Elacin SI Meter
Seal Integrity Meter
All of our hearing protectors are made to the highest standards available, to make sure you get the best possible protection for your ears. On top of that we check them regularly with a Seal Integrity Meter to make sure that they give you the attenuation level we promise.
If you have any concerns regarding the attenuation level or noise leaks of your ELACIN products, you can always contact us to measure the attenuation level and check for sound leaks.
How does it work
The accurate functioning of 'individually tailored hearing protectors' depends on the acoustical sealing of the ear mould in the ear. In order for the applied filter to determine the required attenuation, the attenuation of the ear mould must always be higher than the filter attenuation.
One method used to test the ear mould seal, is the so called "air leakage" measurement. This method of measurement is not considered to be satisfactory. Leakage of the applied air pressure means certainly that the fitting of the ear mould is not correct. But 'no leakage' does not indicate anything about the real attenuation of the ear mould, which is the figure that has to be determined.
To perform proper acoustical measurements, ELACIN has developed, in close co-operation with Etymotic Research, the Seal Integrity Meter.
The hardware
The Seal Integrity Meter contains two specially designed sound level meters, which measure sound only within the frequency range between 200 and 400 Hz.
The sound is measured by two, acoustically separated microphones which are housed inside the transducer (1). One microphone (2) measures the ambient sound level while the other microphone (3) simultaneously measures the sound level inside the ear canal - behind the ear mould, via the probe tube (4) and the ear mould (5).
A digital signal processor calculates the difference in the measured sound levels and presents the result (the attenuation) on the Seal Integrity Meter display.
A light indicating the value closest to the value measured will illuminate.
As long as the test sound of the Generator dominates, ambient noise will not affect the measurement. Both the SI meter and the EE-tone generator are provided with a battery supply.
The Probe Tubes are connected and only available for the filter types delivered by Elacin.
Note: With the Seal Integrity Meter the occlusion effect can also be measured. This measurement is mainly of interest for the hearing aid ear models.
