Do It Yourself Custom Hearing Protection

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Irene Summers
6 years ago
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1 Do It Yourself Custom Hearing Protection Evan Mattice, B.S. Au.D. Candidate, University of Texas at Dallas Ross Roeser, Ph.D. University of Texas at Dallas

2 Thank you to NHCA donors and scholarship foundation

3 About the study Interest in the topic and hearing conservation stems from clinical practicum experience. Study was completed as research requirement for doctor of audiology program and The University of Texas at Dallas. Conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Ross Roeser.

4 Hearing loss prevention NIDCD report of 26 million Americans have hearing loss possibly attributed to noise exposure. We are here because we know how to prevent this. How do we encourage good hearing health? Which products are most effective? Which products are most affordable? Which product will individuals actually use? Of those, which will they use correctly?

5 Accessibility of HPDs You can find anything/everything on the internet. Grilled sandwich bearing the portrait of the virgin Mary ($28,000) Clippings of Justin Beiber s hair ($40,668) A single corn flake ($1.63) Hearing protection ($0.49-$250)

6 Accessibility of HPDs Internet purchasing abilities provide access to a huge catalog of hearing protection devices. Generally, standard premolded, moldable, and ear muff styles are most popular. Uptake in availability of custom HPDs online

7 Custom HPDs online Custom HPDs requiring impressions sent into a lab. ($100+) Westone Perfect-Fit Require: Placing otoblock yourself (actually yourself) Taking impression (can be yourself or a buddy) Sending into the lab to be created (free shipping!)

8 Custom HPDs online Do it yourself custom molded hearing protection ($9.95- $119.95) Cured impression material become the earplug Radians Sonolab Decibullz Got Ears? E.A.R. Inc.

9 Custom HPDs online Do it yourself custom molded hearing protection ($9.95- Most Require: Pressing impression material into ear canal Waiting to cure Trim excess and use as HPD

10 Can consumers make their own EMIs? All of these products make most audiologists squirm. Legends of EMIs gone awry. The case of cerumen impaction on the TM The case of hematoma of the TM The case of TM perforation and perilymph fistula. Untrained consumers don t make impressions deep enough with air-tight seal (Kimball, 2008). Some professionals drop the ball with proper impressions

11 Can consumers make their own EMIs? Most studies look at traditional EMIs and traditional custom plugs. Wanted to look at Do it Yourself earplugs.

12 Do it Yourself vs Traditional Plugs Inability for users to obtain NRR attenuation is well documented. Aimed to determine effect of Do it Yourself custom molded earplugs, created by untrained adults, compared to conventional earplugs with same NRR.

13 Participants 20 subjects (7 male, 13 female) Mean age 27.6 Inclusion criteria Pure tone thresholds within normal limits (less than 25 db HL.25-8 khz); Inter-aural difference in threshold of less than 10 db HL; Normal middle ear function verified by tympanometry and acoustic reflex; No recent middle-ear pathology per subject report; and No previous training in the use of hearing protection

14 Materials Radians Do-It-Yourself Custom Molded Earplug Howard Leight Quiet Reusable Foam Earplug Peltor Next Tri-Flange Reusable Earplug

15 Methods Participants were provided manufacturer instructions for all three HPDs Were not provided any guidance in creation of do it yourself or insertion of the non-custom HPDs. Created do it yourself custom molds REAT obtained for all three HPDs Counterbalanced in an attempt to control for order effects

16 Minor incidents in creation of DIY earplugs Insufficient mixing of silicone and curing material Adherence to tragus piercing

17 Results Main effect of frequency (P<0.001) and earplug (P<0.001)

18 Results Post hoc analysis suggested: Significant differences between low, medium, and high frequency attenuation within plug type. Significant differences in attenuation between: DIY and foam Flange and foam No difference between and flange DIY

19 Results Comparison to manufacturer attenuation

20 Conclusions No significant difference between Radians Do-It-Yourself custom earplug and Peltor Next Tri-Flange reusable earplug. Both custom and flange provided significantly more attenuation in mid and high frequencies. Large amount of variability in attenuation of all HPDs, though variation illustrated by standard deviation was lower in the do-it-yourself custom HPDs. None of the devices met manufacturer assumed protection levels, though custom and flange devices were closer than foam.

21 Limitations/Future directions Limitations of sample size Pre and post training REAT measures would be useful Comparison of other DIY custom earplugs Comparison to self-made impression custom Comparison to professionally made impression custom

22 Observations Canal length of custom VERY short, though some maintained air-tight seal which provided significant attenuation. Post study discussion Participants reported more likely to use foam or flange in everyday situations Most participants found the custom earmolds humorous Inconsistent/unrefined appearance main reason participants wouldn t use in future.

Effects of Untrained Earmold Impression Taking on Custom Hearing Protector Device Performance

Effects of Untrained Earmold Impression Taking on Custom Hearing Protector Device Performance Melinda F. Bryan, Ph.D., CCC-A Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA Kelly Pack, Au.D., CCC-A Professional