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Figure 1. Attenuation afforded by various ear protection devices (after E.H. Berger, High Fidelity, July 1988).
This indictment is indeed a valid one or I might report now has been a valid reason. Etymotic is a "new ancient Greek" word meaning "true to the ear." Mead C. Killion, Ph.D., president of Etymotic Research, Elk Grove, IL, reports that his company expects to be in full production by the fall of this year with what he refers to as the "Musician's Earplug," the ER-15. This new ear protector was developed several years ago by Elmer Carlson of Industrial Research Products, a Knowles Company. Ed DeVilbiss, who is vice president of Etymotic Research, reported that about 150 of their ear-protectors are currently in use, most of them in the ears of jazz, rock, and symphony musicians. Almost all report great success regarding reduction or elimination of acoustic trauma and the return to sensitive, "true" hearing.
The reason for the success of these ear protectors over those earlier described is based on the fact that the ER-15 earplug attenuates a uniform 15dB, allowing the user to hear accurately in high SPL environments. In a recent article Killion, DeVilbiss and Stewart stated the need for a "high fidelity" earplug with a uniform response. What good fidelity means, in essence, is proper spectral balance. They report that, "The trick to producing this high-fidelity response is to reproduce the shape of the natural frequency response of an open ear, but at a reduced level." Figure 2 illustrates the open ear resonance with the usual peak at about 2700Hz and the ear with a well-made, properly fitted ER-15 earplug. The difference between the two is the real-ear attenuation of the earplug. One can clearly note the closely parallel curves. The device is actually a small plastic acoustic sound chamber that is attached to a specially made earmold. Figure 3 is the cross section of the ER15 earplug and the electrical analog equivalent circuit. Compliance is in the form of a flexible plastic diaphragm (Cl) the sound channel (L1) is the acoustic mass. "... a Helmoltz resonator is formed between the inertance of the sound channel and the combined compliance of the flexible diaphragm and the ear-canal volume." The plastic sound chamber is affixed to a soft vinyl (or silicone) deep-canal ear mold fabricated from individual ear impressions of the users' ears. The material used and the insertion deep in the canal are necessary to avoid an occlusion effect (the hollow, in-a-barrel effect when we cup a hand over or ac-
Reprinted with permission from Sound & Communications vol 35 no 3; 12-14 (1989)
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FREQUENCY
Figure 2. Normal open ear canal resonance and attenuation curve with the ER-15 (after Killion, DeVilbiss and Stewart, The Hearing Journal, May 1988).
tually close our ear with a finger and listen to our own voice). The length of the canal portion (ideally 10mm) and the diameter of the sound channel (L1), 4mm, are critical to insure the balanced attenuation that is sought. When worn, these devices sit well down in the concha (bowl) of the ear. The author ordered a pair of these devices and had his own ear-canal plugs fabricated. I found the soft vinyl plugs easy to insert, comfortable to wear and easy to extract. Listening to very loud music pumped into one of my acoustic test booths at RMS 100 dB SPL was very comfortable, undistorted and it was immediately discernable that there was an unloading of pressure in my ears. (I had listened to 3 minutes of the music without the devices about 20 minutes prior to wearing the plugs.) It was clear that the high frequencies were coming through in a normal relationship with the lows. Appropriate testing before and during use of the devices revealed, as claimed, a uniform attenuation.
DeVilbiss informed me that there are about seven labs in this country and in Canada that are able to fabricate the ear canal plugs. It is further reported that local suppliers who are able to make ear impressions of the required (high) quality are growing in numbers throughout North America. DeVilbiss reported that a pair of attenuators and plugs would retail for approximately $100.00 to $125.00. The devices would be a boon to others who must attend a large number of loud concerts (journalists, reviewers, security personnel, and the like). Other loud/noise environment workers would appreciate these also, wherever the need for "balanced" hearing exists. I don't know about any of you out there, but I intend to wear mine the next time out.
Figure 3. The 15 dB Earplug (after Killion, DeVilbiss & Stewart, The Hearing Journal, May 1988).
