Device to Cancel Secondhand Snoring & for Sleep Research

描述（由申请人提供）：大约25%的成年人习惯性打鼾，为那些试图在附近睡觉的人（床伴）造成间接问题，通常包括慢性睡眠剥夺。睡眠不足会对健康、认知、驾驶能力和社会关系造成重大负担。在拟议的第一阶段工作中，我们将进行概念验证（POC）技术测试，以不引人注目地消除床伴耳朵上的打鼾声音，同时允许自然听到其他声音。POC工作将包括：1）组装测试系统，2）确定自适应情境传递函数，3）量化阶段I设备和算法的实时打鼾消除性能，并研究实现多换能器实施例的传感器融合，以及4）与我们的学术合作者合作，以确保IRB批准涉及人类受试者的阶段II活动。在第二阶段，将开发具有消费者和睡眠研究应用的设备。通过选择性地消除打鼾的声音，设想的设备将使床伴睡得越来越安宁。该设想的设备也是一种新的睡眠研究工具的基础，用于研究打鼾的间接影响，以及自动化和简化呼吸声和其他睡眠研究中有用数据的收集和分析。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Some 25% of adults snore habitually, creating secondhand problems for those trying to sleep nearby (bed partners), frequently including chronic sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can impose a significant burden on health, cognition, driving ability, and social relationships. In the proposed Phase I effort, we will conduct a proof of concept (POC) test of technology for unobtrusively canceling the sound of snoring at the ears of a bed partner while permitting natural hearing of other sounds. The POC effort will comprise; 1) assembling a test system, 2) determining an adaptive situational transfer function, 3) quantifying real-time snore canceling performance of the Phase I device and algorithm and investigating sensor fusion enabling multi-transducer embodiments, and 4) working with our academic collaborator to secure IRB approval for Phase II activities involving human subjects. In Phase II, a device will be developed having consumer and sleep research applications. By selectively canceling snoring sounds, the envisioned device will enable a bed partner to sleep more and more peacefully. The envisioned device also is the basis for a new sleep research tool to study the impact of secondhand effects of snoring, as well as automating and simplifying the gathering and analyzing of breathing sound and other data useful in sleep research.