SBIR Phase II: New Technology for Coupling Sound to the Ear in Communications Devices

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目专注于将声音耦合到人耳，用于通信设备(MP3、蓝牙、助听器、耳机、耳塞)，具有前所未有的舒适性、安全性和音频质量。已经证明了一种类似芯片的装置，即隔膜阀，用于从音频通信中获取能量，目的是为用户耳朵中的耦合装置(气球)充气。这种充气耳机可以减轻耳塞和助听器等耳内听力设备中经常出现的过高声压水平，这是导致音频疲劳和潜在听力损害的原因。隔膜阀的设计有了显着的改进，使其更小，在泵送空气时更有效。在该项目中，关键的隔膜阀-芯片部件的产量将提高到小规模制造水平。此外，还将开发将隔膜阀和充气耳机(气泡)集成到商业耳机和助听器中的压力和功率利用管理硬件和算法。最后，在该项目第一阶段发现的非充气耳对技术方面将进行工作，该技术还可以改善音频质量和听力安全。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力集中在革命性的新型人到音频耦合上，基于充气耳机，应用于消费音频、蓝牙耳机、助听器、耳塞和用于专业通信(飞行员、执法、军事等)的耳机。这项技术有可能通过减少使用入耳式设备的人群中的听者疲劳和听力损害来改善人们的生活，并为已经患有听力损失的人制造更舒适的助听器和更好的音质。第一阶段公布的结果表明，现有的耳联方法如何在耳道中产生危险的声压，以及该项目的技术如何允许耳联结缓解这一问题。这项新技术推向市场的第一个体现将是应用于消费者耳机(耳机)的基本版。从那时起，将解决更复杂的应用，如助听器。该项目的成功将创造工程和商业部门的就业机会，以及制造业的就业机会。该项目还包括资助高中生或本科生参加研究和开发活动。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on coupling sound to the human ear for communications devices (MP3, Bluetooth, hearing aids, headsets, earbuds) with unprecedented comfort, safety and audio quality. A chip-like device, the diaphonic valve, for harvesting energy from audio communications for the purpose of inflating a coupling device (balloon) in the user's ear has been demonstrated. This inflatable ear coupling mitigates excessive sound pressure levels that often occur within-ear listening devices, such as ear-buds and hearing aids, and which are a cause of audio fatigue and potential hearing damage. Diaphonic valve design has been dramatically improved making it smaller and more effective at pumping air. In this project, production of the critical diaphonic valve-chip component will be increased to a small scale manufacturing level. Additionally, the pressure and power utilization management hardware and algorithms to integrate the diaphonic valve and inflatable ear coupling (bubble) into commercial headsets, and hearing aids will be developed. Finally, work will be done on a non-inflatable ear couple technology, discovered during Phase I of this project, which also improves audio quality and hearing safety. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project centers on revolutionary new person-to-audio couplings, based on an inflatable ear-piece, with applications in consumer audio, Bluetooth headsets, hearing aids, ear-buds, and headsets for professional communications (pilots, law enforcement, military, etc.). This technology has the potential to improve peoples lives by reducing listener fatigue and hearing damage in the population using in-ear devices, as well as making hearing aids more comfortable and better sounding for people who already have hearing loss. Published results from Phase I have shown how existing ear coupling approaches can produce dangerous sound pressures in the ear canal and how the technologies of this project allow ear couplings that alleviate this problem. The first embodiment of this new technology to the market will be a basic version applied to consumer headsets (ear-buds). From there, more complex applications, such as hearing aids, will be addressed. The success of this project will create engineering and business sector jobs as well as manufacturing jobs. The project also includes funding for a high school student or college undergraduate to participate in the research and development activities.