Multichannel audiometry enables the simultaneous output of multiple speech test signals via different transducers (e.g. loudspeakers, headphones, implant connectors) for spatial and signal-separated speech measurement.
Via Patient Management → Test Selection → Multichannel Audiometry, you can select, review, mark as favourites, create new, edit, duplicate, delete or start configurations directly.
The configuration is divided into three sections: the left-hand sidebar (definition of the measurement sequence and switching between measurements), the central section (test signal, transducer assignment, signal level), and the right-hand section (polar plot for visualising all active transducers).
During a single measurement, the test material and transducer remain constant, whilst multiple test lists with varying levels are possible. Exactly one transducer is permitted per test signal; a single transducer can reproduce up to four different signals simultaneously.
All installed single- and multi-frequency tests can be used. In principle, all connected transducers are available, with the exception of bone conduction, which is not used in multi-channel audiometry.
The polar plot visualises the spatial arrangement, activation and levels of all transducers in a measurement and is used both for configuration checks and for ongoing measurement adjustments.
No. A configuration can be named and saved, or alternatively launched directly without being saved.
The measurement interface follows the same operating logic as speech audiometry, but does not include a second audiogram and supplements the display with a polar plot.
Test groups are selected via the sidebar; signal levels can be adjusted for each transducer below the polar plot. A padlock icon allows level changes to be linked across transducers, and individual speakers can be selectively enabled or disabled.
Measurement points use a circle or cross when headphones or an implant connection are involved – even when one ear is blocked. For measurements based solely on free-field conditions, the symbol B is used; additional modifications are made in the event of background noise or when a hearing aid is in use.
MATCH is a child-friendly speech test that is launched via Patient Management → Test Selection → Tone and Speech Audiometry → MATCH and is controlled via a central test view with a configuration panel on the left and a control area in the middle.
The left-hand sidebar is used to configure the test earpiece, transducer, test level, background noise, adaptive test guidance and the response interface; in addition, a custom word list comprising 26 words with at least 10 items can be created.
Once configuration is complete, you can start either an unscored trial run or a scored test; four response options are displayed for each word, with the target word highlighted in green and the patient’s response highlighted in black.
Responses are recorded via the touchpad or by the examiner entering them manually; repetitions are logged and, once the test is complete, presented in graphical and tabular form, showing percentage scores, levels and response times per word.
Noise masking can be activated and adjusted at any time using the level slider for the contralateral ear – in both pure-tone and speech audiometry.
Sine tone, pink or white noise, narrowband noise and steep narrowband noise with continuous, pulsed or modulated output; narrowband noise is the default setting.
When sliding masking is enabled with the ‘Maintain current offset’ option selected, the level offset between the test ear and the masking ear is fixed, so that the masking level automatically follows the test level.
For air conduction: −30 to −50 dB HL; for bone conduction: +10 to +20 dB HL, provided that no sliding attenuation is active.
Only speech-masking noise is available; this can be played continuously or with pauses, and optionally with a pre-set duration in seconds.
The bottom central bar can be used to control level increments (1/2/5 dB), extended level ranges, extended frequency ranges, second measurement curves and the response microphone.
The frequency range extension allows for up to 115 dB HL for headphones, whilst the frequency response enables measurements up to 16,000 Hz with the DD450; neither of these functions applies to bone conduction or free-field measurements.
Second curves that are active are highlighted in colour and marked with a ‘2’, whilst the first curves remain greyed out in the background.
When activated, all current signals are interrupted and the examiner’s voice is output via the selected transducers – there is a risk of feedback with free-field loudspeakers.
The control panel allows you to fully control almost all test procedures on the AT2000 without having to take your hands off the panel.
Centre: Keyboard for text input, hotkeys and scenario control;
side: Volume sliders and mute buttons for the test ear and the masked ear;
bottom: Directional pad for core functions of tone and speech audiometry.
Ergonomic positioning, parallel level control, rapid signal interruption and reliable execution of even complex measurements over extended periods.
Primarily due to the measurement method, and additionally due to transducers and attenuation; the symbols are strictly defined and cannot be changed.
Connections depend on the measurement type and transducer; the key factors are the spacing between points or the ‘not heard’ markers in between; points that are not heard are always at the current level.
Implant measurements marked with ‘d’, second measurement curves marked with ‘2’, and suprathreshold procedures with their own symbols.
