The calibration of a prototype occluded ear simulator designed for neonatal hearing assessment applications.

Abstract

An innovative family of ear simulators has been conceived for the calibration and traceability of audiometric equipment. Each device within the family has been designed for a particular key age group, covering neonates through to adults. The age-specific ear simulators are intended to improve the quality of hearing assessment measurements for all test subject age groups, and will be proposed as the next generation of standardised ear simulators for audiometric applications. The family of ear simulators shares a common design and modeling approach, and the first prototype devices for neonatal applications have been manufactured. The objectives of this study were to develop calibration methods, verify conformance to the design goals, demonstrate that the device is capable of being calibrated reliably, and show that its performance is ultimately suitable for international standardisation and eventual adoption into clinical practices. Four national measurement institutes took part in a round-robin calibration comparison and an analysis of the results showed that these objectives were achieved.