ACOUSTICAL POWER FLOW AS AN AUDIOLOGICAL TOOL

本申请的总体目标是开发和评估 一种新的非侵入性临床仪器，将测量宽带耳道 和中耳功率流。通过测量流入的声功率 在耳蜗中，外周听觉系统的传导组件可以 比过去更准确地表征，并改善诊断 可以使用该仪器开发技术。具体目标 本申请的目的是： 1. 通过以下方式证明临床可用仪器的可行性： 构建原型。 2. 使用声学腔检查原型的准确性， 已知的阻抗，并比较其可靠性和效率与 目前的临床仪器 3. 在临床环境中评价原型。 该项目的第一阶段将包括三个阶段。在第一阶段，a 将设计和建造原型仪器。在第二阶段， 一个独立的实验室将评估原型的准确性 与已知数据和已知仪器进行对比。第三阶段将包括 仪器的初步临床评价。潜在应用 该装置包括改进的临床方法， 功能，改进了测量听力灵敏度的方法，特别是 在婴儿和儿童，以及婴儿，儿童和成人与中等- 耳部疾病，以及使用 耳声发射 拟议的商业应用：拟议的文书将提供 无法获得的重要临床信息 听力测试仪器此外，该仪器还可以用于 大幅提高聆讯的效率和成本效益 使用耳声发射的筛选程序。

The general objective of this application is to develop and evaluate a new non-invasive clinical instrument that will measure wideband ear canal and middle ear power flow. By measuring the acoustic power flow into the cochlear, the conductive component of the peripheral auditory system may be characterized more accurately than in the past and improved diagnostic techniques could be developed using this instrument. The specific aims of this application are: 1. To demonstrate the feasibility of a clinically usable instrument by constructing a prototype. 2. To check the accuracy of the prototype using acoustic cavities with known impedance, and to compare its reliability and efficiency with current clinical instruments. 3. To evaluate the prototype in a clinical setting. Phase I of the project will consist of three stages. In Stage I, a prototype instrument will be designed and constructed. In Stage II, an independent laboratory will evaluate the accuracy of the prototype against known data and known instruments. Stage III will consist of a preliminary clinical evaluation of the instrument. Potential applications of the device include improved clinical methods for evaluating middle ear function, improved methods of measuring hearing sensitivity, particularly in infants and children, and in infants, children and adults with middle- ear pathologies, and improved hearing screening procedures using otoacoustic emissions. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed instrument will provide important clinical information that cannot be obtained with existing audiological test instruments. Further, the instrument can also be used to improve substantially the efficiency and cost effectiveness of hearing screening programs using otoacoustic emissions.