COMPUTER UTILIZATION FOR AUDIOGRAM CLASSIFICATION

• Published in: Journal of The Showa Medical Association Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 265 - 275
• Main Author: MOROHOSHI, Sakiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Showa University Society 1987; 昭和大学学士会
• ISSN: 0037-4342; 2185-0976
• DOI: 10.14930/jsma1939.47.265

Pure tone audiometry is absolutely necessary for diagnosis of deafness. The results are manifested as hearing loss and audiometric pattern on the audiogram. We produced a processing system for classifying audiometric patterns using a computer in classification of audiometric patterns under a criteria for audiometric patterns on the basis of the definition. The evaluation by this system was compared with a physician's evaluation. Subjects adopted in this study were 2, 000 cases who underwent audiometry by an audiometrist in a sound-proof chamber of Showa University Hospital. A coincidence rates by both evaluations were as high as about 90% in normal type and total deafness type, but as low as about 50 % in high and low tone deafness type and low tone deafness type. The reason why these differences were induced was that there were a lot of non-typical cases in high and low tone deafness type and therefore, the classifications of audiometric patterns by both evaluations were different. Thus, it is adequate to classify only typical cases and to adapt a method of classifying non-typical cases as“others”in classification by a computer utilizing hearing loss values. Actually, various methods of classification will be required according to the purpose. We think that we should try to enhance an accuracy of the computer's evaluation by improving pattern awareness process and using the other data concerning hearing loss than audiogram.