Abstract
In a noisy environment, wearing a correctly fitted earplug is the sine qua non condition to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. However, this condition is often unfulfilled due to the discomforts induced by the wearing of the earplug, among which the acoustical discomfort is influenced by the occlusion effect. Objectively, this phenomenon is quantified by a low frequency amplification of the sound pressure in the earcanal, induced by bone-conduction when the earcanal is occluded. Numerical models can go beyond the practical and ethical limits of experiments on living humans. Thus they can be an efficient and helpful tool to evaluate the occlusion effect. They also make it possible to better understand its underlying physical mechanisms associated with different factors concerning the anatomy, earplug and stimulation and ultimately how to reduce it. Thereby, a three-dimensional finite-element model of a human head is developed to compute the occlusion effect induced by earplug under a bone-conducted stimulation. Good agreement is obtained between the simulation results and the experimental data available in the literature giving confidence in the model to predict the occlusion effect. The model is exploited to investigate the individual effects of various factors (e.g., earplug and tissue properties) on the occlusion effect.
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