TECHNOLOGY
urrently available custom-earmold hearing protectors have one defect in common: They muffle the sound. Technically speaking, they give more attenuation at high frequencies than at low frequencies. Figure 1 shows representative performance of a wellsealed and of a poorly sealed customearmold type of hearing protector with solid construction, based on data from E. H. Berger.' Another type of custom-earmold hearing protector includes a small vent channel, often with a stepped diameter. If the vent channel is very small (0 5-mm diameter, for example), such devices give a real-ear attenuation that is generally similar to the curve labeled "Leaky Earmold H.P." in Figure 1. If the vent channel is a little larger, an undesirable resonance peak is created, and the earplug actually provides amplification instead of attenuation at the resonance frequency. A 1-mm diameter vent, for example, gives a peak of about 5 dB near 250 Hz.
Regardless of their exact construction, a reasonable generalization is that existing custom-earmold hearing protectors produce 10 dB to 20 dB of excessive highfrequency attenuation. A hearing protector with more uniform responsea highfidelity earplug, if you willseems needed. The curve labeled "15 dB Earplug" in Figure 1 shows the expected real-ear attenuation of the ER15TM earplug, based on KEMAR measurements. The trick in producing this high-fidelity response is to reproduce the shape of the natural frequency response of the open ear, but at a reduced level. Figure 2 shows the response of the normal open ear, plotted as the eardrum SPL developed in a diffuse sound field, and the response of the ear with a properly constructed ER-15 earplug in place. The difference between these two curves represents the real-ear attenuation of the ER-15 earplug, which is a nearly uniform 15 dB as shown in the solid curve of Figure 1, based on KEMAR measurements. The ER-15 earplug is a novel development by Elmer Carlson, who added acoustic elements into the sound channel in order to accomplish this result. Figure 3 shows a cross-section drawing of the ER-15 earplug, along with the electrical analog equivalent circuit (included for those who enjoy reading schematics). A flexible plastic diaphragm acts as a compliance, and is labeled C 1 in the
A NEW EARPLUG
equivalent circuit. The sound channel (Li in Figure 3) acts as an acoustic mass, so that a Helmholtz resonator is formed between the inertance of the sound channel and the combined compliance of the flexible diaphragm and the ear-canal volume. With the proper combination of diameter and length for the sound channel, the Helmholtz resonator will resonate at 2.7 kHz, providing the desired boost at that frequency as illustrated in the lower response curve of Figure 2.
CONSTRUCTION VARIATIONS
Mead Killion, PhD and Ed DeVilbiss, MBA are President and Vice President, respectively of, and Jonathan Stewart, BS/EET is Engineer with, EtyrnOtic Research, Inc. (manufacturer of the ER-15 earplug). Correspondence to: EtymOtic Research, Inc., 61 Martin Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007.
14 THE HEARING JOURNAL/MAY 1988
Figure 4 shows the medium depth ER-15 earmold with the ER-15 attenuator button snapped in place. The "canal-aid" style construction should make for a nearly invisible earplug in most ears. The right and left earmolds must be color coded. A version designed to produce less occlusion effect (i.e., fewer "my own voice sounds hollow" complaints), shown in Figure 5, is suitable for persons with larger-diameter ear canals. The reduction of occlusion effect is a result of the deep seal of the plug." The standard 3 5-mm diameter sound channel can be drilled with the same .142" drill used for #13 super-thick tubing. Some ear canals will be so flattened that such a hole, extending for 10 mm down the canal, will not be practical. A roughly oval hole may be used in these cases to obtain the desired acoustical results, as suggested years ago by H.S. Knowles. Figure 6 shows don-
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gated holes, equivalent to 3.5-mm and 4-mm diameter sound channels, with flat-side dimensions of 3 mm. In order to check the accuracy of the frequency response and/or the amount of occlusion effect on an individual ear, a 1-mm o.d.
probe-tube hole can be ordered with the earmold. Figure 7 shows the preferred and alternate locations for the probe-tube channel, which should be sealed completely after testing is completed. Despite the best of intentions, earmolds occasionally will be badly made. The effect of two likely errors, lack of seal and undersized sound channel, is illustrated below with specific examples. Figure 8 shows the effect of a leak or an undersized sound channel (2-mm diameter instead of 3 5-mm diameter) on the eardrum SPL generated in a diffuse sound field. Figure 9 shows the resulting realear attenuation expected for these errors.
EARMOLD MATERIAL
a good seal; (2) It permits a deep seal with good comfort. The disadvantage of soft (30- to 40-durometer) materials is their reduced durability compared to acrylic.
