Audiometric method and apparatus for testing the effectiveness of hearing protective devices

摘要

A novel method and apparatus is disclosed for audiometrically testing the effectiveness and fitting of insert-type hearing protective devices whereby each ear is enclosed in a separate and portable audiometric enclosure having a telephonic earphone arrangement, the interior of each enclosure being freely spaced from the respective pinna of the ear to avoid any physical contact therebetween that may otherwise distort the ear canal supporting the protective device to be tested. Predetermined audiometric signals may be transmitted to each ear separately, both with and without the protective device, to obtain the difference of hearing thresholds and thereby determine separately, if needed, the fitting of each protective device, and its "real ear attenuation".