INCUBATOR WITH A NOISE MUFFLING MECHANISM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160199241A1
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aspect Imaging Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aspect Imaging Ltd.
• Inventors: RAPOPORT, Uri
• Application Number:
  US14/915,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20160199241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/045 Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0055 of gas, e.g. hot air or steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0057 of gas, e.g. air or carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/006 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0093 programmed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0095 with a temperature indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0053 Cabins, rooms, chairs or units for treatment with a hot or cold circulating fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/009 with hand insertion windows, e.g. in the walls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/14 Children
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/70 with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/50 for radiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0003 Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/105 Filters A61M16/047, A61M16/22 take precedence; water traps A61M16/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/161 : with means for measuring the humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 : pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0233 : Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3633 : thermally insulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/42 : Reducing noise
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 : Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/162 : Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 : Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/172 : using resonance effects
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/175 : using interference effects; Masking sound
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/20 : Reflecting arrangements G10K11/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/116 : Medical; Dental
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/118 : Panels, e.g. active sound-absorption panels or noise barriers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/129 : Vibration, e.g. instead of, or in addition to, acoustic noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/301 : Computational
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3223 : Materials, e.g. special compositions or gases
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3224 : Passive absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/509 : Hybrid, i.e. combining different technologies, e.g. passive and active

Abstract

A noise-attenuating neonate incubator (NANI) comprising sound attenuating module (SAM) configured to decrease the ratio, (AmpRatt_i), of the sound'"'"'s amplitude at a time, t_i, to a reference amplitude, to a critical amplitude ratio value of said sound measured over a predetermined time, At, (AmpR_QVΔt) or less. The SAM comprises passive noise attenuating, active noise attenuating or both. A method for sound attenuating a neonate incubator, characterized by: (a) obtaining a noise-attenuating neonate incubator (NANI) comprising sound attenuating module (SAM) configured to decrease AmpRatt_i to AmpR_QVΔt or less; (b) accommodating said neonate in said NANI; and, (c) attenuating said noise by said at least one SAM, thereby changing the sound signature.

Claims

1. A noise-attenuating neonate incubator (NANI) comprising sound attenuating module (SAM) configured to decrease the sound amplitude ratio at time, t_i, (AmpRat_ti) to a critical amplitude ratio value of the sound measured over a predetermined time, Δ

t, (AmpR<sub>QVΔ

t</sub>) or less, wherein said sound attenuating module (SAM) comprises;

a. at least one sound sensor in communication with a computer readable medium (CRM), configured for continuously sampling said sound amplitude ratio at time t_i (AmpRat_ti) within said incubator;

b. at least one CRM for storing said critical amplitude ratio value of said sound measured over a predetermined time, Δ

t, (AmpR<sub>QVΔ

t</sub>) and, said sound amplitude ratio at time, t_i (AmpRat_ti); and

,

c. at least one sound attenuator in communication with said CRM for decreasing said sound amplitude ratio at time, t_i;

wherein a plurality of said sound sensors providing feedback signals at time t_i to said CRM (AmpRat_ti);

said CRM configured to instruct said sound attenuator, if AmpRat_ti>

AmpR<sub>QVΔ

t</sub>, to operate such that AmpRat_ti<

AmpR<sub>QVΔ

t</sub>;

further wherein said SAM, said incubator, or both are made of MRI safe materials.

2. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said sensor is further in communication with a selected from a group consisting of:

at least one indicator, at least one user interface, at least one alarm system, at least one CPU, and any combination thereof.

3. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said CRM is configured to control said sound attenuator according to one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of:

parameters received by means of said at least one sensor, parameters inputted through a user interface, parameters received from neonate medical equipment, and any combination thereof.

4. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said sound attenuator comprises an active sound masking system, configured to emit at least one acoustical sound signal, by means of at least one acoustical sound-speaker.

6. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said sound attenuator comprises a reactive acoustical device, configured to cancel or reduce said noise by means of a destructive interference generated by a selected from a group consisting of:

at least one transducer, at least one speaker, and any combination thereof.

7. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said SAM is configured to differentiate at least one predefined sound from background noise, and attenuate a selected from a group consisting of:

said background noise, said at least one predefined noise, and any combination thereof.

8. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said CRM is configured to store at least one sound characteristic selected from a group consisting of:

sound levels, tone, overtone composition, reverberations, sound frequency, sound wavelength, sound wave amplitude, sound wave speed, sound wave direction, sound wave energy, sound wave phase, sound wave shape, sound wave envelope, sound timbre, and any combination thereof.

11. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said SAM is configured to attenuate said noise by a selected from a group consisting of:

reduce sound levels, reduce sound reflections, reduce sound reverberation, create sound diffusion, mask sound, cancel sound, change the sound signature, and any combination thereof.

12. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said SAM is configured to change at least one sound characteristic selected from a group consisting of:

sound levels, tone, overtone composition, reverberations, sound frequency, sound wavelength, sound wave amplitude, sound wave speed, sound wave direction, sound wave energy, sound wave phase, sound wave shape, sound wave envelope, sound timbre, and any combination thereof, thereby generating a different sound signature.

14. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said SAM comprises at least one means selected from a group consisting of:

active sound attenuating means, passive sound attenuating means, hybrid sound attenuating means, and any combination thereof.

15. The NANI of claim 14, wherein said at least one passive sound attenuating means is selected from a group consisting of:

at least one sound absorptive material, at least one resonator, at least one sound shield, at least one bass trap, at least one sound baffle, at least one diffuser, at least one insulation padding, at least one sound reflector, at least one sound muffler (SM), and any combination thereof.

16. The NANI of claim 15, wherein said SAM comprises at least one sound muffler (SM) comprising at least one cylindered conduit, having at least one length (l) and at least one width (w);

said cylinder comprising at least one air inlet, and at least one air outlet;

further wherein said SM is configured such as that sound exiting at least one air outlet is of a different sound signature than sound entering at least one air inlet.

17. The NANI of claim 16, wherein said SM comprises at least a first cylinder, and at least a second cylinder, connected therebetween, said connection comprises at least one opening configured to permit a fluid communication therebetween.

18. The NANI of claim 16, wherein said at least one cylinder width (w) is selected from a group consisting of:

width (w) is equal along said length (l), is differential along said length (l) or any combination thereof.

19. The NANI of claim 16, wherein said SM comprises a plurality of n cylinders, having said length (l)_{1- . . . n} and said width (w)_{1- . . . n} of said each cylinder, are selected from a group consisting of:

(l)₁=(l)_n, (l)₁>

(l)_n, (l)₁<

(l)_n, (l)₁≠

(l)_n, (w)₁=(w)_n, (w)₁>

(w)_n, (w)₁<

(w)_n, (w)₁≠

(w)_n, and any combination thereof.

24. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said SAM comprises at least one sound reflector configured to direct said noise to a selected from a group consisting of:

at least one absorptive surface, at least one sound diffuser, at least one sound baffle, at least one reflective surface, at least one resonator, at least one sound shield, a location directed away from said neonate, and any combination thereof.

30. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said incubator further comprises at least one conduit having at least one SAM configured to muffle the sound passing through said conduit.

35. The NANI of claim 1, wherein said NANI is at least temporarily accommodated in a cart comprising a mobile base, interconnected to said incubator by at least one support pillar.

36. The NANI of claim 35, wherein said cart further comprises at least one SAM.

37. The NANI of claim 36, wherein said SAM is connected to a selected from a group consisting of said incubator, said cart base, said pillar, and any combination thereof.

5. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

20-23. -23. (canceled)

25-29. -29. (canceled)

31-34. -34. (canceled)

38-42. -42. (canceled)