Affordable High-Performance Hearing Protection/Communication System

Hearing protection which targets the airborne vibrations traditionally associated with hearing has advanced considerably in the last two decades. Airborne noise can be blocked or reduced to the point where the limiting factor in the intensity of sound experienced by a subject is now in large part determined by the sound conducted through bone in the anatomy of the head and face. Air Force flight personnel and other military personnel are in considerable need of advanced hearing protection, which necessarily would provide protection beyond this bone conduction limit. While there remains room for improvement in traditional hearing protection, both active and passive, a considerably larger gain in nearer terms can be realized by turning our attention to bone-coupled noise. Infoscitex is a leading innovative engineering firm and proposes a device that attenuates bone-coupled vibrations. This device is designed to work with traditional hearing protection to result in a complete system for hearing protection and communication that provides hearing protection beyond the bone conduction limit. Our plan includes the proof of feasibility of this device, as well as complete system design and partnering for manufacture and delivery.