Detecting Middle Ear Fluid Using Smartphones

项目摘要 中耳炎是发展中国家最常见的儿童疾病之一， 如果早期发现中耳积液是可以预防的。我们提出了一个方便和准确的 基于智能手机的筛查工具，其（i）使用智能手机将柔和的声学啁啾发送到耳道中 扬声器，（ii）使用智能电话麦克风检测来自鼓膜的反射声音，以及（iii）采用 机器学习模型来对这些反射进行分类，并实时预测中耳液状态。鉴于 智能手机的普及和视觉耳镜检查的不准确性，我们提出的系统有可能成为 这是发展中国家医疗保健提供者和家庭护理人员使用的默认筛查工具。

PROJECT SUMMARY Otitis media is one of the most common childhood diseases in developing countries; many of its complications are preventable if middle ear fluid is detected early. We propose an accessible and accurate smartphone-based screening tool that (i) sends a soft acoustic chirp into the ear canal using the smartphone speaker, (ii) detects reflected sound from the eardrum using the smartphone microphone, and (iii) employs a machine learning model to classify these reflections and predict middle ear fluid status in realtime. Given the ubiquity of smartphones and the inaccuracy of visual otoscopy, the system we propose has the potential to be the default screening tool used in developing countries by healthcare providers and caregivers at home.