The sound of operation and the acoustic attenuation of the Ohmeda Medical Giraffe OmniBed TM

Abstract

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an environment that provides premature and fragile infants with health provisions needed to make a complete recovery. Premature infants are often born before their auditory systems have had an opportunity to fully mature. Research has shown that the ambient acoustic environment in the NICU exceeds the maximum noise level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, even after measures have been taken to decrease noise levels. The purpose of this study is to evaluate noise levels inside an Ohmeda Medical Giraffe TM OmniBed TM , the natural attenuation of the incubator, and the effects of modifications on attenuation and reverberation within the Giraffe TM OmniBed TM . The normal operation of the Giraffe TM OmniBed TM is 41.7 dBA which indicates a lower noise of operation than previous studies. The Giraffe TM OmniBed TM naturally attenuates 12 dBA. Leaving an access latch or portal door open causes a statistically significant (P=.001) increase in sound within the bassinet. All modifications in the no-noise and the noise conditions showed a statistically significant (P=.001) drop in Leq when compared to baseline.

Keywords

• Neonatal intensive care unit design
• prematurity
• sound attenuation
• dBA