A Computational Platform for Hearing Assessments With Virtualization of Sound Sources

Lara A. A. S. Engenharia de Controle e Automação, Laboratório de Vibrações e Acústica, UFSC, SC, Brasil, angelo.asl20@gmail.com

Trentin, G. Engenharia de Controle e Automação, Laboratório de Vibrações e Acústica, UFSC, SC, Brasil, gutotrentin@gmail.com

Bagnara, B. O. Dept. de Fonoaudiólogia, Laboratório de Vibrações e Acústica, UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil, l, brunabagnara07@gmail.com

Murta B. H. P. Laboratório de Vibrações e Acústica, UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil, be.murta@gmail.com

Zucki F. Dept. de Fonoaudiólogia, UFSC, SC, Brasil, fernanda.zucki@ufsc.br

Pinheiro, M.C.C. Dept. de Fonoaudiólogia, UFSC, SC, Brasil

Paul S. Laboratório de Vibrações e Acústica, UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil, stephan.paul@ufsc.br

Abstract

When considering audiological monitoring and diagnosis, there are several tests aimed at assessing speech perception, however, they do not necessarily simulate real listening situations, and often do not follow a pattern in the way of application and interpretation of results. Therefore, an attempt was made to develop an accessible software solution that aims to address these points. In order to direct the development of a software, audiological examination protocols were studied, and based on results from interviews with students and professors of audiology a catalog of requirements was elaborated enabling the development of an academic version of a software using MATLAB. Subsequently, in order to reach speech therapists, the construction of a more robust and accessible platform was pursued, using C# and Visual Studio to develop the perSONA software compatible with Windows 64 bits. While initially planned entirely for speech recognition assessment the platform was improved with an educational module for pure tone audiometry (PTA). Sound reproduction in perSONA is entirely conducted by Virtual Acoustics (VA) [Institute for Hearing Technologies and Acoustics, RWTH Aachen University], which allows spatially distributed reproduction with total control of levels. Validation of the software took place through many steps by students and professors of the speech therapy course as well as measurements of the sound reproduction quality using different computers and audio drivers together with common and audiometric headphones and a manikin. For PTA module sound pressure levels, hearing levels and pure tones frequencies were successfully validated using the ASIO4ALL sound card driver. Also, the software currently features structures that allow the storage of personal and clinical data using the popular J-son file format. The adaptive speech in noise perception test provides spatially distributed reproduction of speech and noise using phonetically balanced sentence lists, bringing the test closer to real listening situations.

Keywords:

software

hearing assessment

Windows platform

teaching.

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