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Automated pure-tone audiometry using true wireless stereo earbuds with active noise control
Hengzhi Zhou1, Huali Zhou2, Zhenyu Guo3
1Acoustics Laboratory, School of Physics and Optoelectronics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
International Journal of Audiology
|December 13, 2024
Summary
Automated pure-tone audiometry (PTA) using active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds shows promise for hearing tests in noisy settings. ANC earbuds effectively reduced noise interference, though output level impacts require further study.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Noise Control
Background:
- Environmental noise significantly impacts automated pure-tone audiometry (PTA) accuracy outside sound booths.
- True wireless stereo earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) offer a potential solution for conducting PTA in noisy environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of an automated PTA system using ANC earbuds in various noisy conditions.
- To assess the effectiveness of ANC in mitigating environmental noise interference during hearing threshold measurements.
Main Methods:
- Electroacoustic characteristics of ANC earbuds were evaluated.
- Hearing thresholds were measured using ANC earbuds and traditional TDH-39 headphones under three different noise levels (quiet, 40 dBA pink noise, 55 dBA pink noise).
- Experiments involved 21 normal-hearing participants for calibration and 22 participants with hearing loss for evaluation.
Main Results:
- The average absolute difference in hearing thresholds between manual audiometry in quiet and automated PTA with ANC earbuds was 5.2 dB (quiet), 5.4 dB (40 dBA noise), and 9.3 dB (55 dBA noise).
- ANC demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the impact of low-frequency noise (<1000 Hz) on hearing measurement accuracy.
Conclusions:
- Active noise cancellation (ANC) in earbuds can improve the accuracy of automated pure-tone audiometry in moderately noisy environments.
- Further research is needed to address the influence of ANC on earbud output levels for reliable hearing assessments.
