Performing tympanometry using smartphones

Middle ear disorders are one of the most common causes of preventable hearing loss. While the developing world bears a disproportionate burden of these disorders, it often lacks access to diagnostic tools to support early detection and treatment. Tympanometry is a key test to measure middle ear function, but remains available only on expensive test equipment that is bulky and inconvenient to transport and requires a wall outlet for power. We present a low-cost smartphone-based tympanometry system that works by changing the air pressure of the ear canal and measuring eardrum mobility. Our system, for which the software and hardware are openly available, has the potential to make screening of middle ear disorders more accessible in low-resource settings.