Innovative solution for virtual audiology training
Intelligent Hearing Systems is pleased to offer SmartVS™, a Smart Virtual Simulator software suite for audiology training. SmartVS™ is based on the user-friendly interface of our full-featured auditory diagnostic testing modules. SmartVS™ provides a realistic, virtual, testing environment from appointment scheduling to diagnostic testing, report generation and billing.
The audiology simulator you’ve been waiting for
SmartVS™ is the only virtual simulator designed for use in audiology training and requires no additional hardware. Individual semester licenses can be procured by a student and installed on the student’s own Windows computer. The package includes: 12 different audiometric tests for a set of 70 patients to learn and practice on, a signal
generator to manipulate acoustic signals, a companion PDF book with basic concepts, recording procedure explanations, exercises, and additional readings and references
Streamlined workflow
Realistic patient workflow including an appointment list, demographic data entry, referrals, history taking, testing procedures, report generation and billing. Testing modules include:
- Otoscopy
- Tympanometry (226 Hz & 1000 Hz)
- Acoustic Reflex Thresholds, with and without Decay
- Pure Tone Audiometry (air & bone conduction with masking)
- Speech Audiometry (SRT & WRS tests with masking)
- Neurodiagnostic Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
- Threshold Auditory Brainstem Response (ABRs; air & bone conduction)
- Middle Latency Responses (MLR)
- Late Latency Responses (LLR)
- Auditory Steady State Responses (ASSR)
- Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE)
- Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions
User-friendly features
- Easy Access to all parameters from a simplified control panel and streamlined menus
- Improved toolbar and button design for fast access to key features
- Quickly load preset protocols or load your own
- Change most test parameters with a single click
- Copy patient (avatar) image and send to clipboard for use in report generation
Virtual testing room
Begin your evaluation by selecting examination tools and supplies from the virtual tool cabinet. Once in your virtual hands, move and place each tool on the patient and complete the evaluation. Virtual testing room experience features:
- Comprehensive tool cabinet including an otoscope, tympanometer, skin preparation supplies, transducers, electrode leads, electrodes, and ear tips
- Perform and view virtual otoscopic exam
- Perform and view simulated tympanometry test (226 Hz & 1 kHz)
- Perform pure tone and speech audiometry with either headphones or ear inserts
- Perform evoked potentials:
- Simulate patient skin preparation and electrode placement: resulting impedance and recordings will depend on how well the patient’s skin was virtually prepped, and where the electrodes are placed
- Practice polarities and electrode cable connections to the amplifier, including use of Y-adaptor jumper cables: incorrect connections lead to acquiring waveforms with inverted, diminished, or absent morphology.
Comprehensive patient profiles
Complete library of virtual patient profiles representing various pathological conditions. Includes over 70 patient profiles with:
- Referral Information
- Demographic information and image
- History tab for patient background
- Different Case History questions and responses available for infant, pediatric and adult cases.
- Additional information and test results (i.e. BKB SIN) for some patients
- Otoscope image and tympanogram for each ear
- Air conduction & bone conduction thresholds
- Auditory evoked potential responses
- Patient state at the time of testing
Patient profiles can also be generated, customized, and shared with students and peers.
