Noise abatement system for dental procedures

Abstract

A noise abatement system for dental procedures conceived to protect the hearing of dental staff members composed of office managers, dental operators including at least one of dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, dental technician and any other dental staff member in the dental operatory, and of patients, comprises a pair of headphones composed of one left and one right phones [] connected to each other via a flexible strap [], an audio signal processor (ASP) [] with a receiver [] and an on/off talk button [] with a transmitter and circuitry []. Dental operators and patients can toggle an operator/patient switch [] in a water- and dust-resistant casing of the pair of headphones to switch between operator mode and patient mode. In operator mode, the ASP receives the audio signals captured from the surrounding environment by one left and one right microphones [], processes the captured audio signals and sends audible speech frequencies to the ears through one left and one right speakers [] mounted in the casing of the one left and one right phones, while actively abating [] the high-frequency noise generated by dental tools. In patient mode, the ASP is turned off and the sounds from the surrounding environment are passively abated by the water- and dust-resistant casing, the high-frequency insulating material [] inside the water- and dust-resistant casing and the cushion []; however, if any of the dental operators or the patient enables a talk button [] belonging to the on/off talk button, the patient will be able to hear speech frequencies from any operator in the surrounding environment and vice versa. Thus, a high-frequency noise-abating system is provided to dental facilities, practitioners and technicians that prevents dental staff members, as well as patients, from being exposed to unwanted noise generated by dental tools. At the same time, dental staff members can communicate among each other during the dental procedure, or operation of dental tools, while the pair of headphones is functioning; dental operators can also communicate with the patient by pushing the talk button. This system also allows each dental staff member and patient to mix in auxiliary audio signals including at least one of music, soothing sounds, white noise, radio, TV and/or any audio signal generated by an external audio source []; when in patient mode, this auxiliary audio signal gets muted when any dental operator or patient pushes the talk button in order to have a conversation with each other.