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-based version is a simple piece of equipment that generates a pure tone at varying intensities that can be controlled. The subject hears the tones in one ear at a time through headphones. Every time a tone is heard, the subject pushes a feedback button.
Audiometers may be standalone machines or can be integrated with a computer that controls it and offers a full suite of software tools and functionality. These devices come in many different types and use varying technologies. For example, some are bone-conduction systems while others are air-conduction based. It may be handheld, portable or a full-fledged machine intended for use in a single location.
Software-based audiometers produce the same tones, and subjects respond in exactly the same way. The main difference is that the software has a stored database of sounds. The tones are simply piped into the headphone through the system's sound card.
The hardware audiometers that are used by hospitals, audiology centers and researchers are expensive, but incredibly accurate and reliable. It's important to make sure these machines are calibrated regularly so that the tone heard by the subject matches the level displayed on the machine. Calibration requirements also ensure standardized testing and results regardless of where the machine is being 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 results obtained in these industrial tests are not simply meant to evaluate the hearing ability of workers from a health point of view. It is also used to find out whether the facility requires additional noise-muffling systems. Sometimes, these checkups are provided under group health plans. In any case, an audiometer used for industrial applications must be calibrated perfectly to within a small fraction of a decibel.
The hardware-based version is a simple piece of equipment that generates a pure tone at varying intensities that can be controlled. The subject hears the tones in one ear at a time through headphones. Every time a tone is heard, the subject pushes a feedback button.
Audiometers may be standalone machines or can be integrated with a computer that controls it and offers a full suite of software tools and functionality. These devices come in many different types and use varying technologies. For example, some are bone-conduction systems while others are air-conduction based. It may be handheld, portable or a full-fledged machine intended for use in a single location.
Software-based audiometers produce the same tones, and subjects respond in exactly the same way. The main difference is that the software has a stored database of sounds. The tones are simply piped into the headphone through the system's sound card.
The hardware audiometers that are used by hospitals, audiology centers and researchers are expensive, but incredibly accurate and reliable. It's important to make sure these machines are calibrated regularly so that the tone heard by the subject matches the level displayed on the machine. Calibration requirements also ensure standardized testing and results regardless of where the machine is being 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 results obtained in these industrial tests are not simply meant to evaluate the hearing ability of workers from a health point of view. It is also used to find out whether the facility requires additional noise-muffling systems. Sometimes, these checkups are provided under group health plans. In any case, an audiometer used for industrial applications must be calibrated perfectly to within a small fraction of a decibel.
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