Field Deployable Otoacoustic Emissions Probe for Objective Tracking of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Progressive noise-induced hearing loss may jeopardize a service members ability to be deployed or continue in communication-critical job duties. It is the fourth leading cause of medical referral for service members returning from deployments. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) are a sensitive objective screening tool. However, commercially available DPOAE measurement systems are either designed for infant screening, detecting only the presence or absence of DPOAEs, or target the diagnostic market which assumes the patient is coming into a clinic, with infrastructure and an audiologist present to interpret the results. Creare proposes to develop a highly innovative otoacoustic emission (OAE) probe specifically designed for field use with untrained personnel to monitor NIHL over time. Creares OAE Tracker combines hardware innovation with smart DPOAE algorithms that can be customized to a specific individual, and which track changes in the DPOAE response of each ear after noise exposure.