Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) has long been recognised as a valuable tool in the assessment of young children for hearing loss and is widely used by hearing care professionals worldwide. Until now the VRA devices available have usually consisted of two black boxes with smoked perspex fronts, containing a dancing doll/animal, which moves up and down and is illuminated by light either constant or pulsed.
The HiBrow Multi Monitor VRA has
been designed in conjunction with the Paediatric Audiology Services at Guys Hospital (part of the Southwark Primary
Care NHS Trust). The system displays animations on computer monitors to provide
the visual reinforcement following the sound produced from an audiometer. There
are many animations available and for ease of use they are split into
categories. The system has three modes for displaying the animations:
- Automatic
- The system will cycle through all animations available.
- By Category – The system will cycle through all animations in a category.
- Fixed
– Where a child associates with a particular animation, the system will retain
that animation for as long as required.
The HiBrow Multi Monitor VRA also
has the option of a third monitor for the conditioning of a child prior to
undertaking the controlled tests.
The sound is switched from one of the channels
of the audiometer when using the conditioning set of speaker and monitor.
Shown opposite is the software
module of the HiBrow Multi Monitor VRA. This is being used in conjunction with
the Siemens Unity Audiometer or you may use any PC based or standalone
audiometer.
The picture shows the device being used in the
three-monitor mode.