N131-012 TITLE: Earplug-Integrated Miniature Wireless Sensors for Warfighter Monitoring and Earplug Evaluations

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Sensors, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: JSF-Sus

OBJECTIVE: Develop miniature wireless sensors that can be integrated into commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) earplugs, without interfering with earplug properties, for evaluation of earplug performance and for continuous monitoring of warfighter physiological status during military operations.

DESCRIPTION: Warfighters require hearing protection to reduce their exposure to potentially damaging noise levels in the combat environment. Earplugs used by warfighters range from classic passive foam earplugs to custom-molded earplugs with integrated communications. There is a need to objectively measure earplug performance and safety, but is currently difficult to obtain these measurements because no sensors exist that can measure the area of interest, the space in the ear canal between the end of an inserted earplug and the eardrum, without compromising the performance of the earplug. In addition, although sensors have been successfully integrated into specially designed earplugs for applications such as measuring noise exposure, head accelerations, and heat stress, these sensors are not designed for use with commercial off-the-shelf (COTs) earplugs. Recent advances in technology have facilitated the creation of miniaturized and micro sensors, which are currently used in several areas including medicine, research, and manufacturing. There have also been advances in wireless data transmission, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID), which can be combined with sensors for miniature and micro-scale applications.

A new type of miniature wireless sensor is needed that is small enough to fit on the end of an earplug, does not interfere with earplug properties, and is safe for human use. Earplug-integrated wireless miniature sensors for personnel monitoring would benefit warfighters by increasing mission effectiveness and safety by providing objective measurements that could be used to evaluate the performance and safety of current and future COTS earplugs and for continuous monitoring of the physiological status of a warfighter during military operations.

One area of particular interest would be monitoring pressure within the ear canal for military pilots and aircrew personnel wearing earplugs. The Navy and Air Force have approved only vented versions of communications earplugs for jet pilot and aircrew use following a 2004 incident of otitic barotrauma (eardrum rupture) in a pilot who was wearing custom molded communications earplugs. The requirement for venting was based on safety concerns and the belief that non-vented versions of these devices can prevent pressure equalization of the "trapped volume" between the earplug and the eardrum during altitude changes, leading to eardrum rupture. Earplug-integrated pressure sensors could be used for evaluating the pressure equalization capability of earplugs in order to determine their safety for pilot use.

Miniature sensors could have many other uses as well. Miniature microphones integrated into earplugs could allow for objective evaluation of attenuation in real-world settings in order to determine the best earplugs for specific applications, to calculate allowable noise exposures for a specific earplug, and to measure real-time noise exposures as part of a hearing conservation program in order to determine when a warfighter meets their daily noise exposure limit. Miniature sensors could also be used for continuous monitoring of warfighter physiological status (e.g. blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, blood oxygenation, and stress).

The miniature wireless sensors for earplugs should be durable for repeated use, but cost effective so that they may be replaced if damaged. Sensors must be mountable on several types of earplugs, including foam earplugs, custom molded earplugs, flange earplugs, and communications earplugs. The sensors must be able to be calibrated before tests and readily connected to a portable data acquisition system. The sensors should be easy to attach to earplugs. The correct response of the sensors should be validated through computational modeling or experimental testing.

Technology developed under this SBIR will require Human Testing and proper approvals will be required prior to the award of a Phase II contract.

PHASE I: Design wireless pressure sensors for use with readily available commercial off-the-shelf earplugs. Demonstrate proof of concept of critical features of the design through computational modeling or experimental testing . Develop integration and calibration methods, and cost estimates.

PHASE II: Develop and produce prototype wireless pressure sensors and validate their performance with several types of COTS earplugs (foam, flange, custom-molded) in mannequin and human subjects. Expand upon and investigate the concept of miniaturized wireless sensors beyond pressure monitoring to cover other forms of personnel monitoring that could be done via the ear. Develop life-cycle cost and supportability estimates of such sensors.

PHASE III: Transition technology into production via sales to the Department of Defense and also through commercial sales.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Wireless earplug sensors and the data obtained from them would be invaluable to both military and civilian communities that seek methods to monitor personnel in the field and evaluate real-world performance and safety of COTS earplugs. Further development in miniaturized wireless pressure and other sensors (microphones; sensors for blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, blood oxygenation, stress, etc.) would have many applications in numerous different industries in the civilian sector.

REFERENCES:
1. Department of Defense Instruction Number 6055.12: DoD Hearing Conservation Program.

2. WestVR, EveryMG, ParkerJF. (1972) U.S. Naval Aerospace Physiologist's Manual. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Chapter 4 The Pressure Environment; 65.

KEYWORDS: Wireless; Sensor; earplug; hearing protection; monitoring

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between 16 November, 2012 through 16 December 2012, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting 17 December, 2012, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (13.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 13.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.