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 [1] connected to each other via a flexible strap [2], an audio signal processor (ASP) [7] with a receiver [17] and an on/off talk button [13] with a transmitter and circuitry [21]. Dental operators and patients can toggle an operator/patient switch [8] 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 [3], processes the captured audio signals and sends audible speech frequencies to the ears through one left and one right speakers [4] mounted in the casing of the one left and one right phones, while actively abating [15] 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 [6] inside the water- and dust-resistant casing and the cushion [5]; however, if any of the dental operators or the patient enables a talk button [19] 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 [14]; 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.

Claims

1. A headphone system for protecting people from high-frequency noises including higher, dental tool-ranged frequency noises generated by dental tools, the headphone system comprising: a patient headphone comprising: first and second earphones, each of the first and second earphones comprising a high-frequency insulating material passively abating the high-frequency noises; a patient microphone connected to one of the first and second earphones and receiving environmental sound including the high-frequency noises and lower, speech-ranged frequencies and outputting an audio output signal corresponding to the environmental sound; a patient speaker coupled to the one of the first and second earphones and directing sound into an ear of the patient wearing the patient headphone a patient input device operated by the patient and switchable between on and off states; and a dental operator input device operated by a dental operator and switchable between on and off states; and an audio signal processor (ASP) connected to the patient input device, to the dental operator input device, and to the patient headphone and receiving the audio output signal from the patient microphone, wherein the ASP filters the higher, dental tool-ranged frequencies from the audio output signal while passing the lower, speech-ranged frequencies in the audio output signal to generate a filtered output signal that is provided to the patient speaker to generate the sound to the ear of the patient when either of the patient input device and the dental operator input device is switched to the on state by either the patient or the dental operator and the ASP disables outputting any signal including the audio output signal from the patient microphone to the patient speaker when both of the patient and dental operator input devices are switched to the off state by the patient and by the dental operator.

2. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the higher, dental tool-ranged frequencies are frequencies that are higher than a speech frequency range and are generated by at least one of a dental drill, suction system, air compressor, water pick, or ultrasonic scaler.

3. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the patient headphone further comprises a casing comprising a first hole and a second hole; and wherein the patient microphone is positioned to receive the environmental sound through the first hole; and wherein the patient speaker is positioned to output the sound through the second hole.

4. The headphone system of claim 3, wherein the patient microphone, the ASP, and the patient speaker are mounted within the casing, the first earphone further comprising a cushion coupled to the casing.

5. The headphone system of claim 3, wherein the casing is coupled to the high-frequency insulating material.

6. The headphone system of claim 3, the casing comprises the high-frequency insulating material.

7. The headphone system of claim 1, additionally comprising an auxiliary signal source providing an auxiliary audio signal to the ASP, wherein, when the patient input device is in the on state, the ASP disables generation of an auxiliary output signal based on the auxiliary audio signal by muting the auxiliary audio signal.

8. The headphone system of claim 7, wherein the ASP generates a mixed audio output signal comprising a mix of the filtered output signal and the auxiliary audio signal.

9. The headphone system of claim 1, further comprising, a voltage source in a casing of the second earphone, the voltage source powering the patient microphone and the patient speaker.

10. The headphone system of claim 9, further comprising: a charging coil in the casing of the second earphone.

11. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the second earphone comprises: a second high-frequency insulating material configured to passively abate the high-frequency noises; a second microphone positioned to receive environmental sound and configured to generate and provide a second audio signal to the ASP; and a second speaker coupled to the ASP.

12. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein: the patient input device is a first switch coupled to a first casing of the second earphone.

13. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the patient input device is an operator/patient switch and the on state is an operator mode and the off state is a patient mode, wherein the dental operator input device is an operator on/off talk button, and wherein the ASP activates the patient microphone when either the operator/patient switch is switched to the operator mode by the patient or the operator on/off talk button is switched to the on state by the dental operator.

