Portable Auditory Diagnostic System

Kedley Incorporated proposes to develop a prototype portable auditory diagnostic device capable of implementing 5 major auditory diagnostic tests including pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and evoked auditory brainstem potentials. These tests are now implemented with 4 separate, large and combersome devices that often share the same components. The prototype device will use standardized or otherwise existing transducers integrated with advanced microprocessor technology for signal generation, control, display and output. The device will be about the size of a small suitcase with a standard human-machine interface familiar to all audiologiests. It will capitalize on reduction of duplicate components by optimizing the remaining components. The device will be modular in design so that it can originate as any single device yet have the remaining devices addesd in the field in any combination. Because the device will be portable and used in variable noiseenvironments, provisions will be made to include a sound level measurement system to determine adequacy of ambient noise levels, an active noise reduction system, and automatic test parameter selection to optimize test parameters such as signal averaging. An added feature will be prots for a keyboard, a pointing device and data transfer.