4701952 Frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and liquid tube audio system for medical use

Abstract

A confined system of sound transmission from a frequency attenuation compensated source through plastic pneumatic tubes in series with liquid tubes of considerable length, transmitting audio to and through pneumatic headphones to the ear canals of the user. It is an audio system suitable for use in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance scanning environments and for use in CAT scan environments. The system includes a stereo program source playing into a stereo frequency compensation amplifier driving right and left loudspeaker pneumatic drivers feeding audio to and through long liquid tubes in series with pneumatic tubes extended to left and right earphones of plastic headphones worn by a patient in a scan room environment. The tubes that extend from the electronic audio system equipment outside the scan room through scan room walls to the patient headphones and the headphones themselves are made of plastic or other non-magnetic materials causing no interference with the scanning signals and are not visible on scan pictures produced.