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本帖最后由 StephenW 于 2011-1-10 22:21 编辑
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/open-wide--it-wont-hurt-your-ears-a-bit-20110110-19l7u.html
Open wide - it won't hurt your ears a bit Nicky Phillips TECHNOLOGY January 11, 2011
 New device ... has "the potential to make fear of the drill a thing of the past". Illustration: Matthew Martin
THE piercing sound of a dentist's drill is enough to make most people's teeth ache. Now researchers in Britain have invented a device to cancel out the high-pitched sound made by these mouth-sized jackhammers, which could help some people who are afraid of the ''chair''.
Fear of the drill is one of the most common reasons why many people dread a visit to the dentist, or avoid it altogether.
The device, which works like noise-cancelling headphones, contains a microphone and computer chip which analyses incoming sound waves and inverts those waves coming from the drill, removing the unwanted noise.
Electronic filters also remove unwanted sound waves, even if their amplitude and frequency change while the drill is in use.
As the device cancels out only the drill noise, patients can still hear the dentists and nurses talking to them. It can be attached to an MP3 player or phone, so patients can listen to their own music while unwanted drill sounds are silenced.
An inventor of the device, Brian Millar, of the Dental Institute, King's College London, was inspired by car manufacturers' efforts to remove road noises while still allowing drivers to hear sounds such as emergency sirens.
''Many people are put off going to the dentist because of anxiety associated with the noise of the dentist's drill,'' Professor Millar said. ''But this device has the potential to make fear of the drill a thing of the past. The beauty of this gadget is it would be fairly cost-effective for dentists to buy, and any patient with an MP3 player would be able to benefit from it, at no extra cost.'' |
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发表于 2011-1-10 22:20
