Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

9-30-1988

Degree Name

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering - (M.S.)

Department

Electrical Engineering

First Advisor

Stanley S. Reisman

Second Advisor

Burhan Tarik Oranc

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to detect the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) using lower numbers of averages than at present, by using an optimal smoothing method which is based on the Kalman Filter.

By using this method, the wave V latency of the BAER which is useful in testing for hearing loss can be detected with as low as 500 averages, while the traditional signal averaging method requires at least 2000 averages. Thus the time required for a hearing loss test can be reduced from one hour to approximately 20 minutes.

Also several other methods for detecting BAER are discussed in this thesis. They are: Signal Averaging, a posteriori "Wiener" Filtering and Time-Varyzng Filtering. Compared to these methods, the Optimal Smoothing method is simple and effective. The results show that the Optimal Smoothing method can detect the peak position shift using a signal model. For the low noise case (SNR > 1: 2), it can detect the peak position even without a signal model. The results also show that the amplitude of the peak and the shape of the waveform after processing are not matched with the input signal in the large noise case. Therefore this method can only be used as a latency detector.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.