DE102006059538A1 - Device and method for measuring the individual stimulus load - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a sensor-actuator unit (1) positioned at sense organ, a mobile signal processing (2) and an evaluation unit (3), and measure the sound load. The sensor-actuator unit is miniaturized and integrated in an occlusion free otoplastic. The sensor actuator unit has medium for sound input and for sound transmission. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for the measurement of the individual excitation load (2) a computer program.

Description

The The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring the individual stimulus load by any physico-chemical qualities and sizes (example are in particular to name mechanical load sizes of the Musculoskeletal, chemical, toxic and radiation effects Creature). Application, the present invention, e.g. for a personal and miniaturized dosimetry (PMD) for individual prevention exposed to noise Find test persons. For this reason, the invention in the following on the example of noise pollution to be discribed. For the first time, it offers the opportunity to be justified Costs outside from special scientific studies to larger groups of potentially affected people Modern technology for controlling your own irritation and stimulation stress to disposal to deliver.

noise pollution through work and leisure activities is in a highly technical World a not negligible Health hazard. In Statistics of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Safety Associations comes the effect of Noise to Expression: in Germany, the noise deafness (BK 2301) despite the extensive legal, technical and occupational medical preventive measures in the recognized occupational diseases in the first place. The early detection from noise Hearing Impairments is particularly due to the increase in external noise exposure of particular importance and could the economic costs through follow-up (for example, compensation and pensions) in case of noise damage reduce.

The inventive method with the associated Device can be everywhere in the cases be used, in which a sufficiently fast and accurate Determination of the individual stimulus load (e.g. Employee) is to be realized. In the prevention of work-related illnesses Today, most of them are location and personal noise measurements at workplaces the basis of assessment for Protective measures. Due to the practicality will do it the microphone attached primarily to the shoulder of the person exposed to noise. Systems, however, are capable of being physiologically based adequate Immission measurements (in situ) a prophylaxis related to the individual to operate, are not yet available. For a noise-induced hearing loss can so far no evidence-based reproducible dose-effect relationship be occupied. Due to the individual vulnerability and disposition of the auditory organ to lead same external loads to different individual loads. In such multi-variable systems, where not all the remaining variables can be kept constant, have to these are measured simultaneously.

At the The current state of the art would require measuring devices that either tall or heavy and thus are not sustainable. Consequently, measurements in almost all critical situations, such as at work or at leisure, not done be, unless in the hardware are the portable devices for necessary components already mechanically or electrically integrated, so that with the processors available today copes with the accumulating data volumes or can be processed.

task The invention is therefore an apparatus and a method specify with which a sufficiently accurate and rapid quantification the individual stimulus load and stimulus load of an exposed one Employee can be realized, the device can be miniaturized and be customizable and a high data resolution for concrete and comprehensive identification of individual binaural Irritation stress or stimulus stress should be guaranteed.

According to the invention succeeds the solution this task with the characterizing features of the first and sixth claim.

advantageous Embodiments of the solution according to the invention are specified in the subclaims.

details and advantages of the invention are the following description part in which the invention is described with reference to the attached drawings, in which the same reference numerals designate the same or similar parts throughout Characters denote, closer explained becomes. It shows:

1 - A schematic diagram of the device according to the invention

2 An embodiment of the sensor-actuator system (ear probe)

In 1 are the three main components of the device according to the invention, consisting of a sensor-actuator unit (ear probe) ( 1 ), a mobile signal processing unit (frontend) ( 2 ) and an evaluation unit ( 3 ).

For the measurement of the immission (p = physical sound pressure) acting on the person, an ear canal probe ( 1 ) integrated sensor (eg a microphone). This ear probe ( 1 ) is in a preferred embodiment designed as an otoplastic and thereby simultaneously allows a linear passive damping (X (p) = subdued sound pressure), which is delivered into the ear canal.

In 2 an embodiment of the sensor-actuator unit is shown in principle. In it means for signal recording (eg microphones) and means for signal delivery (eg miniature speakers or miniature bone conduction headphones) are provided. The sensor-actuator unit forms the interface between the electrical signals and the sound pressure at the ear (p) or in the residual volume of the ear canal (X (p), Y (p, S), Z (S), OAE). This requires miniaturization of the acoustic transducers since they are integrated directly into the sensor-actuator unit. In practical application, it is thus possible to avoid disadvantageous distortions of the acoustic stimuli which occur, for example, in the application of BTE variants. Since the acceptance of such ear probes depends very much on their wearing comfort, it is proposed to use an individually adapted and as oklussionsfreie earmold. Furthermore, an optimization of the probe seat is to be made so that the intra-individual anatomical differences considered and a uniform placement in the ear canal can be realized, for example by means of optical alignment at a fixed point of the eardrum (eg umbo membranae tympani).

