A portable, modular, and low cost auditory brainstem response recording system including an algorithm for automatic identification of responses suitable for hearing screening

Abstract

The recording of auditory brainstem response (ABR) signals is a common measure applied to assess hearing impairments. However, most of the available commercial devices able to record ABR signals can be unaffordable for many medical centers because of their cost and low flexibility. This paper describes a system that allows the recording of high quality ABR. Its low cost, easy handling, high performance, and portability make its use appropriate in low budget institutions. Furthermore, the flexibility and open nature of this system allow its use as a research tool. The ABR recording system includes a new algorithm for automatic evaluation of the quality of responses and the estimation of the latencies and amplitudes of the waves, the fitted parametric peaks (FPP). The performance of this technique is contrasted with a well-established method for quality evaluation based on the correlation coefficient. The encouraging results of this test suggest that the fitted parametric peaks could be used as a method for automatic ABR quality assessment and identification of the peaks.