Laser Doppler vibrometry: a new tool for diagnosing hearing loss with an intact eardrum

The diagnosis of hearing loss with an intact eardrum frequently requires an entire battery of hearing tests, without the guarantee of an exact diagnosis. The techniques frequently provide only orientation for it, without establishing the site of the lesion and the etiology of the hearing loss. Laser Doppler vibrometry is a new technique, which has recently proved capable, of partially resolving this problem. The method is based on the study of the sound-induced vibration of the eardrum in humans in vivo, using a laser Doppler vibrometer. The method proved to be useful in the diagnosis of the pathology of the middle ear sound transmission system, avoiding the need for exploratory tympanotomy. Called "laser-audiometry", the method promises to become a new diagnostic tool for hearing impairment.