Characterization and Clinical Use of Bone Conduction Transducers at Extended High Frequencies

Abstract

Measurement of bone conduction (BC) hearing thresholds at extended high frequencies (EHF; above 8 kHz) is of clinical interest but is technically complicated by limitations in standard BC transducer output, a lack of calibration standards and sparse clinical data from human subjects. A recently described calibration scheme using an artificial mastoid and interposed accelerometer is applied in this study to characterize and compare acceleration and computed force outputs over the 4–20 kHz range of two standard BC transducers: the RadioEar® B71 and B81, as well as two non-standard, commercially available BC transducers: the Tascam® HP-F200 and the Aftershokz® AS400. Measures of linear output growth, harmonic distortion and acoustic radiation are assessed and compared across devices. A maximum linear input voltage is established for each BC transducer using measurements of linear output growth and total harmonic distortion. At maximum linear input level, the Tascam shows superior force output by 25 to 40 dB above 8 kHz and the widest dynamic EHF range. Acoustic radiation per output force was lowest for the Tascam, whereas the AS400 behaved more like an air conduction earphone than a force generator. In a cohort of 15 normal hearing volunteers, BC thresholds, measured with the Tascam and reported in dB re 1 rms μN, were consistent with historical measures of EHF BC thresholds in similar subjects using an alternative BC transducer.