You can show or hide measurement types via ‘Measurement Display’ in the left-hand sidebar; existing measurement types are highlighted and can be selected with a click.
Regiometry is an extension of tone audiometry designed for advanced free-field measurement; it can be accessed via the test selection or the context menu. It supplements the traditional left/right logic by distinguishing between the signal transducer and the masker transducer.
The interface is structurally similar to that of a tone audiogram, featuring a central audiogram, a configuration panel on the left and an additional sidebar on the right displaying a polar plot of the free-field loudspeakers; a bottom panel allows the active loudspeakers to be switched directly.
The test signal is always output via free-field (S marking), whilst the masking can be applied not only via free-field loudspeakers but also via air-conduction transducers or an implant connection (M marking).
Signal speakers can be switched using a mouse click or the number keys 1–8; masking speakers can be switched using a right-click or the number keys whilst holding down the Shift key; speakers with a lamp icon can also be activated using visual cues.
Measurement points use the symbols from pure-tone audiometry, supplemented by additional information on signal and masker transducers, signal direction and signal type; only one configuration is permitted per measurement curve, and any changes to this configuration can be applied either automatically or upon confirmation.
Once a patient has been selected, speech audiometry can be launched either directly or via the test selection menu; it consists of a top toolbar, a left-hand configuration panel, a central item area and, optionally, a right-hand sidebar for displaying the tone audiogram.
Transducers, measurement groups and word lists are selected in the left-hand sidebar; the measurement range is highlighted in white on the audiogram depending on the transducer, and the active measurement ear is colour-coded (red/right, blue/left).
Once the assessment level has been set, the assessment begins; items are played automatically and marked as correct or incorrect straight away; results are saved continuously and the assessment can be carried out in groups.
Patients’ responses can also be recorded as text; items can be repeated as long as the group has not been completed, although only items that have already been played in the current group are available.
Once a measurement for one ear has been completed, you can switch between ears by clicking R/L or pressing F3; once both ears have been measured, the session ends and the discrimination threshold is saved in the test history.
The interface consists of a top toolbar, a permanently open left-hand sidebar for basic configuration, and a central area for directly editing measurement points and measurement ranges.
Before the test begins, the transducer and signal are checked or selected; the transducer-specific measurement range is highlighted in white on the audiogram, and the active measurement ear is highlighted in colour.
As the test level is increased, the measurement symbol moves automatically; as soon as the patient hears the tone and confirms it, the measurement point is highlighted in green and finally confirmed.
The threshold determination is repeated for each frequency; once the measurement for one ear is complete, you can switch ears with a click of the mouse or by pressing F3, and then proceed to measure the second ear.
Once both ears have been tested, the session ends and the recorded hearing thresholds are permanently saved in the patient’s test history.
The patient management section initially displays up to 25 patients; the list can be expanded in stages using the ‘Load more patients’ button and filtered simultaneously using a search field.
At present, only first names and surnames are taken into account; additional data fields are planned for future versions.
The list of results is dynamically filtered as you type, but you can still manually add further patients.
ERKI is a directional hearing test from the Oldenburg measurement programmes and is launched as external software via Test Selection → Oldenburg Measurement Programmes → ERKI.
The privacy screen and light bar must be fitted, the control knob calibrated and positioned within easy reach, and the patient correctly positioned facing forwards.
A protocol consists of one or more measurement blocks with a defined test signal, test level, angle of separation, number of repetitions (1–10), stimulus type (level or time difference) and a reference data set.
After the signal is presented, the patient uses the control dial to align the light spot with the perceived direction; confirmed responses are recorded as an ‘X’ on the diagram, and the process is repeated in blocks.
Small measurement intervals and high repetition rates improve accuracy, but they prolong the measurement process and may affect the patient’s concentration.
You can create, edit or delete users via Settings → Global Settings → User Management → User Accounts.
Every user must provide a first name, surname and username; a password may be set optionally or marked as ‘not required’.
Currently, only administrator accounts are available, which have full access rights.
A currently logged-in user cannot be deleted; any deletion must be confirmed separately.
All accounts in the list are immediately available on the login screen.
It allows you to switch directly between measurement methods, place specific measurement points with precision, and access advanced measurement options.
Hearing threshold, discomfort level (UCL) and comfort level (MCL); binaurality is currently included as a placeholder.
Uncertain measurement points are framed by rectangles, ‘not heard’ points cause breaks in the curve, and exactly one tinnitus measurement point can be recorded per ear.
