Method and apparatus for treatment of mono-frequency tinnitus

Abstract

Reciprocal noise cancellation of a patient's (11) mono-frequency tinnitus tone is achieved utilizing an externally generated tone which is subjectively defined by a mono-frequency tinnitus patient (11) to match his/her tinnitus tone in frequency and amplitude. An externally generated sound wave, selectively designated by subjective observations of a patient to match the patient's tinnitus tone is first applied to the tinnitus patient via earphones (12) or a speaker system and then the same externally generated sound wave is sequentially phase shifted through a plurality of angularly shifted sequence steps (1-3) to shift or slide the external sound wave through at least a 180 degree phase shift of the generated signal as it is applied to the patient (11) to achieve a series of reductions of the patient's tinnitus tone and in one of such shifted steps a reciprocal, canceling relationship with the patient's tinnitus tone. The tinnitus treatment sequence of an externally generated sound wave and then the phase shifted externally generated tone achieve cancellation of the tinnitus tone of the patient as the sequential steps of the generated tone in effect slide across the tinnitus sound wave resulting in cancellation of the tinnitus tone. By replaying the sequential phase shifted segments of the patient treatment process a patient may utilize the previously recorded sequences in a patient self-treatment process.