Audiometry Systems
SonoPod
About 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work each year. Employer instituted hearing conservation programs aim to protect personnel from developing hearing damage through hearing loss education, however, this does not ensure that personnel are properly wearing their provided Hearing Protective Device (HPD) on a daily basis.
FTL’s SonoPod provides a standardized and repeatable method for rapid and routine HPD fit check testing in the field. SonoPod is a high throughput multi-person HPD fit test system that computes and reports Personal Attenuation Ratings (PAR) of each test subject along with providing interactive point-of-use HPD insertion guidance. SonoPod is flexible to many testing environments through quick-calibration algorithms that enable it to adapt to room acoustics and also by enabling multiple test setups (such as omni-speaker, headphones, or bone conduction) to accommodate for loud and/or small spaces. Most importantly, SonoPod maintains quantitative and repeatable at-ear sound delivery and PAR measurements. The system is designed to be portable and storable, enabling temporary conversion of mixed-use clinical spaces for Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness type testing. The system also collects patient test results for real time viewing by a test proctor and for upload to health and safety record databases, allowing more accurate test-to-test and site-to-site trending of audiology data.
SonoLoop
Approximately 1.3 million active duty troops are regularly tested for hearing loss. FTL’s SonoLoop technology allows medical providers to easily and inexpensively provide this testing in mixed-use clinical settings with repeatable results.
SonoLoop has the ability to accommodate single and multisource sound localization including front-back confusions, separation and perception of multi-talker speech, and spatial hearing from masking in noise. The system can be field-calibrated for quantitative results in small spaces, and applies emerging speaker materials, audio chipsets, and room-correction algorithms to ensure repeatability in audiology tests.
SonoLoop’s computer-controlled 360-degree surround speaker system accurately reproduces any 8-channel USB audio input. It balances ear proximity and soundfield spatial variability, thereby eliminating room-acoustics effects and reducing the total required at-speaker Sound Pressure Level (SPL, analogous to audio amplitude or volume), while maintaining quantitative and repeatable at-ear sound delivery. The system is designed to be portable and storable, enabling temporary conversion of mixed-use clinical spaces for DOEHRS-HC-type testing. The system also collects patient movement metadata and controls for patient head motion, allowing more accurate test-to-test and site-to-site trending of audiology data.
