Medical Audio Logger

To address the DARPA requirements for a miniature portable voice recorder for medical information logging, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new MEDical Audio LOGger (MEDALOG). This proposed MEDALOG is based on a novel acoustic noise cancellation technique implemented on low-power digital signal processing (DSP) chips. The innovation in MEDALOG will enable the device to cancel high power acoustic noise floors on the order of 100 dB and high-power audio impulses (blasts) on the order of 140 dB, which are present in combat environment. MEDALOG is designed to have an off-shelf life of 1 year with dormant war-zone operation of 1 year. The active operational battery life of MEDALOG within the whole dormant period exceeds 10 hr of continuous record and play operation. In Phase I POC will demonstrate the feasibility of MEDALOG by building a bench-scale prototype, focusing more on the design issues such as device operation, the noise cancellation algorithm, battery life, ergonomics, and mechanical structure. In Phase II POC plans to develop a full-scale prototype, optimize MEDALOG, and demonstrate the efficacy of the system while delineating a manufacturing path for Phase III.