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）第二阶段项目的重点是将声音耦合到人耳的通信设备（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。已经展示了一种芯片状设备，即透音阀，其用于从音频通信中收集能量，以便使用户耳朵中的耦合设备（气球）膨胀。这种可充气耳耦合减轻了耳内收听设备（例如耳塞和助听器）中经常出现的过大声压级，并且这是音频疲劳和潜在听力损伤的原因。折声阀的设计得到了极大的改进，使其更小，更有效地泵送空气。在这个项目中，关键的音阀芯片组件的生产将提高到小规模制造水平。此外，还将开发压力和功率利用管理硬件和算法，以将透声阀和充气耳耦合（气泡）集成到商用耳机和助听器中。最后，将在该项目第一阶段发现的非充气式耳对技术上开展工作，该技术也提高了音频质量和听力安全性。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力集中在革命性的新型人-音频耦合上，基于可充气耳机，应用于消费音频、蓝牙耳机、助听器、耳塞和专业通信耳机（飞行员、执法人员、军事人员等）。这项技术有可能通过减少使用入耳式设备的人群中的收听者疲劳和听力损伤来改善人们的生活，并使助听器更舒适，为已经有听力损失的人提供更好的声音。第一阶段的已发表结果表明，现有的耳耦合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使耳耦合缓解这一问题。这项新技术在市场上的第一个体现将是应用于消费者耳机（耳塞）的基本版本。从那里，更复杂的应用，如助听器，将得到解决。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就业机会。该项目还包括资助高中生或大学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.