Multiple frequency tympanometry: effects of ear canal volume compensation on static acoustic admittance and estimates of middle ear resonance

Three methods for compensating multiple frequency acoustic admittance measurements for ear canal volume were studied in 26 men with normal middle ear transmission systems. Peak compensated static acoustic admittance (magnitude of y) and phase angle (phi) were calculated from sweep frequency tympanograms (226-1243 Hz in 113 Hz increments). Of the procedures used to compensate for volume in rectangular form, the ear canal pressure used to estimate volume had the largest effect on the estimate of middle ear resonance. Median resonance was 800 Hz for admittance measurements compensated at 200 daPa versus 1100 Hz for measurements compensated at -350 daPa. The remaining two methods, compensation of susceptance only versus both susceptance and conductance and compensation using the minimum volume versus separate volumes at each frequency, did not affect estimates of middle ear resonance. Estimates of middle ear resonance from compensated phase angle measurements also were compared with estimates of resonance from admittance and phase difference curves. Although resonance could not be estimated from the phase difference curve, resonance estimated from the admittance difference curve agreed with the estimate from compensated phase angle.