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

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是提高高噪音环境中工作人员的HPD使用率，降低永久性听力损失，并开启密封耳生物声学研究领域。这种HPD预计将提供比定制耳塞更好的舒适性和适合性，但成本与泡沫型耳塞的年费用相似。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，成为这两个市场的新听力保护设备的选择。预期听力保护设备在嘈杂工作场所使用率的提高会对员工产生改善作用吗？健康和稳定他们的生产率、职位和工资。HPD以其新颖的听力保护方法在市场上的存在将提高人们对听力健康的欣赏，并进一步普及日常问题的生物物理学解决方案。基础研究将开启人们对密封耳朵生物声学现象的兴趣。一旦HPD和相关鼓膜反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广泛。这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目解决了对听力保护设备(HPD)的需求，该设备佩戴舒适，有效地阻止有害声音，同时还能够进行交流。HPD在嘈杂的工作场所环境中由于不适和对情景感知的效用不足而未被使用或滥用，导致了美国最广泛的非致命性永久性听力损失疾病，特别是在武装部队成员中。HPD的原型正在开发中，它有一种柔软的、从感知中消失的？充气式耳机，完全密封和隔离耳朵与外部声音，并具有可变性，以调整不同的响度情况。测试将测量隔音、语音识别、遮挡效果以及鼓膜上的舒适度、遮挡和压力，并与当今市场上最常见的耳塞式听力保护装置进行比较。将使用标准的听力测量方法，如阈值真实耳朵衰减、真实耳朵中的麦克风、鼓室导纳和反射率进行测试。与常见的听力保护装置相比，预期的结果包括改善隔音、更清晰的语音识别、显著减少甚至没有遮挡效应、极大地改善舒适度以及减少鼓膜上的压力。

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.