An automated hearing test equipment based on active noise control technology

Automated hearing test equipment is a kind of hearing testing system with good environmental adaptability, self-help hearing examination, which can be applied to most people in community. The environment noise is a major obstacle to the measurement accuracy of automated hearing test equipment. The active noise control technology can cancel the noise by generating the reverse sound wave equal to the external noise, so as to achieve the effect of noise reduction. In this paper, an automated hearing test system based on active noise control technology was developed. The designed system mainly included hardware board, noise detection sensor, touch screen, active noise control card, fitting instrument and power supply and the associated devices included earphone, hearing aids and printer. Active noise control technology is used to reducing the interference of environmental noise. A total of 95 volunteers were selected to receive the hearing examination by the automated hearing test system and pure-tone audiometer. The differences of hearing thresholds between automated hearing test system and pure-tone audiometer were less than 5 dB at all frequencies. The evaluation results show that this system provides a quick and convenient automated hearing test method, and can obtain a relatively reliable result.