Wide band pressure and velocity (p-v) tympanometry with calibrated sound intensity micro-probes

Wide band p-v tympanometry can be defined as the measurement of the acoustic immittance of the ear, possibly in normal air pressure condition of the ear canal, and in the full audio frequency range. The most important innovation pioneered by the p-v tympanometry regards the introduction of a different principle of measurement based on the direct acquisition of, both, pressure and velocity (p-v) signals at the ear canal entrance. The measurement can be done by using a pre-calibrated couple of dedicated micro-sensors: an ordinary microphone and an acoustic velocimetric micro-device. This paper will report about wide band measurements of ear immittance functions in the range [100, 1200] Hz, carried out by means of a modified tympanometric probe hosting a pre-calibrated sound intensity micro-probe, and their comparison, with data obtained by standard 226 Hz tympanometry.