Development of a power-based (intensity-based) audiometer to improve hearing thre

描述（申请人提供）：临床纯音听力学是最基本的听力测试。然而，使用标准纯音听力计获得的测量结果并没有考虑到耳道体积的巨大个体差异以及伴随而来的耳声阻抗差异。因此，在标准耦合器中校准的听力计将为到达鼓膜的声信号提供不准确的值。这些耳道容积和鼓膜阻抗的个体变化会对耳道压力产生实质性的影响，这是由于耳道阻抗对换能器源阻抗的负荷。最著名的效应是驻波，这是一种主要由耳膜负载阻抗引起的反射引起的管道阻抗的频率依赖性变化。我们建议开发一种基于含羞草阻抗测量系统的仪器，以消除驻波影响的方式精确校准耳道中的换能器，并向耳蜗提供恒定的声强。这种仪器有可能大大减少临床听力学中的错误。纯音听力学是听力学中最基本的测量方法，但也存在明显的误差。基本问题是传统的听力测量方法无法校正产生测试信号的耳机和人耳之间的声学耦合的巨大个体差异。数字信号处理的最新进展使得以实用的方式纠正这些个体差异成为可能。这笔拨款将用于开发一种听力测量的临床仪器，该仪器将提供准确的听力灵敏度测量，而不会受到传统听力学误差的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Clinical pure tone audiometry is the most basic hearing test. However, measurements obtained with a standard pure tone audiometer do not take into account the large individual differences in the volume of the ear canal and concomitant differences in the acoustic impedance of the ear. As a result, an audiometer that is calibrated in a standard coupler will provide inaccurate values for the acoustic signal reaching the eardrum. These individual variations in ear canal volume and eardrum impedance can have a substantial effect on the canal pressure due to loading of the canal impedance on the transducer source impedance. The most well known effect is that of standing waves, a frequency dependent change in canal impedance due to reflections resulting primarily from the eardrum load impedance. We propose to develop an instrument based on the Mimosa impedance measurement system that allow for the accurate calibration of the transducer in the canal in a manner that removes the effect of standing waves, and delivers a constant sound intensity to the cochlea. Such an instrument has the potential of greatly reducing errors in clinical audiometry. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Pure tone audiometry is the most basic measurement in audiology, yet it is subject to significant errors. The basic problem is the inability of traditional methods of audiometric measurement to correct for the large individual differences in acoustic coupling between the earphone generating the test signals and the human ear. Recent advances in digital signal processing have made it possible to correct for these individual differences in a practical way. This grant will develop a clinical instrument for hearing measurement that will provide accurate measurements of hearing sensitivity that are not subject to the errors of traditional audiometry.