APPLICATIONS
From an acoustic standpoint, any earmold material can be used, but we recommend soft vinyl or silicone for two reasons: (1) It eases the task of obtaining
Two potential applications for the ER-15 earmold stand out: First, for the musician who wants some protection but needs good fidelity (proper spectral balance) in order to perform properly; and second, for the factory worker who has a high-frequency hearing loss and refuses to wear conventional hearing protection because he needs to hear more clearly. Figure 10 shows the expected sound-field audiograms for a person with normal hearing, and for a typical 50-yearold man using either conventional custom-earmold hearing protectors or ER-15 custom-earmold hearing protectors. The audibility of important highfrequency speech sounds is clearly im-
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Figure 6. Sound channels for round and flattened ear canals: (A) 3.5-mm equivalent diameter; (B) 4-mm equivalent diameter.
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Figure 8. Expected eardrum SPL with ear open and with three constructions of ER-15 earmold.
Figure 9. Calculated ER-15 performance vs. eamiold construction: ( ) correct (3.5 mm) sound channel, well-sealed; (. . .j poor seal, equivalent to 0.028" vent hole; (- - -) undersized sound channel (2-mm dia.).
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ER-15 CUSTOM EARMOLD
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proved with a flat attenuator. Note: this is a low-attenuation earplug with an estimated noise reduction rating (NRR) of 5 dB to 8 dB,* and is not meant for prolonged use in high levels of industrial noise or with gunfire. Another potential application is for the person whose hearing probably is not really at risk, but who would prefer to hear without discomfort at amplifiedmusic concerts. The authors also find that these attenuators make travel by both automobile and airplane more enjoyable. Production quantities will be available in the thirdquarter of 1988;
The NRR estimates the A-weighted noise exposure from a C - weighted sound level meter reading under worst-case ( - 2 sigma) conditions. The calculation of NRR is laborious and not simply related to
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Figure 10. Expected sound-field audiograms, using conventional or ER-15 hearing protectors, for a normal-hearing person (left) and for a typical 50-year-old man (right).
REFERENCES 1. Berger EH: Can hearing aids provide hearing protection? Hear Insa 1987; 38(412-14. 2. Xillion MC, Wilber LA, Gudmundsen GI: Zwislocki was right . . . . Hear Instr 1988; 39(1):14-18. 3. Berger EH, Kerivan JE: Influence of physiological noise and the occlusion effect on the meaI Aeons Soc Am 1983; 74:81-94.
EARPLUG PROTECTION LEVELS: To choose the appropriate model of earplug it is important to know the sound pressure level of your environment. A sound level meter, such as the low cost Radio Shack model 33-2050, is a good tool for measuring environmental noise levels. It is also important to obtain a good seal in the ear, since a leak can reduce the attenuation by half or more, especially below 1 kHz. Noise induced hearing loss is a function of exposure time, the average noise level and the peak level of very loud sounds. Some people are more susceptible to hearing loss than others, so that protection on the basis of an average time and sound level exposure will only protect the "average" person. Even under optimistic OSHA conditions (see table), regular listening for 2 hours without protection, would be the safe limit at levels of 100 dB, and this assumes that for the rest of the day the wearer is not exposed to sound levels exceeding 85 dB. In general, the ER-15 attenuators are designed for environments where the A-weighted sound pressure level is 105 dB or less. The ER-25 attenuators are for use in environments above 105 dB and below 120 dB. The attenuation shown in the graph on the first page is for an average ear; at least 10 dB of protection for the ER-15, at least 15dB of protection for the ER-20 and at least 20 dB of protection for the ER-25 are achieved in almost any ear with these attenuators properly in place. The following table includes safety data of the U.S. OSHA standard as well as the more conservative 85 dB equal-energy (EE) calculations
No Protection
EE 8 4 8 OSHA
10 dB Protection
EE OSHA
15 dB Protection
EE OSHA
20 dB Protection
EE OSHA
NOTE: The ER-15, ER-20 and ER-25 are not intended for maximum attenuation. For that application, conventional foam or fully sealed premolded hearing protectors are recommended. For further information about sound levels and ear protection a recommended reference is Noise & Hearing Conservation Manual by Berger, Ward, Morrill & Royster, American Industrial Hygiene Assn.
