Anti-viral acoustically transparent earphone cover

• US 5,545,859 A
• Filed: 03/07/1994
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth A. Ullrich
• Original Assignee: Kenneth A. Ullrich
• Inventors: Ullrich, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US08/206,971
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 181/129, 181/130, 181/131, 181/135, 181/137, 2/209, 379/451, 379/452
• US Class Current: 181/129
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/12 Sanitary or hygienic devices for mouthpieces or earpieces, e.g. for protecting against infection

Abstract

An earphone cover, for attachment to an operative region of an audiometric testing device includes a body formed from a substantially antiviral, acoustically-transparent material, and is constructed for covering such operative region. The body is preferably formed as a polyethylene film with a thickness of about 1-mil. Anti-viral testing shows that the earphone cover is an effective barrier throughout a 60-minute exposure time to a viral organism described as φX174 bacteriophage ATCC# 13706-B1. Acoustic transparency testing shows the earphone cover exhibits acceptable % total harmonic distortion and attenuation. A method of preventing patient cross-contamination associated with audiometric testing is also described. Both the structure and method are usable without affecting calibration of the audiometric testing device.

Claims

1. An anti-viral, acoustically transparent audiometer headset system connectable to audiometric sound testing equipment, comprising:

an audiometer headset including opposing earphones, each centerable over the meatus of a patient'"'"'s ear, and each being operable to transmit audiometric sounds into such patient'"'"'s ear when connected to such audiometric-sound-testing equipment;

prophylactic structure formed as dual bodies each of a substantially acoustically-transparent material, and each constructed for covering one of the earphones; and

wherein each body exhibits the following approximate ranges of % distortion in total harmonic distortion (THD) at the following frequencies when the bodies are placed over the earphones, and wherein such audiometric-sound-testing equipment has a hearing level setting which is set at 100 dB;

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ FREOUENCY (KHz) % DISTORTION (THD) ______________________________________ 1 0.4-0.6 2 0.2-0.4 4 0.1-0.3. ______________________________________

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each body is formed as a film.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each body is made of polyethylene.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each body has a thickness of approximately 1 mil.

5. A method of preventing patient cross-contamination associated with audiometric testing that utilizes audiometric-sound-testing equipment and an audiometer earphone headset with opposing earphones, each to be centered over the meatus of a patient'"'"'s ears, comprising:

selecting a material having substantially anti-viral, acoustically transparent properties;

forming the material into two earphone covers;

placing each cover over a corresponding earphone; and

performing such audiometric testing with each cover exhibiting the following approximate ranges of % distortion in total harmonic distortion (THD) at the following frequencies when the covers are placed over the earphones, and wherein such audiometric-sound-testing equipment has a hearing level setting which is set at 100 dB;

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ FREOUENCY (KHz) % DISTORTION (THD) ______________________________________ 1 0.4-0.6 2 0.2-0.4 4 0.1-0.3. ______________________________________