MEDICAL
Need hearing protection for medical professions?
Please see our range of options on this page.
Protect your hearing while at work
Thinking about occupational hazards in the medical sector and protection we think mainly of face masks, gloves and protective eye protection. There is another type of protective personal equipment (PPE) we might be forgetting: earplugs.
Professions like dentists and orthopedic surgeons are exposed to loud noises daily. Hearing loss is an occupational hazard of the medical profession and these professionals are susceptible to the development of permanent hearing loss.
Studies have shown that sound levels in the dental office or theater exceed the safe threshold (85dB) on a daily basis.
Standard (foam) earplugs may protect against this noise but also make normal communication almost impossible. High-fidelity custom-made earplugs on the other hand allow for easy clear communication while ears are protected at the same time.
For who
Specifications
Dentistry
Medical Professionals
Most dentists prefer the ACS Pro15, which reduces the noise of drills and the suction machine while speech is still audible. When more reduction in sound is needed the Pro20 is another option. For professionals who work in theater the Pro15 or Pro20 is also the preferred solution.
These custom-made Pro15 earplugs are made of a medical grade silicone. They are discrete canal moulds which are very comfortable to wear all day long. These plugs allow for natural hearing so communication with patients and colleagues is still possible. The sound of drills and suction machines are reduced when you wear the ACS Pro15 custom earbuds.
A revolution in custom hearing protection
The PRO15 by ACS provides more subtle attenuation which is perfect for use in a dental or medical practise, sloping up in the higher frequencies for protection against the noisy medical instruments used. The vented design offers reduced occlusion, making communication and vocals sound more natural – resulting in a plug that is more transparent to the wearer. The complete plug (custom made in soft silicone) offers one of the most comfortable hearing protection solutions for dentists and doctors with the additional benefit of water resistance for increased longevity.
Protection just where you need it
The PRO15’s attenuation curve is the result of a very specific design that satisfies two very important requirements. Firstly, the requirement of medical professionals to be able to hear what they’re doing whilst being protected from peaks in higher frequencies but where the overall noise is lower than for many other professions. The PRO15 solves this with a flat 12dB protection up to the midrange and then a gentle curve up to 15dB at the high end where many of the dangerous noise of the medical instruments sit. Second is the requirement for a hearing protector that conforms to the European Standard for hearing protection for use under the Noise at Work regulations. The EN352-2 standard specifies minimum protection values at specific frequencies and creating a low noise hearing protector can be difficult without dipping below these values. The PRO15 provides protection that’s not only perfectly suited to the wearer but also meets the requirements of EN352-2 so the medical professional and politician are perfectly happy.
The next generation of filter design
The PRO filter series has been designed anew with the wearer in mind. The filter is smaller than many competing filters, meaning it can fit into smaller ears without any protrusion – which is great for both comfort and aesthetics. The filters are also user-swappable, so you can chop and change as your environment demands to any other filter in the PRO range, giving you complete control over your protection with just a single set of earmoulds. In addition to this, the PRO series are water resistant so they can be used outside or in high moisture environments and can withstand perspiration without it damaging the filter membrane.
The curse of the occlusion effect
Trying to create a natural sounding earplug is no mean feat as far as your own voice is concerned. As you may have experienced, when you block off your ear canal your own voice starts to boom inside your head (this is what we call occlusion). This is caused by sound that is carried to your ear canal through the cartilage at the side of your head which usually escapes through the open ear canal so is not heard. When we block off the canal this sound cannot escape and so creates that booming effect. A large amount of occlusion can be eliminated by ensuring that the earplug sits deep enough into the ear canal to extend past the cartilage. This is ensures that the sound hits the plug and is deadened rather than entering the canal at all. The PRO filters go one step further by being vented to allow sound to pass both ways. This means that remaining sound can escape directly through the filter providing one of the most natural sounding earplugs available.
Tailor made for you
The PRO15 ear plug is custom-made using soft medical-grade silicone so you get the very best in isolation and fit, allowing you to wear them for hours at a time without fatigue or discomfort. Each earpiece is manufactured to the highest standards ensuring you get a comfortable, discreet and effective hearing protector that can be fitted quickly, easily and securely every time.
PRO15 ear plugs and filters have been tested and certified to EN352-2: The European Standard for ear plug hearing protectors, which is almost identical to the AS/NZS1270 standards.
If you are unsure what product to buy or need further product information before making your purchase, please contact Pacific Ears at info@pacificears.com .
We will be happy to help.
For loud medical professions like orthopedic surgeons or dentists who would like more reduction in sound the Pro20 is the best choice. These custom-made hearing protectors are comfortable to wear for hours on end. Communication is clear and the chance of hearing loss when wearing the correct hearing protection eliminated.
A revolution in custom hearing protection
The PRO20 filter provides attenuation specifically designed for high noise situations where there is an emphasis on higher pitch frequencies. Designed from the ground up for the industry, the PRO20 is the ideal filter for demanding environments. The PRO filter also provides water resistance so it will carry on performing in the hot or humid conditions demanding industrial environments with no detriment to the attenuation.
The edge you want with the protection you need
The PRO20 offers protection that’s been specifically designed for those exposed to dangerous high frequency noise. Its dB reduction increases gently up to the high frequencies so you can hear everything you need to. Keeping the attenuation less aggressive in the lower frequencies gives you greater situation awareness. This allows you to communicate comfortably without the need to keep removing and replacing your plugs so you can put your hearing protection in and leave it there all day if necessary. With an average attenuation of 20dB the PRO20 can increase your safe exposure times by up to 6.5 times so you can enjoy your hobby or occupation with confidence and, with its slimmer and more discreet profile, in complete comfort.
The next generation of filter design
The PRO filter series has been designed anew with the wearer in mind. For starters, it’s smaller than many competing filters, which means it can fit into smaller ears without any protrusion – which is great for both comfort and aesthetics. The filters are also user-swappable so you can chop and change as your environment demands to any other filter in the PRO range, giving you complete control over your protection with just a single set of earmoulds. In addition, the PRO series are water resistant so they can be used outside or in high moisture environments and can withstand perspiration without it damaging the filter membrane.
The curse of the occlusion effect
Trying to create a natural sounding earplug is no mean feat as far as your own voice is concerned because, as you may have experienced, when you block off your ear canal your own voice starts to boom inside your head (this is what we call occlusion). This is caused by sound that is carried to your ear canal through the cartilage at the side of your head which usually escapes through the open ear canal so is not heard. When we block off the canal this sound cannot escape and so creates that booming effect. A large amount of occlusion can be eliminated by ensuring that the earplug sits deep enough into the ear canal to extend past the cartilage. This ensures that the sound hits the plug and is deadened rather than entering the canal at all. The PRO filters go one step further by being vented to allow sound to pass both ways, meaning that remaining sound can escape directly through the filter providing one of the most natural sounding earplugs available.
Tailor made for you
The PRO20 ear plug is custom-made using soft medical-grade silicone so you get the very best in isolation and fit, allowing you to wear them for hours at a time without fatigue or discomfort. Each earpiece is manufactured to the highest standards ensuring you get a comfortable, discreet and effective hearing protector that can be fitted quickly, easily and securely every time. PRO20 ear plugs and filters have been tested and certified to EN352-2: The European Standard for ear plug hearing protectors, which is almost identical to the AS/NZS1270 standards.
If you are unsure what product to buy or need further product information before making your purchase, please contact Pacific Ears at info@pacificears.com.
We will be happy to help.