Development of Diagnostic Apparatus for Ear Disease

Research Project

Project/Area Number	05044148
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	Joint Research
Research Institution	Tohoku University
Principal Investigator	WADA Hiroshi Tohoku University, 工学部, 教授 (30111264)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	OHYAMA Kenji Sendai Ro-sai Hospital, 耳鼻咽喉科, 部長 (10152266) KOBAYASHI Toshimitsu Tohoku University, 医学部, 助教授 (80133958) TAKASAKA Tomonori Tohoku University, 医学部, 助教授 (80004646) KEMP David T. University College London Medical School, 耳鼻研究所, 教授
Project Period (FY)	1993 – 1994
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1994)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000) Fiscal Year 1994: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000) Fiscal Year 1993: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Keywords	Otoacoustic Emissions / Middle Ear Dynamic Characteristics / Diagnostic Apparatus / Inner Ear Disease / Middle Ear Disease / Outer Hair Cells
Research Abstract	Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are believed to originate from outer hair cell movement and are considered to be transmitted to the external auditory meatus through the middle ear in a retrograte fashion. Therefore, the effect of the middle ear on OAEs seems to be large. In this paper, firstly, applying our developed sweep frequency impedance meter (SFI) and three OAEs measuring apparatuses, middle ear dynamic characteristics and different sorts of OAEs of human subjects and guinea pigs were measured, and an attempt was made to examine the relationship between OAEs and middle ear dynamic characteristics from various aspects. Then, measurement method of an apparatus for diagnosing both middle and inner ear diseases is determined, i.e.tone-burst evoked OAEs are measured when the pressure difference between the external auditory meatus and the tympanic cavity is the smallest. As the international patent of the measuring method of OAEs will be expired in 4 years, the development of the apparatus mentioned above will start afterwards.