The Data and signal transmission from the sensor-actuator unit (ear probe) to the signal processing unit (Frontend) is wireless. This will be a hindrance to the wearer Person (e.g., by cable) during work or during various leisure activities avoided.

The signal storage as well as the signal pre-processing of the measured sound pressure p is the task of a body-near and mobile signal processing unit (frontend) ( 2 ). The measured sound pressure p is stored digitally in a memory on the frontend according to predetermined parameters ( 2 ) filed.

The signal analysis is performed on an evaluation unit ( 3 ) realized with a modularized software. In addition to the calculation of the personal assessment level (L _Ard ) according to BGV B3, this should also include extended time-frequency analyzes with aurally correct parameterization.

In a second embodiment of the device according to the invention are means for generating and mutual transmission of acoustic signals (warning or communication channel Y (p, S)), the front end ( 2 ) can be controlled (S), provided. On the one hand, safety-relevant acoustic information from the environment can be transmitted directly to the user. On the other hand, other perception channels (eg visual or tactile senses) can be compensated. This offers the advantage that the user, for example, during a whole working shift the ear probe ( 1 ) does not have to take out and thus the personal noise protection is maintained.

In a third preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, means for a sequential provocation analysis (eg otoacoustic emissions (OAE)) are provided. Here, the frontend ( 2 ) additionally the task of a stimulus generator, ie the provision of electrical signals for the acoustic stimulus (eg OAE stimulus (Z (S)). 1 ) be designed as a sensor-actuator unit so that the acoustic stimulus delivered into the ear canal and the sound pressure signal in the residual volume of the ear canal can be registered (ear canal response and otoacoustic emissions).

The inventive device offers the possibility, To determine objective parameters with which the physiological stress on a physical load (exemplified here for the Noise pollution) can be described. In the prevention of occupational Offers hearing damage the invention a perspective for a future, timely identification (preventive) of people with particularly sensitive to damage Hearing (vulnerability). With this solution can be an individualization of sizing of stimulus - reaction relationships and thus realized a prophylaxis related to the individual be, with the required technical and organizational and thus also the financial expense in long-term studies on noise-exposed Subjects is significantly minimized. The combination of hearing protection and communication channel increased the work safety in the respective noise environment.

As already mentioned, it is also possible the invention to the control of other stress stimuli, such as e.g. optical, chemical, toxic and the like expand.

1

Sensor-actuator unit (Ear probe)

2

Signal processing unit (Front-end)

3

evaluation

p

physiklischer Sound stimulus (sound pressure)

X (p)

muffled sound

Y (p, S)

communication channel

Z (S)

generated Stimulus (OAE)

S

control

OAE

otoacoustic emissions

Claims (12)

Device for measuring the individual stimulus load, characterized in that it comprises at least one (in situ) sensor-actuator unit, a mobile signal processing unit and an evaluation unit positionable on / in the respective sensory organ. Device according to claim 1, characterized that it is designed to measure the sound load. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized that the sensor-actuator unit can be miniaturized and in as much as possible occlusion-free otoplastic can be integrated. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized that the sensor-actuator unit means for sound recording and for sound transmission having. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized that in the signal processing unit means for sound generation are provided. Method for measuring the individual stimulus load with a device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized that the stimulus load over a predetermined period of time immediately on / in the respective sensory organ (in situ) is measured and from these measurement data the instantaneous stimulus dose from the beginning of the measurement and the stimulus dose for the entire duration of the Measurement is determined, wherein the measurement of the stimulus burden in "real time" takes place. Method according to claim 6, characterized that the signal transmission between the sensor-actuator unit, the signal processing unit and the evaluation unit is wireless. Method according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that when exceeding a predetermined assessment level (eg L _Ard ), a warning signal is generated. Method according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized that with a device according to one of claims 1 to 5, the sound load is measured binaurally. Method according to one of Claims 6 to 9, characterized in the signal processing unit, an acoustic stimulus signal is generated and its sound pressure in the ear and the response of the ear are measured and evaluated. Method according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized that stored in the signal processing unit, the measured sound pressure raw data become. Computer program for implementing a method according to one of the claims 6 to 11.