Level increment (1/2/5 dB), extended level range (+20 dB for headphones), maximum audio frequency response up to 16,000 Hz (DD450 only), second measurement curves and response microphone.
Secondary curves are marked with a ‘2’ and primary curves are greyed out; the response microphone mutes all signals and outputs the examiner’s voice via active transducers, although feedback may occur in a free-field environment.
Children’s tests and behavioural audiometry procedures can be launched via Test Selection → Tone and Speech Audiometry; MATCH uses its own interface, whilst the Mainz and Göttingen procedures are integrated into standard speech audiometry and use the same operating logic as the Freiburg tests.
Word groups are selected in the left-hand sidebar; control is via the control panel or central controls; when switching between processes, only the curves relevant to that process are displayed, but all results are retained in the printout or PDF.
The display is configured so that items are shown centrally and can be selected directly; a reaction threshold is recorded for each ear, shown as a solid line above the test level and additionally marked with abbreviations (‘KL’, ‘GG’) and musical notes, with a new threshold replacing the previous one.
The VRA Viewer is a standalone tool for classical conditioning in paediatric audiometry; it runs continuously at the top of the screen and displays images as rewards.
Clicking the icon on the screen or using hotkeys displays the next image in an active image list; the viewer comes preloaded with Mainzer-Kindertest material, but also supports your own images and videos.
At least two screens must be connected; the settings allow you to configure the language, screen layout (main/left/right), hotkeys, and image and video lists; the viewer can be paused or closed to free up monitors.
It reinforces conditioned responses by helping the child associate hearing a signal with a visual reward, which improves the clarity and consistency of their responses.
In the patient management module, new patients are created using the “Create new patient” function; the master data is organised into five tabs and can be fully edited in edit mode.
Mandatory fields are marked in red and can be defined under Settings → Global Settings → Patient Master Data; custom fields are created in the ‘Free Data Fields’ section and can optionally be set as mandatory fields.
Advanced master data, custom fields, hearing aids (for test-specific allocation) and free-form comments are available.
Changes are either saved or discarded; patients can be imported via GDT master data, printed, edited again or, following confirmation, deleted entirely (deletion is accompanied by a warning message).
MATCH is a versatile language assessment tool for children, featuring a freely combinable selection of 26 words, a balanced distribution of phonemes, and a long-term spectrum closely matching the International Long-Term Average Speech Spectrum, thereby providing a realistic representation of natural speech.
The level of difficulty can be specifically adjusted through word selection and volume control; MATCH can be used in either an open or closed format (touchscreen or picture cards) and is therefore also suitable for young children from around 2 years of age who are not yet speaking.
MATCH can be conducted using a fixed or adaptive threshold, with the adaptive method converging to approximately 71.4% speech intelligibility; the constant probability of success ensures high motivation and valid results.
Response times are recorded so that signs of fatigue can be identified and the validity of the measurement verified; despite a slight learning effect, the test remains highly reproducible.
It standardises the testing of wireless sound transmission systems and requires proof of metrological performance through a combination of technical measurement box testing and free-field audiometric testing on patients.
Depending on the room, use at least three loudspeakers or a ceiling-mounted omnidirectional loudspeaker; the midpoint between the patient and the system microphone must be exactly in the centre of the background noise source, and the system microphone must be positioned 10 cm in front of the speech source.
Separate correction values are determined for the target sound at the patient and microphone positions, whilst a single value is used for the background noise (in a 3-speaker setup); this is based on calibration noise at 70 dB SPL, with level differences of ≤ 2 dB to be maintained.
They can be documented, reused over the long term and stored in a pre-prepared multi-channel audiometry measurement report, so that for subsequent measurements, only the positioning and setup need to be checked.
According to the guidelines, AVWS testing should only be carried out in cases of normal peripheral hearing and in children aged 7 years and older; basic testing is carried out using standard pure-tone and speech audiometry.
Speech-free auditory discrimination, dichotic speech perception, speech audiometry with reduced redundancy, binaural interaction, and phoneme discrimination and analysis.
With a WESTRA licence, dichotic tests based on Feldmann (words/numbers) and Uttenweiler are available, which can be administered using the Lehnhardt or Berger method.
All installed speech tests can be conducted with background noise; MATCH also allows for binaural headphone tests with ipsilateral background noise, whilst regiometry enables simple binaural direction identification.
