DEVICES AND METHODS FOR SUPPRESSING TINNITUS

摘要

Methods and devices for treating tinnitus in a human subject wherein the subject is caused to perceive a tinnitus suppressing sound which fully or partially suppresses the subject's tinnitus. The tinnitus suppressing sound can be set to a pitch offset from a matched pitch for the human subject. The offset can be one or more half octaves or octaves lower or higher than the matched pitch. The offset can also be set as a function of the human subject's hearing loss and as a function of limitations in the sound producing device so that the optimal sound for the human subject when wearing the sound producing device is the sound that is used in that situation. The produced sounds may also be modulated with a sinusoid for improved suppression. Other methods and devices are also disclosed.

主权项

1. A method of generating sound for treating a tinnitus condition in a human subject, comprising the steps of:
adjusting a frequency of a presented sound as a function of feedback from the human subject to generate an adjusted sound, the presented sound before adjustment comprising at least a matched pitch corresponding to the tinnitus condition; and generating the adjusted sound at a preselected pitch offset from the matched pitch; wherein the generated sound is a tinnitus-suppressing sound for the human subject.