3m Innovative Properties Company

Ecole De Technologie Superieure

Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc.

Jeremie Voix

Frederic Laville

Hami Monsarrat-Chanon

Vincent Nadon

Thomas Habrant

Fabien Bonnet

Valentin Pintat

Alexis Martin

Marcos Nogarolli

Hugues Nelisse

Gabrielle Cretot-Richert

Aidin Delnavaz

Guilhem Viallet

Patrick Cardinal

Rachel Bou Serhal

Philippe Chabot

Hami Montsarrat-Chanon

A system and method to measure noise reduction and evaluate the contributions of various sound sources to noise exposure dose of exposition using electro-acoustic earplugs is provided. The system may be implemented as an advanced HPD in the form of an electro-acoustical earplug. The earplug comprises an OEMand an IEM. The system is configured to calculate an estimated IEM signal based on calculation of estimates of residual ambient noise, payback sounds or WID present in the ear canal.

System and method to perform in-ear noise dosimetry and personal attenuation rating under an electro-acoustic earplug while excluding wearer-induced disturbances and separating exposure sources

A system and a method to determine heart and/or breathing rates. The system comprises a shell configured to occlude an ear canal, an in-ear microphone located inside the shell to capture an audio signal inside the ear canal, and a processor operatively connected to the in-ear microphone, the processor being configured to analyse the audio signal in order to determine at least one of a heart beat and/or a respiration rate measurement or attribute, even when the wearer of the system is immersed in high level of environmental noise. The system and method also comprise the use of an adaptive digital filter to remove the residual environmental noise from the audio signal captured by the in-ear microphone. The system and method also comprise the use of a predetermined audio signal association to identify attributes of the captured audio signal inside the ear canal.

System and method for determining cardiac rhythm and/or respiratory rate

Personalised calibration methods and devices adapted to identify acoustical corrections to be applied for in-ear dosimetry. The acoustical corrections allow to convert a measured acoustic pressure within the ear-canal of a user to an equivalent acoustic pressure at the ear-drum and/or in free-field. The methods and devices also allow to distinguish noises originating from the user from noises of the environment in the ear occluded by an earplug. Such a distinction is done using two microphones to simultaneously measure the acoustic pressure within the ear-canal and outside the ear-canal. The device may be used to determine a cumulative sound pressure level dosage for which a user being exposed to surrounding sounds over a predetermined period of time.

Method and system for measuring in-ear effective sound exposure under an earplug or without an earplug and for determining a wearer induced disturbance

A system for reading bioelectrical signals from the skin of a user is provided. The system comprises a plug for inserting in an ear having an inner portion to be inserted into the ear, an outer portion and an inner floating electrode comprising a floating conductive wire, the floating conductive wire being attached to the inner portion of the plug, disposed over the outskirt of the outer portion and in communication with the signal processor. The system further comprises an outer floating electrode for reading a signal from skin around the ear, the floating electrode comprising a floating conductive portion connected to the plug and being in communication with the signal processor, a resilient portion adapted to expand and retract the floating conductive portion and a non-conductive linking portion attached to the floating conductive portion. The floating, resilient and non-conductive linking portions form an expandable loop around the ear from the plug.

In-ear and around-the-ear electroencephalography system with floating electrodes and method thereof

A system and method for training a classification module of nonverbal audio events and a classification module for use in a variety of nonverbal audio event monitoring, detection and command systems. The method comprises capturing an in-ear audio signal from an occluded ear and defining at least one nonverbal audio event associated to the captured in-ear audio signal. Then sampling and extracting features from the in-ear audio signal. Once the extracted features are validated, associating the extracted features to the at least one nonverbal audio event and updating the classification module with the association. The nonverbal audio event comprises one or a combination of user-induced or externally-induced nonverbal audio events such as teeth clicking, tongue clicking, blinking, eye closing, teeth grinding, throat clearing, saliva noise, swallowing, coughing, talking, yawning with inspiration, yawning with expiration, respiration, heartbeat and head or body movement, wind, earpiece insertion or removal, degrading parts, etc.

In-ear nonverbal audio events classification system and method

A system, device and method for assessing a fit quality of an earpiece while in use in a noisy environment. The earpiece having an external microphone for capturing an outer-ear audio signal and an internal microphone for capturing an inner-ear audio signal. The fit quality being assessed by estimating a filter according to the captured inner-ear and outer-ear audio signals, and determining a fit quality according to identified coefficients of the estimated filter. A system, device and method for assessing a seal quality of an earpiece while in use in a quiet environment. The earpiece having a loudspeaker for emitting a sound stimulus towards the ear canal and an internal microphone for capturing an audio signal inside the ear canal. The seal quality being assessed by estimating a transfer function according the emitted and captured sound stimulus, and determining at least one seal-quality indicator according to a signal magnitude of the transfer function.

System, device and method for assessing a fit quality of an earpiece

A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests.

Method and apparatus for objective assessment of in-ear device acoustical performance

The present invention provides an apparatus for determining in situ the acoustic seal provided by an in-ear device of a hearing protection/aid nature inserted into the ear canal of an individual. The in-ear device having a sound bore with an environment opening and an ear opening outside and inside the ear canal respectively, the environment opening is adapted to be removably engaged by a remote device such as a sound measurement device, a filter device, an amplifier device, a plug device and the like. The apparatus includes a sound measurement device having a probe microphone and a reference microphone isolated from each other and connected to a data processing unit having a control box and a speaker, both connected to a computer unit. Both microphones are adapted for measuring sound pressure levels inside said ear canal and outside in close proximity of said in-ear device respectively, the sound pressure levels corresponding to a known noise signal created by the speaker. The data processing unit being adapted for recording and processing the sound pressure levels read by both microphones corresponding to said known noise signal to provide a corresponding calculated value of a sound pressure level difference provided by the in-ear device. Used in conjunction with an expandable in-ear device, the apparatus monitors the acoustic seal in real time during the occlusion process of the in-ear device and determines when to stop the process. The present invention also refers to a corresponding method for determining in situ the acoustic seal provided by an in-ear device.

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Montreal, Canada

Jeremie Voix