Co-located Earphone/Microphone for Active Noise Reduction

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目标是设计，制造和测试共置耳机/麦克风用于在耳，主动降噪（ANR）系统。我们的创新是基于微加工膜，既作为麦克风的传感元件，同时作为耳机的驱动表面。通过配置耳机和麦克风，我们的设备消除了ANR传感器和致动器之间的声学相位延迟，从而使反馈算法在更高的频率下具有更高的增益，而不是使用单独的设备。目前的听力保护设计在耳朵处提供大约30 dB的衰减。这种保护水平不足以在许多工业噪声环境（可能超过130 dB）中长时间暴露，同时将耳旁声级保持在规定的安全限值内。为了保持在当前的NIOSH和OSHA噪声暴露标准内，需要新技术来保护个人免受可能导致暂时或永久性听力阈值偏移的有害噪声水平的长期暴露。在第一阶段项目中，我们通过制造和测试原型设备来证明我们创新的可行性。我们所取得的结果显示了我们的麦克风设计的灵敏度，展示了我们的耳机设计的声音产生能力，提供了一个制造计划，在第二阶段的共定位耳机/麦克风的制造，并证明了在300 Hz 8000 Hz的频率范围内的降噪能力。噪声性听力损失被美国国家职业安全与健康研究所列为影响美国个人的十大工作相关问题之一。该项目的目标是开发用于入耳式通信和听力保护设备的新技术，这些设备将在比目前可能的更宽的频率范围内具有更强的听力保护能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and test co-located earphones/microphones for use in in- ear, active noise reduction (ANR) systems. Our innovation is based on a micromachined membrane that serves as both the sensing element for a microphone and simultaneously the actuation surface for the earphone. By collocating the earphone and microphone, our device eliminates the acoustic phase delay between the ANR sensor and actuator, thereby enabling feedback algorithms with higher gain at higher frequency than is possible using separate devices. Current hearing protection designs provide approximately 30 dB of attenuation at the ear. This level of protection is not sufficient to allow long exposures in many industrial noise environments (which may exceed 130 dB) while maintaining the at-the-ear sound levels within prescribed safety limits. In order to keep within current NIOSH and OSHA noise exposure standards, new technologies are needed that will protect individuals from long-term exposure to harmful noise levels that could potentially result in temporary or permanent hearing threshold shifts. During the Phase I project, we demonstrated the feasibility of our innovation by fabricating and testing prototypical devices. The results we achieved showed the sensitivity of our microphone design, demonstrated the sound production capability of our earphone design, provided a manufacturing plan for fabrication of the co-located earphone/microphone during Phase II, and demonstrated the noise reduction capability over the frequency range of 300 Hz 8000 Hz. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Noise-induced hearing loss ranks as one of the top 10 work-related issues by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health affecting individuals in the U.S. The goal of this project is to develop new technology for in-ear communications and hearing protection devices that will have greater hearing protection capability over a wider frequency range than is currently possible.