Measurement of swept level distortion product otoacoustic emission growth functions at multiple frequencies simultaneously

Abstract

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are low-level sounds generated by the inner ear that provide a non-invasive assessment of cochlear health. Advanced applications require recording OAEs across a wide range of frequencies and stimulus levels. Detailed here is a method for efficiently measuring distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) across an expansive stimulus space. Specifically, DPOAEs are recorded by sweeping the evoking stimuli in level across multiple frequencies simultaneously. This method generates DPOAE growth functions at multiple f2 frequencies in several minutes. Results indicate the swept level method yields DPOAEs equivalent to those measured in a traditional (discrete stimulus) paradigm, but with several advantages.