ADHEAR device in bone conduction audiometry

Abstract

ADHEAR is a bone conduction hearing aid that uses an adhesive skin adapter. In the current study, the use of ADHEAR as an audiometric bone stimulator was investigated in normal-hearing subjects by comparing it to the standard Radio-Ear B71. Bone conduction thresholds of 15 normal-hearing subjects (aged 21-36 years) were measured four times in a randomized order, twice with the B71 and twice with the ADHEAR. There were no significant differences in test-retest reliability between the two devices. Subjectively rated comfort was better for the ADHEAR. The development of a specific audiometric adhesive bone stimulator may be warranted.