Groundbreaking technology to help reduce noise in hospitals
New technology that reduces noise in hospitals by turning plastic sheets into noise-cancelling panels is being trialled in the UK before being rolled out globally
Scientists have discovered the material which has the same noise-reduction effect as two inches of plywood but weighs four to six times less and is transportable so is perfect for silencing a busy hospital ward.
Noise levels at intensive care wards can be as high as 88 dB and a study published in the British Medical Journal reported that 40 per cent of hospital patients are bothered by noise at night.
How does this new technology work?
The company behind the SonoblindTM panels, Metasonixx has been founded by Dr Gianluca Memoli from the School of Engineering of Informatics of the University of Sussex, and Professor Bruce Drinkwater of Bristol University.
“Our panels are much lighter than traditional solutions for noise abatement and, if required, can even let air and light through,” Memoli said. “Some of the panels can be used as grilles to silence air conditioning units and extractor fans or as part of blinds, to keep the noise out while the window stays open."
Trials are about to start in UK hospitals in an attempt to reduce the constant noise on busy wards before then being tested out in similar situations in Italy.
"We intend to use the Venture Prize money to manufacture panels, to be used in trials in hospitals and offices across the UK, Memoli added. "Our designs take inspiration from devices that shape light - like lenses, holograms and LCD displays. Metasonixx's technology, based on acoustic metamaterials, can be the ultimate defence against noise at home or in open offices."
Meanwhile, a home monitoring platform to support patients with heart failure is now available thanks to a partnership between the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Luscii.
Luscii’s remote monitoring platform means that patients with heart failure who need to regularly check their weight and blood pressure can do so from the comfort and safety of their own homes and submit this information daily via the app.