Separation of Power-line Noise from Tinnitus Sound, to aid medical diagnoses

Publication date: Available online 6 February 2016 Source:Perspectives in Science Author(s): J. Dhoulath Beegum, D. Chithraprasad, Alan Jacob, D.S. Ananthakrishnan, Gayatri Nair, Namitha S. Nair, Irene Miriam Isaac Tinnitus, is one of the leading symptom in neurological disorders, particularly relating with diseases of the middle ear, blood vessels or the aftereffect as a result of exposure to certain medications. The preliminary diagnosis of tinnitus is established by subjecting the patient to common tinnitus simulated sounds. This helps to assess the patient's perception of tinnitus on a score that helps in planning further treatments involved with medications or advanced interventions. The major drawback within this widely accepted preliminary diagnosis technique is that of the subjugation of noise interference. Power line noise interferes with the simulated sounds, affecting what the patient perceives during the test. The values obtained can be less accurate, challenging precise diagnosis and other medications/interventions. Hence to overcome this error, noise interference has to be cut off by making use of the original simulated sound. The present paper deals with instrumental noise and its separation by utilising Dhoulath's method. By incorporating this technique, the regular error prone test can be made precise and perfect in the diagnosis of tinnitus, that makes a real difference at the applied level.

Source: Perspectives in Science - February 7, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: research