Ibrahim Jahangir

Audiometry

Sound is the mechanical oscillation of an elastic medium, with its frequency measured in Hertz.
These form longitudinal waves in which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy
transfer. Speed of sound through the air is measured at 340 m/s and increases in more dense
mediums. This is due to the particles within the medium being closer together so that each
particle moves less before reaching the next one to pass their energy on. This speed can also
be altered by temperature and elasticity of the medium. The pitch of sound is given by
frequency, its colour by the release of many waves of the same frequency and therefore energy,
which corresponds to a certain colour. The intensity is the amount of energy passed in one
second through a area of one m². This is called the specific acoustic power.

Zero isophone is obtained when in a graph, we connect the threshold intensities of audible
frequencies.

Son - the unit for loudness, where 1 son represents the reference tone of 40 dB.

Loudness is a threshold quantity, meaning it is either heard or not heard by the human ears.

This value of loudness is subjectively felt and is expressed in Phones (Ph. A phone is the
smallest difference in amplitude which can be determined by the human ear.

The intensity at which the hearing of sound

changes in pain at any frequency is called the
pain threshold line, which can be found on these
graphs. The zero isophone line can also be found
using these graphs. This graph shows that with
varying intensity, how loudness (dB) changes with
frequency (Hz). We can also look at the acoustic
spectrum to see the frequency distribution of
amplitudes using harmonic frequencies. We can
together with both graphs come to valid
conclusions about the properties of sound.

Tonometry for blood pressure

Uses the vibrations caused by the systolic/diastolic pressures in the arterial wall, which can
then be transduced into electrical energy. A cuff is applied which raises the blood pressure
above systolic pressure, quickly followed by a release of pressure to allow the blood to flow
again, which gives a good reading in the cuff due to the detectable vibration in the artery wall
which is induced as a result of this sudden blood flow in the arteries. The vibrations are sent
through the arterial wall and through the air in the cuff, into a transducer which converts this
into electrical energy, which then shows the blood pressure on a screen.
Measuring the electrical properties of the skin

A device is used to connect the skin tissue, where sensors are attached to deliver electrical
impulses as electrodes. These are received by different tissues in various intensities depending
on the resistance of the individual cells. Digital multimeters are used to read these signals. Skin
resistance however isn’t linear, as resistance decreases with increasing voltage. This process
however is difficult as the problem arises with determining what is being measured - the skin
resistance, or the muscle tissue resistance. The affect of DC or AC current is different on the
skin, with the resistance being inversely proportional to the cross-section area of the conductor
(in this case the skin)