Acoustic Immittance, Absorbance, and Reflectance in the Human Ear Canal

John J. Rosowski; Laura Ann Wilber

doi:10.1055/s-0034-1396924

Seminars in Hearing, Table of Contents

Semin Hear 2015; 36(01): 11-28
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1396924

Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Acoustic Immittance, Absorbance, and Reflectance in the Human Ear Canal

John J. Rosowski

¹The Eliason Professor of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts

,

Laura Ann Wilber

²Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Frances Searle Building, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Ear canal measurements of acoustic immittance (a term that groups impedance and its inverse, admittance) and the related quantities of acoustic reflectance and power absorbance have been used to assess auditory function and aid in the differential diagnosis of conductive hearing loss for over 50 years. The change in such quantities after stimulation of the acoustic reflex also has been used in diagnosis. In this article, we define these quantities, describe how they are commonly measured, and discuss appropriate calibration procedures and standards necessary for accurate immittance/reflectance measurements.

Keywords

Admittance - impedance - immittance - tympanometry - stapes reflex

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References

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