14. A system for noise abatement, the system comprising: a headphone comprising: a patient headphone comprising: a high-frequency insulating material passively abating high-frequency noises; a patient microphone receiving environmental sound including higher, dental-tool-ranged frequencies and lower, speech-range frequencies and outputting an audio signal corresponding to the environmental sound; and a patient speaker directing sound into an ear of the patient wearing the patient headphone; a patient input device operated by the patient and switchable between on and off positions; a dental operator input device operated by a dental operator and switchable between on and off positions; an audio signal processor ASP, couple to the patient headphone, the patient input device, and the dental operator input device, receiving the audio signal from the patient microphone and filtering from the audio signal, the higher, dental tool-ranged frequencies while passing the lower, speech-range frequencies in the audio signal from the patient microphone to generate a filtered audio output signal, and providing the filtered audio output signal to the patient speaker to generate sound when either one of the patient input device and the dental operator input device is switched to the on position by either the patient or the dental operator, wherein the ASP does not provide any audio signal, including the audio signal, from the patient microphone to the patient speaker when both of the patient and dental operator input devices are switched to the off position by the patient and by the dental operator.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an operator controller configured to transmit a control signal to the headphone in response to an activation of a pushbutton switch, wherein the dental operator input device is a pushbutton switch in a dental office, a dental chair, or a foot switch.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a charging station comprising: an electrical cord; a rectifying circuit configured to receive electricity through the electrical cord; a magnetic coil coupled to the rectifying circuit; and a headphone rest near the magnetic coil; wherein the charging station recharges a voltage source in the patient headphone when the patient headphone is positioned on the headphone rest.

17. The headphone system of claim 14, wherein the patient input device is an operator/patient switch and the on position of the operator/patient switch is an operator mode position and the off position of the operator/patient switch is a patient mode position, wherein the dental operator input device is an operator on/off talk button, and wherein the ASP activates the patient microphone when either the operator/patient switch is switched to the operator mode position by the patient or the operator on/off talk button is switched to the on position by the dental operator.

18. A headphone system for protecting people from high-frequency noises including higher, dental tool-ranged frequencies generated by dental tools, the headphone system comprising: a patient headphone comprising: a first casing comprising high-frequency insulating material passively abating the high-frequency noises; a first microphone coupled to the first casing and receiving environmental sound including the higher, dental tool-ranged frequencies and lower speech-range frequencies to output an audio signal corresponding to the environmental sound; a first speaker coupled to the first casing, the first speaker generating sound based, at least in part, on a first output signal; a dental operator headphone comprising: a second casing comprising high-frequency insulating material passively abating the high-frequency noises; a second microphone coupled to the second casing and receiving environmental sound; a second speaker coupled to the second casing; an audio signal processor (ASP) coupled to the patient headphone and configured to receive a first audio signal from the first microphone; a patient switch coupled to the ASP, operated by the patient, and switchable between on and off states; a dental operator switch coupled to the ASP, operated by a dental operator, and switchable between on and off states; wherein the ASP generates the output signal including the first output signal by abating the higher, dental tool-ranged frequencies from the audio signal outputted from the first microphone and passing the lower, speech-range frequencies in the audio signal outputted from the first microphone when either one of the patient switch and the dental operator switch are switched to the on state by either the patient or the dental operator and does not provide any signal including the audio signal outputted from the first microphone to the first speaker when both of the patient and dental operator switches are switched to the off state by the patient and the dental operator.

Description

DRAWINGS

Figures

(1) FIG. 1: Front View of the Noise-Abating Headphones

(2) FIG. 2: Block Diagram of the Audio Signal Processor (ASP)

(3) FIG. 3: Top View of the Operator On/Off Talk Button

(4) FIG. 4: Top View of the Charging Station

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(5) [1] Left and Right Phones [2] Strap [3] Left and Right Microphones [4] Left and Right Speakers [5] Left and Right Cushions [6] High-Frequency Insulating Material [7] Audio Signal Processor (ASP) [8] Operator/Patient Switch [9] Voltage Source of Pair of Headphones [10] Light Indicator of Pair of Headphones [11] Volume Control [12] On/Off Power Switch [13] Charging Coil of Pair of Headphones [14] Operator On/Off Talk Button [15] External Audio Source [16] Noise-Abating Filter [17] Power Management [18] Receiver [19] Casing of Operator On/Off Talk Button [20] Talk Button [21] Voltage Source of Operator On/Off Talk Button [22] Transmitter and Circuitry [23] Door [24] Talk Light Indicator [25] Casing of Charging Station [26] Electric Cord [27] Rectifying Circuit [28] Charging Magnetic Coil [29] Headphones Rest [30] Charging Light Indicator

