An audiometer is a machine used by ENT (ear, nose and throat) clinics and audiology centers to measure hearing loss. Audiometers are typically part of the equipment used during an audiometry test. There are both software and hardware-based audiometers available in the market.
The hardware version is a simple machine that produces pure tones at controlled intensities. During hearing loss evaluations, the machine's output is heard by the subject in one ear at a time through a pair of headphones. The subject has a feedback button that enables them to respond when they hear the tone.
The device can be a standalone machine or hooked up to a computer that controls the output and records all the feedback. These machines are made using different kinds of technologies, depending on the intended usage. Some are portable, others handhelds, and still others may be full-fledged systems that are meant to be used in one place. All of them are either bone-conduction or air-conduction audiometers.
Software-based systems function in pretty much the same way, sending out a tone to the subject on a headphone and collecting feedback through a button. The difference is in the way the tone is generated. In this case, the software merely sends out stored tones to the computer's sound card.
Hardware audiometers used by professional audiology centers, hospitals and research centers are more expensive, but also highly accurate and more reliable. These machines must be calibrated regularly to ensure that the intensity of the tone heard by subjects accurately reflects the level shown on the device display. Calibration also ensures standardized testing and consistent results no matter where the machine is used.
Audiometry software installed on desktops or laptops can be used at home by anyone, and it is relatively affordable. It is more difficult to calibrate the software, which also means that accuracy is hard to achieve. It is, however, still good enough to allow a subject to self-test and determine if their hearing is normal or needs medical treatment.
The point of all this, whether it is a software or hardware-based system, is to find out exactly when the subject stops hearing the tone. This helps physicians diagnose hearing problems and provide treatment. It usually involves at least a bit of ear cleaning and perhaps some ear drops, if not a hearing aid or even surgery.
Audiometers may also be used for industrial audiometric testing. The procedure followed is essentially the same as described above. The difference is in the fact that the subject or patient doesn't come to the clinic. Instead, a full-fledged mobile audiometry testing lab and technician are brought to the industrial facility to test the hearing levels of noise-exposed workers.
The tests performed on industrial workers are not just for evaluating their personal hearing loss. The results allow the company to identify trends and add more noise-muffling technology if a lot of workers are showing signs of weakened hearing ability. It may also be required under group health plans. Either way, an audiometer used in an industrial environment must be calibrated to a high degree of precision, which means it must be accurate to within a few fractions of a decibel.
The hardware version is a simple machine that produces pure tones at controlled intensities. During hearing loss evaluations, the machine's output is heard by the subject in one ear at a time through a pair of headphones. The subject has a feedback button that enables them to respond when they hear the tone.
The device can be a standalone machine or hooked up to a computer that controls the output and records all the feedback. These machines are made using different kinds of technologies, depending on the intended usage. Some are portable, others handhelds, and still others may be full-fledged systems that are meant to be used in one place. All of them are either bone-conduction or air-conduction audiometers.
Software-based systems function in pretty much the same way, sending out a tone to the subject on a headphone and collecting feedback through a button. The difference is in the way the tone is generated. In this case, the software merely sends out stored tones to the computer's sound card.
Hardware audiometers used by professional audiology centers, hospitals and research centers are more expensive, but also highly accurate and more reliable. These machines must be calibrated regularly to ensure that the intensity of the tone heard by subjects accurately reflects the level shown on the device display. Calibration also ensures standardized testing and consistent results no matter where the machine is used.
Audiometry software installed on desktops or laptops can be used at home by anyone, and it is relatively affordable. It is more difficult to calibrate the software, which also means that accuracy is hard to achieve. It is, however, still good enough to allow a subject to self-test and determine if their hearing is normal or needs medical treatment.
The point of all this, whether it is a software or hardware-based system, is to find out exactly when the subject stops hearing the tone. This helps physicians diagnose hearing problems and provide treatment. It usually involves at least a bit of ear cleaning and perhaps some ear drops, if not a hearing aid or even surgery.
Audiometers may also be used for industrial audiometric testing. The procedure followed is essentially the same as described above. The difference is in the fact that the subject or patient doesn't come to the clinic. Instead, a full-fledged mobile audiometry testing lab and technician are brought to the industrial facility to test the hearing levels of noise-exposed workers.
The tests performed on industrial workers are not just for evaluating their personal hearing loss. The results allow the company to identify trends and add more noise-muffling technology if a lot of workers are showing signs of weakened hearing ability. It may also be required under group health plans. Either way, an audiometer used in an industrial environment must be calibrated to a high degree of precision, which means it must be accurate to within a few fractions of a decibel.
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