DESIGNED
12/94
ETYMOTIC RESEARCH
PROBLEMS WITH CONVENTIONAL EARPLUGS: There are three basic problems with conventional earplugs. Most important, they produce 10 to 20 dB of extra high frequency attenuation; second, they have a large occlusion effect, which makes the users hear their own voice with a boomy quality; and third, they attenuate more than necessary for much of the noise in industry and the environment. A frequent result of these problems is that some people will either wear no protection or they will wear their earplugs loosely so that sounds such as speech, machinery, noise or music can be heard more clearly.
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FREQUENCY IN KHZ
SOLUTIONS PROVIDED BY THE ETYMOTIC RESEARCH EARPLUGS: The ER-15 and ER-25 Musicians earplug and the ER-20 HI-Fl earplug provide nearly equal attenuation at all frequencies. The fidelity of the original sound is preserved, and the world doesn't sound muffled. Musical levels are attenuated with minimum change of tone quality. To reduce the occlusion effect, a deep seal of the plug in the second bend of the ear canal is necessary. This is made possible by using a custom earmold. The ER-15 (black connector nipple) and ER-25 (white connector nipple) are interchangeable in a custom earmold -- they are snapped into place -- while the ER-20 is available with a different but generic eartip. THEORY AND DESIGN OF A FLAT-RESPONSE ATTENUATOR: A flat-response attenuator must have a frequency response that follows the shape of the natural frequency response of the open ear, but at a reduced level. Both the ER-15 and ER-25 use a diaphragm, 0i Connector similar to a passive speaker cone, to ER-15 ( achieve the desired response curve. The ER-20 uses a tuned resonator and White ER-20 with Generic Eartp Musician's Earplug in Earmold ER-25 acoustic resistor. APPLICATIONS FOR FLAT-RESPONSE ATTENUATORS: There are two groups of people that can benefit from the use of these plugs. First are people exposed to 90 - 120 dB sound levels, who need to hear accurately. This group includes musicians, their sound crews, recording engineers, night-club employees, certain industrial employees such as machinists and foremen, racing pit crews, motorcycle riders, etc. Second are people whose hearing may not be at risk but who want to hear without discomfort, and who will not wear conventional hearing protection because they need to hear more clearly. This group includes regular airline or auto travelers and individuals that occasionally attend loud concerts. Musicians will find the ER-15 and ER-25 attenuators useful in reducing discomfort and ear fatigue without sacrificing clarity. The greater attenuation of the ER-25 should prove useful to percussionists, rock musicians and individuals that experience post-exposure tinnitus.
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High Fidelity
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ER-15 MUSICIAN'S EARPLUGS ER-25 MUSICIAN'S EARPLUGS ER-20 HI-Fl EARPLUGS
Sound Quality is Clearer and More Natural Fidelity of the Original Sound is Preserved Fatigue Associated with Noise Exposure is Reduced The World Doesn't Sound Muffled
Model ER-15 Custom - Molded Flat - Attenuation Earplug
20 dB Protection EE OSHA
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FREQUENCY IN KHZ
In general, the ER-15 attenuators are designed for environments where the A-weighted sound pressure level is 105 dB or less. The ER-25 attenuators are for use in environments above 105 dB and below 120 dB. The attenuation shown in the above graph is for an average ear; at least 10 dB of protection for the ER-15, at least 15 dB of protection for the ER-20 and at least 20 dB of protection for the ER-25 are achieved in almost any ear with these attenuators properly in place.
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NOTE: The ER-15, ER-20 and ER-25 are not intended for maximum attenuation. For that application, conventional foam or fully sealed premolded hearing protectors are recommended. For further information about sound levels and ear protection a recommended reference is Noise & Hearing Conservation Manual by Berger, Ward, Morrill & Royster, American Industrial Hygiene Association.
DESIGNED
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Available with a custom earmold only. An accurate impression is critical to ensure a proper fit.
ER-20
Those who are exposed to 90-120 dB sound levels for various time periods and need to hear accurately: Musicians Dentists Traders Pilots; airline personnel who do not require maximum attenuation Recording engineers Sound crews Most industrial workers Machinists Restaurant and dance club employees Rock music listeners Those whose hearing may not be at risk, but who prefer to hear without discomfort: Airplane and auto travelers Flight attendants Rock music listeners Spectators at sporting events Persons with tinnitus Persons with high frequency hearing loss who reject conventional ear protection because they cannot hear speech clearly Persons with an abnormal sensitivity to loud sounds
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