John David Durrant

US Patent:

20100030101, Feb 4, 2010

Filed:

Jun 5, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/479476

Inventors:

John D. Durrant - Allison Park PA, US
Sheila Pratt - Pittsburgh PA, US

International Classification:

A61B 5/00

US Classification:

600559

Abstract:

The present invention relates to methods for acquiring hearing threshold values in a subject comprising providing a sound to the subject; providing a monitor for monitoring a movement response by the subject; monitoring the movement response by the subject to the sound; and progressively reducing the volume of the sound until no movement response by the subject to the sound occurs. The present invention further relates to methods and systems for acquiring loudness level information for a subject comprising providing a sound to a subject having a sensation level; providing a first sound to the subject having a sensational level; providing a monitor for monitoring a movement response by the subject; monitoring the movement response by the subject to the sound; and determining an elapsed reaction time between the sound and the movement response by the subject to the sound.

US Patent:

20120157877, Jun 21, 2012

Filed:

Nov 30, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/307212

Inventors:

John David Durrant - Allison Park PA, US
Abreena Iris Tlumak - North Versailles PA, US
Rafael E. Delgado - Coral Gables FL, US
John Robert Boston - Wexford PA, US

Assignee:

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

A61B 5/00

US Classification:

600559

Abstract:

The present invention relates to methods and systems for profiling evoked potentials in brain electrical activity which apply steady state response concepts to analysis of longer latency responses reflective of activity of brain regions beyond the brainstem, up to an including the cortex. The use of repeated stimuli within a single analysis window produces a quasi steady-state response and permits a high-resolution spectral analysis. Response amplitudes were measured at repetition rates from 80 to below 1 Hz, using trains of repeated tone-burst stimuli. An amplitude measure introduced and defined as the harmonic sum was incorporated into the spectral power of the response carried by both the fundamental frequency, and the harmonics thereof. Additionally, time ensemble averaging can be employed to improve signal to noise ratio.