Multi Frequency Audiometry; Bone Conduction Audiometry - Interacoustics Affinity 2.0 Additional Information

1.7.2

Multi frequency audiometry

Multi f requency audiometry lets the clinician test more f requencies than the traditional audiometric test
f requencies. This may be usef ul when dealing with steeply sloping hearing impairments as it becomes
possible to obtain a more precise measure of the slope of the hearing loss. It is also helpf ul in the evaluation
of tinnitus as is provides the option to match the tinnitus.
Required items:
• The Af f inity 2.0 hardware
• Licensed AC440 Audiometry module within your Af f inity
Headphones or Insert phones
•
A patient response button
•
Note: If doing Multi Frequency testing in the high f requencies (8-20 kHz) a high f requency headset must be
used.
Test procedure:
1) Open the Af f inity Suite through your patient management system, Noah or OtoAccess®.
2) Select the AUD Tab and If needed select a protocol from the List of Protocols.
To perf orm a multi f requency audiometry, click the MF button
3)
check that the multi f requency settings are in accordance with your pref erence in the AC440 setup
(see section 1.7.2.2).
4) Conduct high f requency audiometry using the normal air conduction audiometry method (see section
1.6 above f or details). The cursor will jump in small f requency steps during the test providing you with
multiple thresholds and a detailed curve.
Note: Evaluation of tinnitus can be used f or both the purpose of identif ying the nature of the sound the
patient is experiencing and the purpose of masking the sound. Instruct the patient that you will now try to
reproduce the exact sound that they are experiencing as precisely as possible. Start by f inding the f requency
and subsequently f inding the amplitude using 5 dB steps. This way the patient only needs to concentrate on
one thing at the time. Af ter replicating the tinnitus, present a noise (NB) to the ear where the sound is
experienced. Increase the noise in 5 dB steps until the patient claims that the tinnitus is masked (Nielsen &
Carver 1997).
1.7.3

Bone conduction audiometry

In bone conduction audiometry, the test signal is presented by a bone vibrator placed on the mastoid. The
bone vibrator uses the skull to transf er the vibrations to the cochlear and bypasses the outer and middle
ears. Bone conduction thresholds thereby provide a measure of the cochlear and retro cochlear f unction
regardless of the outer and middle ear f unction, theref ore it allows you to distinguish between conductive,
sensorineural, and mixed hearing thresholds detected through Air conduction Audiometry. The dif f erence
which is detected between the bone and air conduction is called the air-bone gap. It is recommended to start
a hearing assessment f irst with air-conduction measurements, f ollowed by bone conduction measurements.
Required items:
The Af f inity hardware
• 2.0
• Licensed AC440 Audiometry module within your Af f inity
A calibrated bone conductor (B81)
•
A patient response button
•
5
Multi frequency audiometry is only available on the Affinity
purchased, the button is greyed out.
D-0004576-Q – 2022/05
Affinity/Equinox2.0 – Additional Information
5
2.0 2.0
/Equinox . The test requires an additional feature for the AC440. If not
2.0 hardware with Multi Frequency f unctionality
in the f ront screen. You may want to
2.0 hardware
Page 26