. In paragraph 1 or 2, A pupil imaging unit is a visible light LED unit that uses at least one of R/G/B to generate visible light, induce a response in the pupil, and evaluate the minimum, maximum, and average values of the pupil diameter; A hearing evaluation system utilizing pupil dilation response, characterized by including at least one IR LED unit that generates infrared rays to capture changes in pupil diameter without stimulating the pupil.
  4. In paragraph 1 or 2, A hearing evaluation system utilizing a pupil dilation response, characterized in that the sound signal providing unit generates a sound signal by combining frequency (Hz) and sound intensity (dB).
  5. In paragraph 4, A hearing evaluation system utilizing a pupil dilation response, characterized in that frequency and sound intensity are selected from each set having a constant interval or a predetermined interval and combined sequentially or randomly to generate a sound signal.
  6. In paragraph 5, The frequency set is selected in the range of 125 to 12,000 Hz, and A hearing evaluation system using a pupil dilation response characterized by a sound intensity set selected in the range of 0 to 120 dB.
  7. In paragraph 6, A hearing evaluation system using a pupil dilation response characterized by setting the initial sound intensity to 30 dB or 40 dB.
  8. In paragraph 1 or 2, A hearing evaluation system using pupil dilation response, characterized in that the input/output unit includes at least one of a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen LCD, and a physical button for measurement.
  9. In paragraph 8, The touch screen LCD receives input from the inspector and transmits it to the control unit, and A hearing evaluation system utilizing pupil dilation response characterized by providing test results to the user in the form of tables, diagrams, and graphs.
  10. In paragraph 1 or 2, A hearing evaluation system utilizing pupil dilation response, characterized in that the power supply is a disposable or rechargeable battery.
  11. In a hearing evaluation method using pupil dilation response, Step of providing power from the power supply unit; A step of controlling the overall operation of the system in the control unit; A step of providing a sound signal to a subject from a sound signal providing unit; Step of photographing the subject's pupil in the pupil imaging unit; A step of receiving input from the examiner at the input/output unit, performing basic settings for a hearing test, and outputting test results after the test; A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response characterized by being composed of:
  12. In Paragraph 11, A hearing evaluation method using pupil dilation response, characterized by further including a step of transmitting the hearing evaluation results to a server via wired or wireless means from the control unit through the input/output unit for analysis.
  13. In Article 11 or Article 12, The pupil imaging unit is composed of a visible light LED unit and an infrared LED unit, and A step of generating visible light using at least one of R/G/B in a visible light LED unit to induce a response in the pupil and calculating the minimum, maximum, and average values of the pupil diameter; A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response, characterized in that the infrared LED unit includes at least one step of generating infrared rays to capture changes in pupil diameter without stimulating the pupil.
  14. In Article 11 or Article 12, A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response, characterized in that the step of providing a sound signal generates a sound signal by combining frequency (Hz) and sound intensity (dB).
  15. In Paragraph 14, A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response, characterized in that the step of providing a sound signal generates a sound signal by selecting frequencies and sound intensities from each set having a constant interval or a predetermined interval and combining them sequentially or randomly.
  16. In paragraph 15, The frequency set is selected in the range of 125 to 12,000 Hz, and A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response characterized by a sound intensity set selected from the range of 0 to 120 dB.
  17. In Paragraph 16, A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response characterized by setting the initial sound intensity to 30 dB or 40 dB.
  18. In Article 11 or Article 12, A hearing evaluation method using pupil dilation response, characterized in that the input/output unit includes at least one of a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen LCD, and a physical button for measurement.
  19. In Paragraph 18, The touch screen LCD receives input from the inspector and transmits it to the control unit, and A hearing evaluation method using pupil dilation response, characterized by including a step of providing test results to the user in the form of a table, drawing, or graph.
  20. In Article 11 or Article 12, A hearing evaluation method using a pupil dilation response characterized by the power source being a disposable or rechargeable battery.

Description

Method and System for Audiometry Using Pupil Dilation Response The present invention relates to hearing evaluation, and more particularly to a method and system for evaluating hearing using the results of a pupil dilation response test. Auditory tests can be broadly divided into subjective audiometry, which evaluates hearing based on the subject's subjective response, and objective audiometry, which evaluates hearing by measuring neurophysiological responses. (1) Subjective hearing test Subjective audiometry is a test that relies on the subject's subjective perception and voluntary responses. Representative types of subjective audiometry include Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), Speech Audiometry (SA), Speech Discrimination Test, Speech Detection Threshold (SDT), Fatigue Audiometry, and Free-field Audiometry. Pure tone audiometry is the most basic testing method. It involves generating an electrical pure tone with a frequency ranging from 125 Hz to 12,000 Hz for a subject sitting in an examination room, adjusting the intensity of the sound according to each frequency, and conducting the test by having the subject press a pre-provided button or raise their hand to the examiner to indicate that they have heard the sound. The Hughson-Westlake procedure is a representative example of this method. The Hughson-Westlake audiometry test is performed through an initial sound setting stage, which sets the approximate sound intensity that the subject can hear (generally starting at about 30–40 dB); a stage where the sound intensity is repeatedly increased or decreased by 10 dB depending on whether the subject listens; a threshold verification stage, which increases or decreases the sound intensity by 5 dB at a specific frequency to identify the lowest intensity at which the subject can hear the sound at least twice; and a frequency change stage, which repeats the same procedure at different frequencies (e.g., 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, etc.) to measure the hearing threshold at each frequency. Speech audiometry is used to evaluate how a subject hears and understands everyday speech sounds. It measures the Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) and Speech Discrimination Score (SDS) by presenting words or sentences and having the subject repeat exactly what they heard. The hearing impairment discrimination test is a test that evaluates speech discrimination ability. It assesses the ability to understand speech sounds by having the subject listen to words or sentences in various noisy environments and repeat what they heard. The speech detection test measures the minimum intensity at which a subject can perceive speech sounds, and differs from the speech recognition threshold in that it evaluates whether the subject can hear sounds regardless of whether they understand the speech sounds. The auditory fatigue test measures changes in hearing by continuously playing sounds for a certain period of time. Free Response Audiometry is a method typically used for children or adults with specific conditions to evaluate hearing by observing free responses to sound stimuli. (2) Objective hearing test Unlike subjective audiometry, objective audiometry is a method of evaluation that obtains objective data using various sensors without relying on the subject's spontaneous response. Examples of objective audiometry include otoacoustic emission (OAE), auditory brainstem response (ABR), frequency-specific auditory brainstem response (F-ABR), auditory steady-state response (ASSR), immittance audiometry, acoustic reflex testing, and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP). Otoacoustic emission testing involves inserting a probe into the ear to measure and record minute sound waves generated by hair cells in the inner ear in response to sound. While primarily used for newborn hearing screening and hearing evaluation in infants and toddlers, it has disadvantages: it is difficult to obtain accurate results if the middle ear is in poor condition due to conditions such as otitis media or earwax; it is effective only in the high-frequency range, limiting its ability to evaluate low-frequency hearing loss; and the results may be inaccurate if the infant moves during the test. Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing involves wearing earphones and attaching electrodes to the scalp to record brainwave responses to sound. While it is used to evaluate the hearing of newborns, infants, or adults who are difficult to cooperate with, it has limitations. The relatively long test duration can lead to reduced accuracy of measurement results due to difficulties in maintaining continuous cooperation depending on the subject's condition. Furthermore, the test is relatively expensive because it requires specialized equipment for brainwave measurement and specialized knowledge for both execution and result interpretation. Auditory frequency sensing (ABR) measures auditory brainstem responses to specific frequencies; it is more complex than traditional ABR, requires more