A passive neonatal transport incubator (PNTI), useful for thermo-regulating a neonate, comprising an inner volume configured by means of size and shape to accommodate the neonate, the inner volume is defined by an envelope having a main longitudinal axis with a proximal end and an opposite distal end, the envelope is at least partially perforated. Further, the PNTI is configured to be ventilated by an independently ventilated medical device, and is configured by means of size, shape and material to allow the neonate to be examined by the medical device.

Certain example embodiments relate to an acoustic wall assembly that uses active and/or passive sound reverberation to achieve noise-disruptive functionality, and/or a method of making and/or using the same. With the active approach, sound waves in a given frequency range are detected by a sound masking circuit. Responsive to detection of such sound waves, an air pump (e.g., speaker) is used to pump air in the wall assembly to actively mask the detected sound waves via reverberation and/or the like. The wall assembly may include one, two, or more walls, and the walls may be partial or full walls. With the passive approach, sound waves in a given frequency range are disrupted via features (e.g., holes, slits, etc.) formed in and/or on a wall itself. These techniques may be used together or separately, in different example embodiments.

Disclosed is a waterproof sound-transmitting sheet, which includes a waterproof layer of a nonporous material and a support layer of a porous material, and maintains waterproof performance and sound transmission performance at a water pressure of about 10 atm. The disclosed waterproof sound-transmitting sheet includes a waterproof layer formed of a film shape of a nonporous material, a first adhesive layer having one surface adhered to one surface of the waterproof layer, and a support layer formed of a film shape of a porous material, and having one surface adhered to the other surface of the adhesive layer; and the support layer can be composed of metal mesh or nonwoven fabric.

A sound-absorbing material nonwoven fabric includes: 30 to 80 mass % of short fibers A having a fineness of 0.4 to 0.9 dtex; and 20 to 70 mass % of short fibers B having a fineness of 1.1 to 20.0 dtex. A carding passage coefficient of the short fibers A calculated from equation (1) is in a range of 15 to 260. The equation (1) is carding passage coefficient=(fineness?strength??elongation percentage??number of crimps??crimping degree)/(fiber length).

A unit cell of an artificial phononic crystal for building of an artificial phononic metamaterial, showing reduced mechanical vibrations in a defined frequency range with at least one band gap in the band structure dispersion relation of the unit cell. The unit cell includes at least one building block and at least one mechanical connection connected to the building block, showing reduced mechanical vibrations in a defined frequency range with tailored dispersion properties with at least one band gap is sought. This is accomplished by forming the building block as a toroid, with a central opening and a front surface from which a first multiplicity of struts, which are tiltable relatively to the principal direction, is extending from the front surface. More than one strut is inclined with respect to the principal direction so that a rotation of the toroid around the principal direction is possible.

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a composite molded body that can be suitably used as a ventilation adjustment layer having excellent sound absorbability between a low frequency band and an intermediate frequency band, and has excellent three-dimensional shapeability. According to the present disclosure, a composite molded body including fibrillated fibers and short fibers is provided. The composite molded body has a surface density of 30 g/m.sup.2 to 1000 g/m.sup.2 and an air resistance of 15.0 s/(100 mL.Math.mm) or less per unit thickness. According to the present disclosure, a composite sound absorbing material with a thickness of 10 mm or less in which a ventilation adjustment layer and a porous material are stacked is also provided.

A partial enclosure for inhibiting sound passing into and out of the partial enclosure includes an absorber-barrier or an absorber-barrier-absorber, each made from sound absorbing material and sound barrier material and arranged to form the partial enclosure. The enclosure also includes an adaptive frequency matched sound-masking system. The absorber-barrier or absorbed-barrier-absorber is positioned to block or inhibit unwanted sound from various positions of a source of the unwanted sound, or motion of the source of the unwanted sound. The adaptive frequency matched sound-masking system includes a sound generating device arranged on or in the partial enclosure to emit anti-noise signal to cancel or inhibit the unwanted sound.