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Determination of the Pure-Tone to Noise-Band Transfer Function for Audiometric Testing and Fit Testing of Hearing Protectors.

PB2015102723

Publication Date	2012
Personal Author	Flamme, G. A.
Page Count	26
Abstract	This report details the results of the Pure Tone to Noise Band Transfer Function project. The purpose of this project was to examine the transfer function for thresholds obtained under HDA200 circumaural earphones using pure tone, equivalent rectangular noise bands, and 1/3 octave noise bands to thresholds obtained using TDH-39P supra-aural earphones. The objective is to obtain both correction factors for thresholds and also identify any differences in the reliability of threshold estimates obtained via any of the four methods. The results of this project suggest that (1) for the stimuli and calibration used in this project, only small adjustments are possibly needed to reach equivalent TDH-39P thresholds, (2) pure tone thresholds obtained with HDA200 circumaural earphones have reliability equal to or better than those obtained using TDH-39P earphones, (3) the reliability of noise band thresholds improves with broader stimulus bandwidth and is either equal to or better than pure tone thresholds, and (4) frequency-specificity begins to decline with stimulus bandwidths over greater than one ERB, which could complicate early detection of focal hearing changes. We believe that there are two recommendations supported by this project. First, these data support a recommendation for the use of HDA200 earphones for audiometric monitoring. Second, these data support the use of noise bands, preferably ERB noises, as stimuli for audiometric monitoring.
Keywords	Hearing Hearing tests Hearing threshold Audiological testing Analytical processes Noise bands
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	57A - Anatomy 95G - Protective Equipment
Corporate Authors	Western Michigan Univ., Kalamazoo.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	201509
Contract Number	CDC/NIOSH-254-2011-M-40487

Determination of the Pure-Tone to Noise-Band Transfer Function for Audiometric Testing and Fit Testing of Hearing Protectors.

Determination of the Pure-Tone to Noise-Band Transfer Function for Audiometric Testing and Fit Testing of Hearing Protectors.
PB2015102723

Publication Date	2012
Personal Author	Flamme, G. A.
Page Count	26
Abstract	This report details the results of the Pure Tone to Noise Band Transfer Function project. The purpose of this project was to examine the transfer function for thresholds obtained under HDA200 circumaural earphones using pure tone, equivalent rectangular noise bands, and 1/3 octave noise bands to thresholds obtained using TDH-39P supra-aural earphones. The objective is to obtain both correction factors for thresholds and also identify any differences in the reliability of threshold estimates obtained via any of the four methods. The results of this project suggest that (1) for the stimuli and calibration used in this project, only small adjustments are possibly needed to reach equivalent TDH-39P thresholds, (2) pure tone thresholds obtained with HDA200 circumaural earphones have reliability equal to or better than those obtained using TDH-39P earphones, (3) the reliability of noise band thresholds improves with broader stimulus bandwidth and is either equal to or better than pure tone thresholds, and (4) frequency-specificity begins to decline with stimulus bandwidths over greater than one ERB, which could complicate early detection of focal hearing changes. We believe that there are two recommendations supported by this project. First, these data support a recommendation for the use of HDA200 earphones for audiometric monitoring. Second, these data support the use of noise bands, preferably ERB noises, as stimuli for audiometric monitoring.
Keywords	Hearing Hearing tests Hearing threshold Audiological testing Analytical processes Noise bands
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	57A - Anatomy 95G - Protective Equipment
Corporate Authors	Western Michigan Univ., Kalamazoo.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	201509
Contract Number	CDC/NIOSH-254-2011-M-40487