Heinrich Adolf Rinne
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Adolf Rinne was a German otologist born in Vlotho
an der Weser. He received his doctorate from the University of Göttingen and practiced medicine in the city of Göttingen
. Later he was a physician in Sandstadt near Stade
(1857) and Hildesheim
(1860).
In 1855 Rinne described the combined conductive process of the tympanic membrane and the ossicles
of the middle ear
. He is known for the eponymous Rinne test
. The Rinne test is a hearing test conducted with a tuning fork
, and is used to test and compare a patients' hearing via air conduction (normal process) or by way of bone conduction
(sound to the inner ear
through the mastoid). He reasoned that if a person hears a sound for a longer period of time through bone conduction than through air conduction, a disease is present somewhere in the conduction apparatus.
Despite his research, Rinne's test wasn't generally recognized until after his death, when otologists Friedrich Bezold
and August Lucae
(1835-1911) publicized Rinne's work in the early 1880s.
Vlotho
Vlotho is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Vlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, and the Weserbergland in the east...
an der Weser. He received his doctorate from the University of Göttingen and practiced medicine in the city of Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
. Later he was a physician in Sandstadt near Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
(1857) and Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
(1860).
In 1855 Rinne described the combined conductive process of the tympanic membrane and the ossicles
Ossicles
The ossicles are the three smallest bones in the human body. They are contained within the middle ear space and serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth . The absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss...
of the middle ear
Middle ear
The middle ear is the portion of the ear internal to the eardrum, and external to the oval window of the cochlea. The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles, which couple vibration of the eardrum into waves in the fluid and membranes of the inner ear. The hollow space of the middle ear has...
. He is known for the eponymous Rinne test
Rinne test
The Rinne test is a hearing test. It compares perception of sounds transmitted by air conduction to those transmitted by bone conduction through the mastoid...
. The Rinne test is a hearing test conducted with a tuning fork
Tuning fork
A tuning fork is an acoustic resonator in the form of a two-pronged fork with the prongs formed from a U-shaped bar of elastic metal . It resonates at a specific constant pitch when set vibrating by striking it against a surface or with an object, and emits a pure musical tone after waiting a...
, and is used to test and compare a patients' hearing via air conduction (normal process) or by way of bone conduction
Bone conduction
Bone conduction is the conduction of sound to the inner ear through the bones of the skull.Bone conduction is the reason why a person's voice sounds different to him/her when it is recorded and played back. Because the skull conducts lower frequencies better than air, people perceive their own...
(sound to the inner ear
Inner ear
The inner ear is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the temporal bone of the skull with a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:...
through the mastoid). He reasoned that if a person hears a sound for a longer period of time through bone conduction than through air conduction, a disease is present somewhere in the conduction apparatus.
Despite his research, Rinne's test wasn't generally recognized until after his death, when otologists Friedrich Bezold
Friedrich Bezold
Friedrich Bezold was a German otologist and professor at the University of Munich. He made several contributions to early audiology....
and August Lucae
August Lucae
Johann Constantin August Lucae was a German otologist who was a native of Berlin.He studied medicine in Berlin and Bonn, and in 1859 earned his doctorate. He furthered his studies in London with Joseph Toynbee , and later returned to Berlin, where he worked in Virchow's pathological institute...
(1835-1911) publicized Rinne's work in the early 1880s.
Selected writings
- Über das Stimmorgan und die Bildung der Sprache. Müller’s Archiv für Anatomie, Physiologie und wissenschaftliche Medicin, Berlin, 1850.
- Beiträge zur Physiologie des menschlichen Ohres. Zeitschrift für rationelle Medicin, Leipzig and Heidelberg, 1864.
- Über die Formen des Himmelgewölbes. Zeitschrift für rationelle Medicin, Leipzig and Heidelberg, 1866.
- Materialismus und ethisches Bedürfnis in ihrem Verhältnisse zur Psychologie. Braunschweig, 1868.