Insert ear-probe assembly for high-quality otoacoustic-emission (OAE) measurements in adults

Current otoacostic emission probes used diagnostic evaluation middle and inner ear components of hearing are not capable of producing well-calibrated and high-quality acoustic stimuli that cover the entire frequency range of human hearing and are thus unsuited for rapid evaluation of the range of inner ear damage from ototoxic drugs, noise and the normal process of aging. The accuracy of stimulus calibration is a particular problem for serial monitoring of accumulating damage over time or to accurately and sensitively assess damage in populations. The topic solicitation stated specific performance criteria that a new otoacoustic emission probe should satisfy In our Phase I partnership with Etymotic Research, Inc., we have developed a first-generation prototype with high-quality internal sound sources that already comes close to meeting all the performance criteria. Phase II efforts will be devoted to the considerable remaining effort to refine the prototype and to rigorously test its suitability for widespread application for research and clinical assessment. We will focus particularly on developing the capacity to perform measurements in the relatively high ambient noise levels typically found on Navy ships that would also facilitate widespread application to hearing evaluation in civilians.