Modeling the Ear's Response to Intense Impulses and the Development of Improved Damage Risk Criteria
Abstract
Research indicates that traditional measures fail to rate hazard from intense impulses accurately. This failure may be due to increased complexities in the ear's response at such high sound pressure levels. Therefore, to gain insight into the problem, we have been developing a mathematical model of the ear that reproduces the response of the ear from free field pressures to basilar membrane displacements and calculates hazard there (modeled as mechanical stress). This model is conformal with the structure of the ear and includes the spectral tuning of the external and middle ears, a non-linear stapes, and a changing susceptibility along the cochlear partition. The model can be used to calculate a hazard index for virtually any impulse and although work is still continuing on the development of the model, it is thus far able to explain the hearing loss data better than any other system. If the model were incorporated into an integrated circuit/meter, it would have the virtues of being complex enough to rate hazard accurately, be simple to use, and because it is theoretically based, be useful in suggesting design changes for impulse- producing sources as well as more effective designs for hearing protectors. hazard rating, spectrum, impulse noise, impulse noise, noise hazard.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA252365
Entities
People
- G. R. Price
Organizations
- Human Engineering Laboratory