The Hearing Test App for Android Devices: Distinctive Features of Pure-Tone Audiometry Performed on Mobile Devices [Response to Letter]

Marcin Masalski1,2 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland; 2Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, PolandCorrespondence: Marcin Masalski, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 wybrzeże Stanisława Wyspiańskiego street, Wroclaw, 50-370, Poland, Tel +48 515 086 252, Fax +48 71 328 36 96, Email [email protected]

The Hearing Test App for Android Devices: Distinctive Features of Pure-Tone Audiometry Performed on Mobile Devices

Marcin Masalski1,2 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland; 2Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, PolandCorrespondence: Marcin Masalski, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 wybrzeże Stanisława Wyspiańskiego street, Wroclaw, 50-370, Poland, Tel +48 515 086 252, Fax +48 71 328 36 96, Email [email protected]: The popularity of mobile devices, combined with advances in electronic design and internet technology, has enabled home-based hearing tests in recent years. The purpose of this article is to highlight the distinctive aspects of pure-tone audiometry performed on a mobile device by means of the Hearing Test app for Android devices. The first version of this app was released a decade ago, and since then the app has been systematically improved, which required addressing many issues common to the majority of mobile apps for hearing testing. The article discusses techniques for mobile device calibration, outlines the testing procedure and how it differs from traditional pure-tone audiometry, explores the potential for bone conduction testing, and provides considerations for interpreting mobile audiometry including test duration and background noise. The article concludes by detailing clinically relevant aspects requiring special attention during testing and interpretation of results which are of substantial value to the hundreds of thousands of active users of the Hearing Test app worldwide, as well as to users of other hearing test apps.Keywords: mobile audiometry, self-testing, hearing threshold, hearing test ap

Electromagnetic system for medical navigation of improved metrological and usable properties

Przedstawiono projekt, którego głównym celem jest opracowanie systemu do określania położenia i orientacji przestrzennej narzędzi medycznych z wykorzystaniem pola magnetycznego m.cz., który w przyszłości mógłby być przygotowany do wdrożenia. Cele pośrednie: opracowanie modeli 3D pola magnetycznego, zbadanie niepożądanych wpływów przedmiotów deformujących rozkład pola magnetycznego oraz budowa stanowiska do badań doświadczalnych systemu. W stosunku do znanych rozwiązań system zawiera szereg usprawnień.Possibility of tracking position and spatial orientation of diagnostic and surgical instruments in relation to the patient’s body is of fundamental importance in modern medicine [1, 2, 3]. It is made possible by medical navigation systems determining current position of instruments and marking it on images of the body structure obtained earlier by the methods of medical imaging. At present optical IR systems dominate in this area, however, electromagnetic navigation (EM) systems operating at low frequencies are getting increased importance. EM navigation is simpler and more convenient in use than the optical systems and also enables navigation of flexible instruments [4]. A project whose main aim is design of a medical navigation system (hardware and full software) using low frequency magnetic field, suitable for entering production in future, is presented in the paper [8]. The project contains also creation of 3D models of the magnetic field, study of the influences of metal and magnetic objects disturbing operation of the EM system and design of a setup for experimental investigations of the system. In comparison to similar known solutions the system has introduced essential improvements that enable: increase in the speed of operation, increase in the number of navigation channels and increase in the range of system operation – with preserving or even increasing the system sensitivity and accuracy of position determining