Passive Augmentations in Hearing Protection Technology Circa 2010 including Flat-Attenuation, Passive Level-Dependent, Passive Wave Resonance, Passive Adjustable Attenuation, and Adjustable-Fit Devices: Review of Design, Testing, and Research

Augmentations or enhancements to conventional HPDs, that is, those which attenuate noise strictly through static, passive means, are generally delineated into passive (non-electronic) and active (powered electronic) designs. While powered electronic augmentations are reviewed in Casali(1) (a parallel paper elsewhere in this issue), passive augmentations are represented by mechanical networks to achieve flat-by-frequency attenuation; level-dependent leakage pathways that house acoustically-variable occluders to yield minimal attenuation during quiet periods but sharply increasing attenuation upon intense noise bursts (such as gunfire); quarter-wave resonance ducts to bolster attenuation of specific frequencies; selectable cartridges or valves that enable passive attenuation to be adjusted for specific exposure needs; and dynamically adjustable-fit devices that provide adjustment features to enable personalized fit to the user as well as some degree of attenuation control. Intended benefits of passive augmented HPDs (akin to those of active devices as well) include (1) more natural hearing for the user, (2) improved speech communications and signal detection, (3) reduced noise-induced annoyance, (4) improved military tactics, stealth maintenance and gunfire protection, and (5) provision of protection that is tailored for the user's needs, noise exposure, and/or job requirements. This paper provides a technical overview of passive augmented HPDs that were available or have been prototyped circa early-2010. In cases where no empirical research results on the passive augmentations and their performance were available in the research literature, this review relied on patents, corporate literature, and/or the author's experience. For certain augmentations, a limited amount of empirical, operational performance research was available and it is covered herein. Finally, in view that at the juncture of this article the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was in the process of promulgating a comprehensive new federal law to govern the testing and labeling of hearing protectors of various types, those elements of the proposed law that pertain only to specific passive augmentation technologies are mentioned herein,(2) along with references to relevant standards on hearing protector attenuation testing.