Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs) can prevent occupational hearing loss among military and civilian personnel by reducing noise exposure, but only if properly fitted. Unfortunately, current best practice for testing an HPDs fit is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. Traditionally, the only way to ensure proper fit of hearing protection is to perform a Real Ear Attenuation Threshold (REAT) test in an audiometric booth or using a testing-specific HPD. FTLs SonoPod enables HPD fitment testing that meets the Acoustical Society of America national consensus standard for Field Attenuation Estimation Systems (FAES) and it is compatible with any commercial HPD. SonoPod applies emerging clinical test methods, speaker design, and room-correction algorithms to ensure reliable, repeatable, and efficient HPD fit-checks in a variety of environments. Additionally, SonoPod allows testing of multiple people simultaneously, and has been developed for rapid, continuous throughput of patients. This system enables rapid testing at the point-of-need, such as testing a large group of users as they file into a shooting range, for example. SonoPod can be field-calibrated for quantitative results in a variety of spaces, can work with any style and any manufacturers HPD, and can upload Personal Attenuation Ratings (PAR) results to health and safety records.
