Unmet Need
Acoustic energy (i.e., sound energy) is an energy disturbance that can pass through materials in the form of waves.1. Examples of sound energy can be speech, music, or environmental noise. The wave vibrations from sound energy contain a wealth of information about their source and surroundings. For example, body sounds can provide health and diagnostic details, while ambient noises may provide insights related to sleep, cognitive and environmental changes. Vibrations from physical objects can even be used to harvest energy for powering small devices. Acoustic transducers capture the information from vibrations by converting sound wave vibrations into mechanical or electrical energy. However, the sensors used in current acoustic transducers fail to capture all of the energy released through sound waves due to acoustic impendence discrepancies caused by the reflection of these waves as they pass through different mediums. This can lead to lowered energy density at the transducer element and interference from other sound sources. Thus, there is a need to develop acoustic transducers that can more effectively capture acoustic energy.
Technology Overview
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed Hearo: a self-powered, impedance-matched transducer with a wide bandwidth for improved sound monitoring. The transducer has been tuned to match the acoustic impedance of materials in the range of 1 to 2.5 MRayls. This allows for maximal signal transmission and removes the need for extra layers within the transducer. This range of acoustic impendences covers a variety of materials such as skin, fresh and saltwater, and most plastics. The transducer is flexible and can be worn comfortably and deform as patients move for long-term monitoring of sounds to manage respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Low power consumption and energy harvesting allows for continuous and sustainable use.
Stage of Development
The transducer has been fully developed, and performance testing is being expanded to include acoustic impedance of additional materials.