Audiometer features
Audiometer simulator is based on the user-friendly SmartAud audiometer. SmartAud Virtual features:
- Present stimuli by right-clicking on the audiogram frequency to be tested
- Patient (avatar) indicates response in the test room and by pressing the virtual response button on the audiometer
- Mark thresholds easily by using one of the score buttons or using a keyboard shortcut
- Stimuli include pure tones, warble tones, or words
- Comprehensive masking simulation, including masking assistance while using practice patient profiles
- Includes lists of spondee words for use in speech recognition threshold (SRT) and NU-6 words for word recognition score (WRS)
- Generate audiograms for air conduction or bone conduction thresholds including masking when required
- While using practice patient profiles, check your progress by using the feedback feature
OAE features
OAE testing simulation is based on the easy-to-use SmartOAE otoacoustic emission acquisition system. Available in both TEOAE or DPOAEs, SmartOAE includes the following features:
- Acquire Transient Evoked OAE or Distortion Product OAE
- Current meatal response shown live
- Standard or customizable protocols available to acquire both TEOAE and DPOAEs
- TEOAE responses include a pass/refer determination for overall, and for the main frequency bands
- TEOAE graphs include waveform (time domain), frequency domain conversion
- Time-Frequency analysis graph to visualize the TEOAE responses in different ways
- Customize all DPOAE acquisition parameters, from start and end frequencies to stimulus levels and frequency ratios
- Data for both TEOAE and DPOAE responses may be viewed in table format and exported for further analysis
AEP features
AEP testing simulation is based on the user-friendly SmartEP evoked potential system, the preferred choice for recording auditory evoked potentials. SmartEP Virtual features:
- Protocols to acquire click and tone burst ABRs, MLRs and LLRs (including masking)
- Easily view ongoing EEG display for quick assessment of patient state during testing
- Stimulus parameters can be easily changed to show their effect on the response waveform.
- View latencies and amplitudes of peaks directly on waveforms and in newly embedded recording information panel
- Easily mark waveforms using over thirty predefined peak labels, or create your own custom labels. Easily adjust them using a mouse or keyboard
- Automatically arrange recordings by intensity, acquisition order, stimulus frequency, or rate
- Latency-Intensity graphs indicating normative data ranges are automatically generated from marked waveforms
- Quickly add, subtract, invert, time shift, or cross-correlate recordings
ASSR features
Auditory Steady State Responses can be acquired using the acquisition module based on SmartEP-ASSR.
- Simultaneous, multi-frequency testing for both air and bone conduction
- Easily change between different combination of stimulation of the most frequently used audiometric frequencies (includes masking options)
- Easily view ongoing EEG display for quick assessment of patient state during testing
- View phasor and frequency spectrum diagrams for each waveform
- Activate phase and harmonic criteria for data analysis
- Automatically generate audiograms based on the responses on the page
- Analyze individual waveforms and each of their response components
- Set stopping rules based on SNR and Residual Noise
- Includes a Phase-Intensity analysis visualization tool
- View the audiogram in SPL, apply a general HL correction table, or use regression formulas for HL correction
- Automatically arrange recordings by intensity, acquisition order, stimulus frequency, or rate
AEP parametric model
AEPs (ABR, MLR and LLR) and ASSRs are generated on the fly based on a parametric model that adjusts peak latencies and amplitudes based on patient profile (i.e. pathology) and on stimulus parameters, pathology, and electrode placement. Additionally, response can be altered by subject state and may include a PAMR is some patient profiles.
- Intensity Function
- Rate Function
- Stimulus Frequency Function
- Stimulus Rise Time
- Stimulus Duration
- Montage: Ipsilateral, Contralateral, Horizontal and Midline
- Pathologies: Conductive, Sensorineural, Retrocochlear
Stimulus Visualization Tool
Students can learn more about the stimuli being presented by using the StimGen visualization tool. This signal generator is useful in teaching acoustics as the students can:
- Play with levels of amplitude, frequency, and duration to define the stimulus component
- Convert between the time domain and frequency domain
- Choose between multiple envelope windows to see their effects on the components
- Add multiple components to see the interactions between them and see a complex resulting stimuli, such as the ones used for eliciting multifrequency steady state responses
- Visualize the spectrum of the stimuli as relative amplitude or in decibels
Software Overview
Computer Requirements
- Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC* with 4GB RAM, 5GB Hard drive or better
- Minimum vertical resolution of 900 pixels (full HD recommended)
- Mouse or other pointing device
- Internet access for license verification
Click here for additional information about installation options for single-user and multi-user environments.
* Windows Virtual Machines and Emulators, such as PlayOnMac, may be used with the Web Based license, see instructions.