A smart hearing protection (SHP) device operatively connected to a human ear is disclosed. An internal sensor disposed on an inner side of the SHP device is configured to measure sound pressure level exposure of the human ear. An external sensor disposed on an outer side of the SHP device is configured to measure a sound pressure level external to the SHP device. The SHP includes a wireless transmitter operatively connected to both the internal and external sensors for transmitting data to a smart hearing software application for storing sensor data and monitoring sound pressure levels in connection with occupational safety and health.

An ear-and-eye mask (10) is provided comprising a noise-attenuation-and-generation assembly (46) having a digital domain, the noise-attenuation-and-generation assembly comprising, in the digital domain, a noise cancelling-circuit (48) and a noise masking circuit (64), wherein the noise-cancelling circuit (48) receives an input from an audio capture device (56) thereof which communicates with the noise masking circuit (64). An adaptive spectral noise analyser and generator is provided which determines an unwanted remnant signal comprising the leftover unwanted frequency and/or volume after noise cancellation, and wherein the noise attenuation-and-generation assembly (46) then determines and generates a compensation frequency and/or volume for countering this unwanted remnant signal following noise attenuation for output by a speaker (36) through a stem (40) direct to the user's ears.

Hearing protection and communication apparatus using vibration sensors are disclosed. An example wearable electronic device includes means for transducing vibrations associated with speech into a first signal; means for transducing sound associated with ambient noise into a second signal; and means for processing to cause a speaker to output a signal to reduce the ambient noise; detect an identifier in the speech; and cause audio data representative of the speech to be transmitted to a second device associated with the identifier.

Occlusion devices, earpiece devices and methods of forming occlusion devices are provided. An occlusion device is configured to occlude an ear canal. The occlusion device includes an insertion element and at least one expandable element disposed on the insertion element. The expandable element is configured to receive a medium via the insertion element and is configured to expand, responsive to the medium, to contact the ear canal. Physical parameters of the occlusion device are selected to produce a predetermined sound attenuation charactelistic over a frequency band, such that sound is attenuated more in a first frequency range of the frequency band than in a second frequency range of the frequency band.

A communication device for a hearing protection system comprising one or more hearing protection devices. The communication device comprises a processing unit, a memory, and an interface. The interface comprises a first hearing protection device interface comprising a first connector for connection of a hearing protection device. The interface comprises a second hearing protection device interface comprising a second connector for connection of a hearing protection device. The first connector and the second connector are of the same connector type.

Embodiments relate generally to hearing protection devices which incorporate a calibration mode which allows the user to perform a calibration test to determine an individualized hearing threshold. Embodiments of the device may also comprise a normal mode to prevent input signals greater than the individualized hearing threshold from being transmitted to the user's ear canal. In addition, embodiments may comprise a normal mode configured to limit input signals to less than or equal to a standard industry threshold in the case no calibration test has been completed by the user. This may increase user comfort and prevent hearing damage.

The present disclosure relates to an ear protection system (200) for a medical imaging device. It comprises an ear protection device (210), adapted to be fitted around or in the ears of a patient (P) to be imaged, and at least comprising a first communication interface (211) and at least one sensor device (212) adapted to determine a measurement of noise passing through the ear protection device (210) towards the ears of the patient. The system (200) further comprises a controllable signal emitter (230), adapted to output a proxy signal representing an expected imaging device noise and to be measured by the at least one sensor device (212), and a patient assistance device (220), adapted to assist the patient to fit the ear protection device (210), and at least comprising a second communication interface. During a preparation phase of the patient preceding an imaging phase using the medical imaging device, the ear protection device (210) and the patient assistance device (220) are communicatively connected to each other via the first and second communication interface, and the patient assistance device (220) generates assisting instructions to the patient depending on an evaluation of the proxy signal and the measurement of noise passing through the ear protection device (210) determined by the sensor device (212).

The present invention discloses an audio device output energy control method for protecting hearing, the method including: step S1, obtaining energy or pressure at a speaker or at any point in a sound field from the speaker to a tympanic membrane by means of calculation or measurement, which serves as the energy or pressure at the tympanic membrane or cochlea of a user after compensation or calculation; step S2, calculating a cumulative hearing loss value according to the energy or pressure at the tympanic membrane or cochlea of the user, or calculating cumulative energy at any point in the sound field from the speaker to the tympanic membrane according to the energy or pressure at that location, and then equivalently calculating a cumulative hearing loss value at the tympanic membrane or cochlea of the user; step S3, comparing the cumulative hearing loss value with a preset hearing loss threshold, and performing step S4 if the cumulative hearing loss value reaches the hearing loss threshold; and step S4, reducing a volume of the audio device. The present invention can monitor the energy at the tympanic membrane or cochlea of the user in real time and adjust the output energy of the audio device in time, thus realizing hearing protection.

A speech intelligibility enhancing system for difficult acoustical conditions is disclosed, the speech intelligibility enhancing system comprising at least one ear plug (201) for insertion in an ear canal (218) of a person, the at least one ear plug being arranged with an ear canal facing portion (401) and an environment facing portion (402), and the at least one ear plug comprising an acoustically attenuating path (214; 214, 213) comprising a vent (214) coupling said environment facing portion (402) with said ear canal facing portion (401); and an electroacoustic path (202, 204, 209; 202, 203, 204, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212) comprising a microphone (202) at said environment facing portion (402), a variable gain (204) and a loudspeaker (209) at said ear canal facing portion (401); wherein said acoustically attenuating path (214; 214, 213) is arranged with a transfer function from said environment facing portion (402) to said ear canal facing portion (401) having a low pass characteristic having a low pass cut¬off frequency and said low pass characteristic attenuating sound by a nominal attenuation (Go) for frequencies below said cut-off frequency.

A noise sensor is disposed adjacent a speaker within an ear cup of a hearing protection device. The speaker is disposed within a speaker housing and the noise sensor is disposed within a sensor housing, the sensor housing coupled to the speaker housing such that the noise sensor and speaker remain adjacent one another. The noise sensor includes at least a microphone operably coupled to a printed circuit board. The sensor housing defines an axial bore such that the noise sensor can receive acoustic signals via the axial bore. The sensor housing can be coupled to the speaker housing such that the noise sensor is sealed therebetween and receives acoustic signals via a distal end of the axial bore opposite the speaker. A calibration tool can be disposed to the axial bore via the distal end for airtight calibration of the noise sensor.