Hearing testing probe with integrated temperature and humidity sensors and active temperature control

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide a hearing testing system. The hearing testing system includes a transducer and an environmental sensor coupled with an acoustic channel. The environmental sensor is configured to measure environmental conditions of the acoustic channel. The hearing testing system includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive the environmental conditions from the environmental sensor. The processor is configured to apply, based on the measure environmental conditions, correction data to a transducer response to generate a corrected transducer response. In certain embodiments, the processor is configured to control a heating element based on a measured temperature to maintain a pre-defined temperature, or range of temperatures, at a testing probe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hearing testing system comprising:
 at least one transducer coupled with at least one acoustic channel;   at least one environmental sensor coupled to the at least one acoustic channel, the at least one environmental sensor configured to measure a temperature of the at least one acoustic channel;   at least one heating element disposed in a testing probe and operable to heat the testing probe; and   at least one processor coupled to the at least one environmental sensor and the at least one heating element, the at least one processor configured to:
 receive the measured temperature from the at least one environmental sensor, and 
 actively control, based on the measured temperature, the at least one heating element. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the testing probe comprises at least one indicator configured to provide an indication when the measured temperature is at least one of:
 substantially matched with a pre-defined temperature, and   within a pre-defined temperature range.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor actively controls the at least one heating element to substantially maintain at least one of a pre-defined temperature of the testing probe and a pre-defined temperature range of the testing probe in response to the measured temperature received from the at least one environmental sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to activate the at least one heating element and control a temperature of the testing probe at least one of:
 during a hearing test procedure, and   after the testing probe is coupled to an ear canal.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect that the testing probe is coupled to the ear canal based on a determined difference between the measured temperature and an ambient temperature. 
     
     
         6 . A method for actively controlling a temperature of a testing probe comprising at least one transducer coupled with at least one acoustic channel, the method comprising:
 measuring, by at least one environmental sensor coupled to the at least one acoustic channel, a temperature of the at least one acoustic channel;   receiving, by at least one processor coupled to the at least one environmental sensor, the measured temperature from the at least one environmental sensor; and   actively controlling, by the at least one processor and based on the measured temperature, at least one heating element of the testing probe.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the actively controlling the at least one heating element substantially maintains at least one of a pre-defined temperature of the testing probe and a pre-defined temperature range of the testing probe in response to measured temperature. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one of a pre-defined temperature of the testing probe and a pre-defined temperature range of the testing probe is at least one of:
 pre-defined in firmware of the at least one processor, and   selected using a user interface coupled to the at least one processor.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising activating, by the at least one processor, the at least one heating element, the activating occurring at least one of:
 during a hearing test procedure, and   after the testing probe is coupled to an ear canal.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising detecting, by the at least one processor, that the testing probe is coupled to the ear canal based on a determined difference between the measured temperature and an ambient temperature. 
     
     
         11 . A method for indicating an elevated barometric pressure in an ear canal, the method comprising:
 measuring an ambient barometric pressure; and   measuring, by at least one environmental sensor coupled to at least one acoustic channel of a testing probe, a barometric pressure of the at least one acoustic channel;   comparing, by at least one processor, the measured ambient barometric pressure to the measured barometric pressure of the at least one acoustic channel to detect a change in barometric pressure; and   providing an indicator if a change in barometric pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected.