RT journal article
T1 The Importance of Noise Attenuation Levels in Neonatal Incubators
A1 Fernández Zacarías, Francisco
A1 Puyana Romero, Virginia
A1 Hernández Molina, Ricardo
A2 Ingeniería Mecánica y Diseño Industrial
A2 Máquinas y Motores Térmicos
K1 neonates
K1 sound pressure
K1 incubators
K1 noise source
K1 NICU
K1 risk in preterm infants
AB Background: It is known that high noise levels can be harmful to preterm infants, causing physiological and psychological disorders. It is also known that premature babies spend a lot of time in an incubator. In this sense, many studies show that incubator noise levels can range from 45 to 70 dB. However, these differences in noise levels depend, fundamentally, on the wide range of methodology that can be used. This study aims to know the levels of noise from a fan in the incubator itself and how much it can isolate the noises coming from the outside. Methods: For this purpose, the noise levels of three incubators were measured within a sound-dampened booth for free-field audiometry. For the emission of acoustic energy, a pink noise generator was used; likewise, two microphones were placed, one inside the incubator cabin and the other outside, to determine the acoustic insulation levels of the tested incubators. Results: The incubators produced equivalent continuous sound pressure levels between 53.5 and 58 dB. Acoustic insulation analysis showed that levels varied from one incubator to another, between 5.2 and 10.4 dB. Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the acoustic insulation inside the incubator cabin and to reduce the noise levels of the motor fan. On the other hand, although the incubators are meeting the noise criteria set out in the IEC60601-2-19: 2009 standard of 60 dBA, under normal use conditions, they are still far from the limit recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (45 dBA).
PB MDPI
SN 2624-599X
YR 2022
FD 2022-09-21
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/29533
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/29533
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-nov-2026