The Labat Audiolite is a digital diagnostic audiometer designed for the assessment of hearing sensitivity and auditory function. Distributed and marketed by Hearsound Technology, the system provides a range of audiometric testing capabilities through a compact, computerized platform.

Audiometry plays an important role in evaluating hearing thresholds across different frequencies and sound intensities. The Audiolite supports multiple testing methods, including air conduction, bone conduction, speech audiometry, and masking. Depending on the installed configuration, it can also support free-field testing and tone decay testing. The system combines dedicated audiometric hardware with digital controls and computer connectivity, allowing test results to be recorded, displayed, stored, and used for report generation.

Two-Channel Audiometry

The Audiolite is designed as a two-channel audiometer. Independent channels allow the system to manage test signals and masking signals during diagnostic hearing examinations. The two-channel configuration is particularly useful for audiometric procedures in which the response from one ear needs to be assessed while appropriate masking is presented to the opposite ear. This provides greater flexibility for diagnostic hearing evaluation compared with basic screening-only systems. The system can synchronize the presentation of tones and masking, helping streamline the testing workflow.

Air Conduction Testing

Air conduction testing evaluates hearing sensitivity by delivering controlled sound through headphones or suitable earphones. Audiolite supports air conduction testing across the standard audiometric frequency range. The documented configuration provides frequencies from 125 Hz to 8 kHz, with hearing levels extending from approximately -10 dB HL to +120 dB HL, depending on frequency. Air conduction testing can be used to determine hearing thresholds across different frequencies and generate an audiogram representing the patient's responses.

Bone Conduction Testing

Audiolite also supports bone conduction audiometry. Bone conduction testing delivers vibrations through a bone conductor positioned against the skull, allowing the auditory pathway to be assessed without relying on the outer and middle ear in the same way as air conduction testing. The documented system provides bone conduction levels from approximately -10 dB HL to +75 dB HL, depending on frequency. Comparing air and bone conduction thresholds can provide useful information for distinguishing different patterns of hearing impairment.

Speech Audiometry

The Audiolite supports speech audiometry in addition to pure-tone testing. Speech testing evaluates how a person detects and responds to spoken signals at different intensity levels. Speech audiometry can complement pure-tone threshold measurements by providing information about hearing performance using speech material. It can be used as part of a broader audiological evaluation and may be particularly useful when assessing functional hearing ability. The system's speech capability can be integrated into the overall audiometric examination and reporting workflow.

Masking

Masking is an important component of diagnostic audiometry when there is a possibility that the non-test ear may respond to the stimulus presented to the test ear. Audiolite supports masking using narrow-band noise (NBN), white noise (WN), and speech noise, depending on the test requirement. Automatic synchronization of tone and masking helps coordinate the test signal with the masking stimulus. Appropriate masking procedures are selected and controlled by the audiologist according to the patient's hearing thresholds and the specific examination being performed.

Warble and Pulsed Tones

The system supports different tone presentation modes for audiometric testing. These include normal continuous tones as well as warble and pulsed tone options. Warble tones can be useful in situations where sound-field testing or other conditions require modulation of the stimulus to reduce the influence of standing waves. Pulsed tones provide an alternative presentation mode for selected examinations. The availability of these stimulus options gives the audiologist greater flexibility when conducting different types of hearing tests.

Tone Decay Testing

Depending on the installed configuration, Audiolite supports Tone Decay Testing. This examination evaluates a patient's ability to perceive a continuous tone over a defined period and can provide additional information during selected audiological investigations. Tone decay testing is performed under controlled conditions and is interpreted alongside the patient's other audiometric findings.

Free-Field Audiometry

Free-field testing is available as an optional capability in the documented Audiolite configuration. Unlike headphone-based testing, free-field audiometry presents sound through loudspeakers within an appropriately configured acoustic environment. This can be useful in selected clinical situations where conventional earphone or bone-conduction testing is not suitable or when hearing needs to be evaluated under sound-field conditions. The availability of free-field testing depends on the specific Audiolite configuration and connected equipment.

Digital Audiogram and PC Connectivity

Audiolite can be connected to a computer for digital test management and reporting. The PC interface allows audiometric information to be transferred into software for visualization, documentation, and report generation. A computerized workflow can provide a graphical representation of hearing thresholds and help organize patient test information. The system is also designed to support automated report generation through its PC software, reducing the need for manual transcription of test findings.

Test Memory and Data Management

The Audiolite documentation specifies unlimited test memory as one of its features. Digital storage of test information can support the retention and retrieval of audiometric examinations. Maintaining electronic test records can make it easier to review previous results and compare findings during follow-up examinations, subject to the configuration and software environment in use. Digital record management also supports a more organized workflow for audiology and ENT departments.

Compact and Portable Design

Audiolite is designed as a compact audiometry system intended for clinical and diagnostic use. Its documented product configuration has a weight of approximately 1.2 kg for the audiometer unit, making it considerably more portable than larger audiology workstations. The compact construction can be useful in clinics and diagnostic centres where equipment may need to be moved between examination areas. The system is supplied with standard audiometric accessories, which may include headphones, a bone conductor, a patient response switch, and a carrying case depending on the configuration.

Audiometric Frequency and Output Range

The documented Audiolite specifications provide a frequency range of 125 Hz to 8 kHz for standard audiometric testing. Maximum output varies according to frequency and transducer. For air conduction, the documented maximum output reaches up to 120 dB HL at several standard frequencies. Bone conduction output extends up to approximately 75 dB HL at selected frequencies. The system's documented hearing-level electrical accuracy is within ±1 dB of indication, while frequency accuracy is specified as better than ±2%. These specifications support controlled presentation of test stimuli during diagnostic audiometric examinations.

Clinical Applications

Audiolite can support a range of hearing assessment procedures in audiology and ENT settings. Depending on the configuration, applications include:

• Pure-tone audiometry
• Air conduction testing
• Bone conduction testing
• Speech audiometry
• Masked audiometry
• Tone decay testing
• Free-field audiometry
• Warble-tone testing
• Pulsed-tone testing
• Hearing threshold evaluation
• Follow-up hearing assessment
• Diagnostic audiological evaluation

The specific tests performed should be selected by a qualified audiologist or healthcare professional according to the patient's clinical requirements.

Standards and Safety

The Audiolite technical documentation references recognized audiometric and electrical safety standards, including EN 60601-1, EN 60601-1-2, EN 60645, ANSI S3.6, and relevant ISO 389 standards. Compliance with applicable standards is important for audiometric equipment because the system must generate controlled acoustic stimuli and maintain specified performance characteristics during testing. Regular calibration and appropriate environmental conditions remain important for obtaining reliable audiometric measurements.

Supporting Comprehensive Hearing Assessment

The Labat Audiolite brings multiple audiometric functions together within a two-channel digital platform. Its combination of air conduction, bone conduction, speech testing, masking, and optional specialized tests allows it to support more comprehensive hearing assessment than a basic screening audiometer. PC connectivity, digital audiogram presentation, automated report generation, and test-memory functionality further support the clinical workflow from patient testing to documentation.

At Molecular Diagnostics and Therapy, the Audiolite audiometry system can support structured hearing evaluation by providing controlled audiometric stimuli, measurement of hearing thresholds, and digital recording of test results for clinical interpretation by qualified professionals.