Automated Smartphone Audiometry: A Preliminary Validation of a Bone-Conduction Threshold Test App

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Mobile Health Technology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Bone-conduction pure-tone audiometry is crucial for diagnosing hearing loss.
• Current methods require specialized equipment and trained audiologists.
• There is a need for accessible and automated hearing assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an automated smartphone application (EarBone) for determining bone-conduction pure-tone thresholds.
• To assess the accuracy of the app compared to traditional audiometric assessments.
• To establish a proof of concept for smartphone-based bone-conduction testing.

Main Methods:

• A novel smartphone app, EarBone, was created to measure bone-conduction thresholds using a bone oscillator.
• Adult patients undergoing audiological assessment were invited to use the EarBone app.
• App-determined thresholds were compared against those measured by audiologists.

Main Results:

• Sixty-one percent of app-determined thresholds were within 5 dB of audiologist measurements.
• Seventy-nine percent of thresholds were within 10 dB.
• Most participants required assistance with bone oscillator placement.

Conclusions:

• The EarBone app provides bone-conduction thresholds that approximate audiologist-determined values.
• This study demonstrates the feasibility of automated smartphone-based bone-conduction audiometry.
• Clinical utility requires further enhancements, including contralateral ear masking.