Patent ID: 6196977
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for gathering and analyzing ABR signal data generated in response to auditory stimuli to determine hearing capacity of an individual based on a ratio of the variance of average ABR data at specific time points specified by a target waveform to the variance of data at fixed points in time from single sweeps that will form the average, comprising the steps of:(a) generating a plurality of auditory stimuli;(b) presenting said auditory stimuli to a test subject's ear;(c) collecting electrophysiologic signal data from the test subject within a sweep following each of a specified number of said auditory stimuli;(d) computing a cumulative variance of data at predetermined points in time across individual sweeps;(e) computing a cumulative test subject average waveform from said collected electrophysiologic signal data;(f) computing a variance of selected points on said cumulative test subject average waveform;(g) computing a variance ratio with the variance computed in (f) as numerator and variance computed in (d) as denominator;(h) computing a probability value associated with said ratio;(i) continuing steps (a) through (h) adding to the cumulative test subject average waveform and single sweep data if said computed probability value exceeds a predetermined threshold and declaring that the test subject responded to the auditory stimulus if the computed probability value is below said predetermined threshold; and(j) terminating steps (a) through (h) and declaring that no response is present if a predetermined number of stimuli have been presented without the computed probability value falling below the predetermined threshold.