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The Critical Role of Calibration Of Audiometer
and Calibration in Hearing Health
Accuracy is of prime importance in audiology. Accurate hearing tests are important in
diagnosing and treating auditory disorders in all age groups. Audiometer calibration
ensures that the equipment used for hearing testing in a facility is functioning
optimally to give accurate results. Thus, this creates the base of a reliable auditory
evaluation with all its parameters, including the audiometric equipment, which
audiologists use in private practice, hospitals, or research facilities.
The present blog is an introductory lesson on calibration, offers a phase of discussion
on understanding the different equipment used, and finally looks into the fine detail of
calibration in neurological hearing tests.
What Is Calibration?
When testing a person's hearing capability, audiometers send tones of different
frequencies and loudness to him or her. Even a very costly audiometer cannot escape
gradual drift from its calibrated settings over the years because of wear and tear or
even because of a change in the environment. Misdiagnosis can lead to improper
therapy or sometimes even complete absence of diagnosis of hearing deficiency when
an audiometer is slightly off.
Why Is Calibration So Important?
Maintaining accreditation with professional associations or insurance companies also
frequently requires regular calibration, which is required by law. When it comes to
hearing evaluations, the stakes are high. A misdiagnosis of hearing loss may result
from inaccurate audiometric readings.
 Unnecessary interventions or delayed treatment

Improper fitting of cochlear implants or hearing aids
 Legal and compliance concerns for clinics and medical facilities
Choosing the Right Calibration Equipment

https://www.deshlerdiagnostics.com/pages/calibration-and-service


https://www.deshlerdiagnostics.com/pages/calibration-and-service


https://www.deshlerdiagnostics.com/pages/calibration-and-service

Modern and fine-tuned calibration tools guarantee accurate and repeatable results
across the spectrum of devices and clinical settings. Calibration technicians should
also ensure their equipment is calibrated regularly to maintain traceability and
reliability. To effect calibrate, technicians now rely on different specialized audiometer
calibration equipment. The equipment was developed to model the human ear and test
audiometers under test conditions. The following are the most commonly used
calibration tools:
 Acoustic couplers: They are crucial for confirming sound pressure levels since
they mimic the ear canal.
 Accurately measure sound production: across frequency ranges with sound
level meters.
 Artificial mastoids: To calibrate bone conduction transducers, they mimic the
bone conduction process.
 Oscilloscopes and multimeters: Examine waveform stability and electronic
outputs.
Calibration - A Deeper Dive
Neural pathway assessment in hearing involves several audiology experts and
responses from auditory brainstem potential tests conducted along with normal
auditory tests. This is more so in the case of infants, uncooperative patients, or
patients prone to possible neurological conditions affecting hearing.
 Stimulus verification: Verifying that the stimulus type (clicks or tone bursts) is
constant in timing and strength is a common step in ABR calibration.
 Checking waveforms: for distortion or delay problems is known as a signal
integrity check.
 Electrode impedance testing: Verifying that the electrode's skin contact is
uniform and clean in order to minimize noise.
How Often Should You Calibrate
ABR systems and audiometers should be calibrated at least once a year, according to
best standards, however some specialized or high-volume clinics choose to do it every
two or three months. Additionally, a recalibration should be done right away whenever
any equipment is moved, repaired, or exhibits symptoms of malfunction.
The audiology team should support routine calibration by conducting daily listening
checks. These real-time inspections aid in spotting any problems that might call for
more technical analysis.
Conclusion
Calibration of audiometers and ABRs is essential to providing ethical and efficient
audiological care; it goes beyond simple technical needs. Trained specialists can
guarantee that every hearing test produces accurate, dependable, and therapeutically
valuable findings by using the proper calibration equipment.
Setting audiometer and calibration as a top priority with Deshler Diagnostics
safeguards not only the hearing of your patients but also the integrity of your services,
regardless of how big or small your audiology department is. In the end, spending
money on routine calibration is an investment in accuracy, trust, and better patient
results.