Smartphone-Based Tympanometry System Can Test Ear Function

Pocket-sized health solutions are becoming increasingly innovative, with researchers from the University of Washington (UW) and Seattle Children's announcing their newly developed smartphone-based tympanometry system that can evaluate middle ear function.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 430 million people worldwide suffer from some form of hearing disability. But most cases are preventable through routine screening examinations, such as tympanometry, followed by the appropriate care.

Tympanometry is a test of ear function that can be used along with other tests to detect hearing disorders, particularly in the middle ear. The assessment is typically expensive, costing between $2,000 and $5,000.

To expand innovative efforts surrounding ear assessment, UW and Seattle Children's developed a smartphone-based tympanometry system, which can enable the testing of ear function from the comfort of a patient's home.

“Conventional desktop tympanometry is expensive, bulky, and requires a source of wall power, which makes it less than ideal for use in mobile clinics and rural communities. Consequently, in some areas, people may have to travel long distances to obtain a test — if they are able to travel, that is,” said lead author Justin Chan, a PhD student at the UW Allen School, in the press release. “Our open-source system is inexpensive, portable, easy to use, and works with any Android smartphone.”

Typically, tympanometry involves the insertion of a probe into the ear, which evaluates air pressure, tympanic membrane, and ossicular chain. The smartphone-based system does this using a probe that is rubber-tipped and compact. The system uses a headphone jerk to connect directly to the smartphone.

Further, the system includes a microcontroller that can transmit the recorded acoustic reflections and pressure data to the smartphone via a built-in wireless Bluetooth radio to develop a tympanogram. Assembling the device costs around $28.

Researchers also tested the device to determine its accuracy levels compared to standard tympanometry tests.

“There was significant agreement — roughly 86 percent— between the results of the two screening methods. Most importantly, when there was an abnormal finding such as a Type B tympanogram, there was 100 percent agreement,” said co-senior author Randall Bly, MD, an assistant professor in UW Medicine’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a pediatric otolaryngology specialist at Seattle Children’s, in the press release. “Our goal was to develop an accessible device that can accurately assess the middle ear, providing clinicians critical diagnostic information. These results show promise towards achieving this goal."

The development of smartphone-based applications has skyrocketed in recent years, as providers are discovering new ways to care for various conditions.

For example, in March 2020, researchers developed a system that combined a smartphone app and artificial intelligence to deliver at-home COVID-19 risk assessments. Following the collection of demographic information, the app asked questions about exposure, travel history, and symptoms to determine the risk of infection.

Another app, announced in March, can predict patient risk for a heart attack using information from 23andMe. The app synced genetic data from 23andMe and used it to determine risk factors for coronary artery disease.