STTR Phase I: Self-Inflating bubble provides comfortable, effective hearing protection with directionality

STTR 第一阶段：自动充气气泡提供舒适、有效的定向听力保护

• 批准号: 1417090
• 负责人: Stephen Ambrose
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Asius Technologies, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1417090&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Self; Inflating; bubble

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be to improve HPD use-rates among workers in loud noise environments, reduce permanent hearing loss rates and usher in the field of sealed-ear bio-acoustical studies. This HPD is expected to provide greater comfort and fit than custom earplugs yet have a cost similar to the annual expense of the foam type. The use-rate with this HPD is expected to compete with and likely exceed that of the custom earplugs and be the new hearing protection device of choice for both markets. The anticipated hearing protection device use-rate increase in loud workplaces will have the effect of improving workers? health and stabilizing their productivity rates, positions and wages. The presence of this HPD with its novel approach to hearing protection on the market will enhance appreciation for hearing health and further popularize biophysics solutions to everyday issues. The underlying research will open up interest in sealed-ear bio-acoustical phenomena. Once the performance results of this HPD and the associated tympanic membrane response study reaches the mainstream audiological and acoustic research communities, the desire to evaluate the health effects of a range of in-ear audio devices and associated ear canal acoustics will become widespread.This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project addresses the need for a hearing protection device (HPD) that is comfortable to wear, effectively blocks harmful sounds and yet enables communication. HPDs go unused or misused in loud workplace environments due to discomfort and insufficient utility with regards to situational awareness leading to the single most extensive non-fatal labor-based sickness of permanent hearing loss in the United States and in particular, among members of the armed forces. A prototype HPD is under development with a soft, ?disappears from perception? inflatable ear-coupler that fully seals and isolates the ear from exterior sound and with variability to adjust for differing loudness situations. Tests will measure sound isolation, speech recognition, occlusion effect, and perceived comfort, occlusion and stress on the tympanic membrane compared to the most common earplug style hearing protection devices on the market today. Standard audiometric methods such as Real Ear Attenuation at Threshold, Microphone In Real Ear, tympanometry, and reflectance will be used to perform tests. Expected results include improved sound isolation, clearer speech recognition, significantly less to no occlusion effect, greatly preferred comfort levels and reduced stress on the tympanic membrane compared to the common hearing protection devices.

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是提高工人在高噪声环境中的HPD使用率，降低永久性听力损失率，并引入密封耳生物声学研究领域。 这种HPD有望提供比定制耳塞更大的舒适度和贴合度，但成本与泡沫类型的年度费用相似。 这种HPD的使用率预计将与定制耳塞竞争并可能超过定制耳塞，成为两个市场的新听力保护设备。 预期的听力保护装置使用率的增加，在嘈杂的工作场所将有改善工人的效果？健康和稳定他们的生产率、职位和工资。 这种HPD的存在及其在市场上的新颖听力保护方法将提高人们对听力健康的认识，并进一步推广生物物理学解决方案。 基础研究将开启对封闭耳朵生物声学现象的兴趣。 一旦HPD和相关鼓膜响应研究的性能结果到达主流听力学和声学研究社区，评估一系列入耳式音频设备和相关耳道声学的健康影响的愿望将变得普遍。这个小企业技术转移研究（STTR）第一阶段项目解决了对佩戴舒适的听力保护设备（HPD）的需求，有效地阻止有害声音，但仍能进行通信。 HPD在嘈杂的工作环境中未被使用或误用，这是由于在情境感知方面的不适和实用性不足，导致在美国，特别是在武装部队成员中，单一最广泛的永久性听力损失的非致命性劳动疾病。 火奴鲁鲁警局的原型正在开发中，从感知中消失可充气的耳耦合器，完全密封和隔离耳朵与外部声音，并具有可变性，以适应不同的响度情况。 测试将测量声音隔离，语音识别，闭塞效果，以及与当今市场上最常见的耳塞式听力保护装置相比的感知舒适度，闭塞和鼓膜压力。 将使用标准听力测定方法（如阈值时的真实的耳衰减、真实的耳内麦克风、鼓室压测定和反射率）进行测试。 预期结果包括与普通听力保护装置相比，改善的声音隔离、更清晰的语音识别、明显更少或没有闭塞效应、非常优选的舒适度水平和降低的鼓膜压力。