Possibility of automated evaluation of Eustachian tube function measurements in a pressure chamber

Introduction:

The already established parameters Eustachian tube opening pressure, Eustachian tube opening duration and Eustachian tube closing pressure in the evaluation of the continuous impedance measurement in a pressure chamber cannot be evaluated sensibly when the Eustachian tube is permanently open and the Eustachian tube is blocked. In order to be able to distinguish these patients in the future, an automated evaluation of the pressure curves on the tympanic membrane was carried out. The aim of the study was to collect standard values for mean impedance (MI) in a healthy group of volunteers and to determine the reliability of the measured value.

Methods:

55 healthy volunteers were subjected to a standardized pressure chamber profile with phases of pressure drop and increase. Evaluation software was used to determine the base impedance value and the MI for the right and left sides for the compression and decompression phases respectively.

Results:

49 measurements were successfully evaluated. The base impedance value was 0.58 +/- 0.11 Pa on the right side and 0.43 +/- 0.1 Pa on the left side. The MI value during decompression was 0.098 +/- 0.05 Pa for right, 0.087 +/- 0.043 Pa for left. For the compression, values of 0.086 +/- 0.044 Pa right and 0.079 +/- 0.045 Pa left were to be recorded for the MI. Retest reliability proved to be high in both pressure increase and pressure decrease.

Conclusions:

The MI could be successfully determined in the pressure decrease and pressure increase in a healthy group of volunteers. The parameter may help to distinguish healthy subjects from patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction. This must be demonstrated in further studies.

Publication History

Publication Date:
23 April 2019 (online)