Smart Ear Protection for MRI Noise Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients undergoing MRI examinations face challenges with proper application of ear protection due to lack of experience and awareness, leading to inadequate noise attenuation, especially in children, the elderly, and those with dementia, as there are no objective measures to ensure correct fitting and effectiveness of ear protection devices.
Innovation Solution
An ear protection system that includes a device fitted around the patient's ears with sensors and a controllable signal emitter, connected via communication interfaces, providing assisting instructions and monitoring noise levels to ensure effective fitting and attenuation, using proxy signals and sensors like microphones, air tubes, photosensitive devices, and gas pressure sensors to assess the seal quality and adjust compression automatically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ear protection devices are used, then noise attenuation is provided, but correct application cannot be ensured due to patient lack of experience
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor the seal quality of ear protection devices and provide real-time feedback to both the patient and radiographer. The sensor device detects parameters such as pressure distribution and seal integrity, enabling automatic adjustment or alerting when proper application is not achieved, thus ensuring reliable noise attenuation without requiring patient expertise.
Solution Approach 2:
The ear protection system includes automated features that self-adjust and self-monitor. The sensor device automatically evaluates seal quality and triggers appropriate responses without requiring manual intervention from the patient. The system serves itself by detecting application issues and initiating corrective measures, reducing the burden on patients to manually ensure proper fitting.
2Measurement precision
If subjective checking methods are used, then application verification is performed, but objective measurement is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces subjective manual checking with objective sensor-based measurement. Sensor devices equipped with pressure sensors, accelerometers, or other detection mechanisms automatically quantify seal quality parameters such as pressure distribution and seal integrity. This substitution of mechanical/manual inspection with sensor-based detection provides precise, quantifiable data without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If ear protection is not properly applied, then patient safety is compromised, but no automatic verification exists
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device provides continuous feedback on ear protection application quality, enabling automatic verification of patient safety conditions. When the sensor detects improper seal quality or inadequate protection, the system can automatically alert the radiographer, adjust parameters, or prevent the imaging procedure from commencing, thereby ensuring patient safety through automated verification rather than relying on manual checks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively monitors and adjusts ear protection to ensure adequate noise attenuation, improving patient safety and comfort by providing semi-autonomous ear protection during MRI procedures, even for patients who may not apply ear protectors correctly, thereby reducing noise exposure to safe levels.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sensor device adapted to determine a measurement of noise passing through the ear protection device towards the ears of the patient
Implementation Method 2
using proxy signals and sensors like microphones, air tubes, photosensitive devices, and gas pressure sensors to assess the seal quality
Implementation Method 3
using proxy signals and sensors like microphones, air tubes, photosensitive devices, and gas pressure sensors to assess the seal quality and adjust compression automatically
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an ear protection system (200) for a medical imaging device. It comprises an ear protection device (210), adapted to be fitted around or in the ears of a patient (P) to be imaged, and at least comprising a first communication interface (211) and at least one sensor device (212) adapted to determine a measurement of noise passing through the ear protection device (210) towards the ears of the patient. The system (200) further comprises a controllable signal emitter (230), adapted to output a proxy signal representing an expected imaging device noise and to be measured by the at least one sensor device (212), and a patient assistance device (220), adapted to assist the patient to fit the ear protection device (210), and at least comprising a second communication interface. During a preparation phase of the patient preceding an imaging phase using the medical imaging device, the ear protection device (210) and the patient assistance device (220) are communicatively connected to each other via the first and second communication interface, and the patient assistance device (220) generates assisting instructions to the patient depending on an evaluation of the proxy signal and the measurement of noise passing through the ear protection device (210) determined by the sensor device (212).