Differences in distortion product otoacoustic emission phase recorded from human neonates using two popular probes

DPOAE (2 f₁ - f₂) phase was measured across a 3-octave frequency range from two groups of newborns using ER10B+ and ER10C probe microphones. A marked phase shift was noted in the mid-to-high frequency range for newborn data recorded with the ER10C only. In contrast, the ER10B+ produced phase that was approximately invariant as a function of frequency for most of the range. Probe-related phase shifts can be effectively eliminated by correcting for variations in the phases of the primary tones. Results highlight the importance of detecting and correcting for system-related phase shifts so they are not misinterpreted as cochlear in origin.