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 displays a front view of the pair of noise-abating headphones comprising two phones [1] covering the ears of the user, one strap [2] mechanically connecting the phones, two external microphones [3], two internal speakers [4], two padded cushions [5], two phones containing high-frequency insulating material [6], one internal audio signal processor with associated circuitry [7], one operator/patient switch [8], one internal voltage source [9], one voltage source light indicator [10], one volume control [11], one on/off power switch [12] and one charging coil [13].

(7) FIG. 2 displays a block diagram of the audio signal processor (ASP) [7] comprising all inputs/outputs as well as internal functional blocks. In operator mode, the audio signal processor receives audio inputs from the two microphones [3], applies adequate filtering [16] to abate the high-frequency noise from dental tools, and outputs audio signals in speech frequency range from the surrounding environment to the ears of the user through the two speakers [4]. In patient mode, the ASP [7] is turned off and no noise is passed in to the user's ears through the speakers [4]. However, an operator on/off talk button [14] turns on the ASP and enables the user to hear audio signals in speech frequency range from the surrounding environment. Both operator and patient modes allow an auxiliary audio signal coming from an external audio source [15] to be mixed in. When the operator on/off talk button is in the on position and the operator/patient switch is in patient mode, the auxiliary audio signal is muted. The ASP [7] also has a power management unit [17] capable of governing power logic among the voltage source [9], on/off power switch [12], noise-abating filter [16] and light indicator [10]. As part of its associated circuitry, the ASP [7] also has a receiver [18] capable of receiving a triggering signal from the operator on/off talk button [14] when this one is enabled.

(8) FIG. 3 displays a top view of the operator on/off talk button [14] which comprises one casing [19], one on/off talk button [20], one voltage source [21], one transmitter with associated circuitry [22], one sliding door to change the voltage source [23] and a talk light indicator [24] that turns on every time the operator on/off talk button is enabled. The operator on-off talk button can be either mounted onto the dental chair and be pressed by the operators' fingers or can be mounted into a foot switch that can be pressed by the operators' foot.

(9) FIG. 4 displays a top view of the charging station which comprises one casing [25], one electric cord [26], one rectifying circuit [27], one charging magnetic coil [28], a headphones rest [29] where the pair of headphones can be rested on for charging and a charging light indicator [30].

(10) Operation

(11) In operation, one uses the pair of noise-abating headphones (FIG. 1) with the operator/patient switch [8] in operator mode. In this mode, the operator can only hear audio signals in speech frequency range and the noise from various dental tools is abated.

(12) In operation, one uses the pair of noise-abating headphones (FIG. 1) with the operator/patient switch [8] in patient mode. In this mode, the patient cannot hear any noise from the surrounding environment, especially the high-frequencies emitted from various dental tools. Also in this mode, an operator can press on a talk button [20] located on a remote operator on/off talk button [14] (FIGS. 2 and 3), which will enable the patient to hear audio signals in speech frequency range, but not the noise from various dental tools.

(13) In both operator and patient modes, the user can mix in an auxiliary audio signal coming from an external audio source [15]. In patient mode, when the operator presses the talk button [20], the auxiliary audio signal is muted for both users. The user of this system can control the volume of the audio signals by using a volume control button [11].

(14) In operation, the user can turn the pair of noise-abating headphones on or off by switching an on/off power switch [12].

(15) Last, the pair of noise-abating headphones can be rested onto a charging station [25-30] (FIG. 4) to charge its voltage source [9] in case it has reached a low voltage level. When charging, the charging station's charging light indicator [30] turns red. When the voltage source [9] of the pair of noise-abating headphones (FIG. 1) is fully charged, the charging light indicator turns green.