Audio-Vestibular Testing for Bedside/Other Applications

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from applicant's abstract): A potentially effective way of limiting or preventing drug-induced cochleo- and vestibulo-ototoxicity is monitoring during treatment. However, practical, cost-effective, monitoring programs are difficult to establish due to impractical instrumentation. Current practices also tend to neglect the balance system. Research and technology generated by University of Pittsburgh investigators utilizes recently developed objective tests of both auditory and vestibular systems. Otoacoustic emission [OAEJ testing, head-only rotation testing [HORT} and high-frequency [HFI audiometry were successfully transferred to a fully portable platform for bedside testing in Phase I. Results in samples of normal and clinical subjects appear to be valid and reliable. There is room for improvement via further collaboration with corporate partner, Intelligent Hearing Systems, to bring a light weight, portable, audio-vestibular test system to market. The Phase II work proposed will port these advancements to a notebook computer platform with peripheral interface via Universal Serial Bus technology to achieve greater capability/flexibility of design. In addition, the following improvements to the system are proposed: (1) enhancements of the ear-probe system and related hardware to achieve improved performance with distortion-product OAE testing and audiometry, including high frequency capabilities for both test modalities, via the same probe system; (2) inclusion of video-infrared oculography technology to replace electro-oculography for improved reliability and ease-of-use; (3) implementation of several innovations directed toward fail-safes for the end-user and overall user-friendliness. Performance of this new "beta-test" (pre-market) prototype will be thoroughly tested in substantial samples of normal-control and clinical subjects. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The research will develop specifications for portable testing of cochlear and vestibular function. Results will lead to the commercial production of a cost-effective instrument for such applications as monitoring of drug-induced ototoxicity and even broader applications with future development. The potential market includes hospitals and other health care facilities.