FAQ
On this page you can read and download frequently asked questions about the MADSEN Astera.
Q: What are the basic elements in the MADSEN Astera audiometer?
A: On the hardware side, Astera consists of an audiometer hardware box, a Audiometer Control Panel, custom-made monitor headset and talk-forward and talk-back microphones and a talk-to-assistant headset. The Astera software is a fully flexible two-channel software that provides an excellent test overview and gives you the ability to set it up to meet your preferred settings. Being part of OTOsuite enables the user to integrate the audiometric testing with other diagnostic and fitting tests.
Q: Is it possible to compare old audiograms with new ones?
A: You can view any of the patient’s audiograms together on the screen, and also filter whether to only look at AC, BC or SF measurements to get a cleaner view. You can also apply a "Difference” highlighting to visualize changes over time. Any historical audiogram with the filter of your choice can be displayed in the graph as you’re measuring the new audiogram.
Q: Can I score phonemes with the Astera?
A: As an alternative to scoring correct and incorrect words, you can choose to score a configurable number of correct phonemes 0, 1, 2, 3... on corresponding phoneme counter buttons on the screen. These score butoons are also available on keyboard NumPad keys "0, 1, 2, 3...”.
Q: What does it mean that you have fully flexible speaker routing when using the MADSEN Astera?
A: You can independently route each audiometer channel to one, two, three or all four speakers simulteneously. Apart from that, you have the same independent flexibility to route your talk-forward to come out of any or all of these speakers. If more than one speaker plays masking noise, these noise signals will be presented uncorrelated, so that you also can combine mulitple noise sources. If this wasn’t enough, you can also name your speakers in the software control panel to reflect their real positions. You could e.g. have "Front Left”, "Front Right”, "Center” and "Back” speakers appearing with these names in the software routing section. If you had placed your speakers differently you might have a "Rear Left” and "Rear Right”, or why not a "Ceiling” speaker? There’s definitely a lot of flexibility.
