I am wondering if white noise could take care of the problem. In the office where my counselor works, they keep white noise generators in different locations to drown out the voices in the office rooms. The sound is quite pleasant as it provides for a peaceful place that I can mediate while waiting. I also wonder if besides this option, if wave sound generators could do the same as white noise. Thank You, Tom Steele, CRA Midwest Eye Institute 200 West 103rd Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46290 317.817.1018 tsteele@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is confidential and/or privileged. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and return the original message to us at the above email address From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rachel Malpica Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 7:14 PM To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis Hi All, I have been using the spectralis for 6 months now. I don't notice it anymore. I am deaf in one ear and am concerned about future problems. Should I worry. Beth Malpica Imaging Specialist IOVS, UMDNJ, Newark, NJ -----Original Message----- From: Jef Jodell <mpscra@xxxxxxxxx> To: optimal <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sun, Jul 17, 2011 2:26 pm Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis Marshall, don't know how long you have had yours, but I got used to it pretty quickly. However at times I would find myself turning the machine away from me for less direct sound. Also, if your room is tiled with a sheetrock ceiling you will get more room reflections, increasing the dbs over a carpeted room with an acoustic suspended ceiling. Radio Shck sell db meters for about $20 if you really want to check out your own space. As for neutralizing it, I assume it must be proprietary to the operation, or they would have done away with it. That question I think is for Tim Steffens, or Steve Thomas. You guys out there? -j PS: I have been tested and can still hear well over 14K, which for my age is excellent, though one ear has a slight mid-range dip, which may account in part for my ease of ignoring the sound. Somewhere around age 40 it is not uncommon for people to lose the upper frequencies, down to around 12K, much like losing near vision. Even a good quality car stereo only produces from about 100Hz (the fundamental of a kick drum) to around 10KHz. When you see a movie like Jurassic Park, and can feel the vibrations as much as hear the low stomp of giant feet, that is close to a 20Hz wave, which we feel more than hear. You have to have a room length in excess of 20 feet to produce such a wave, ideally longer. Many home theatre sub-woofers only go down to about 30Hz, and if you have up set up in a small area you won't even get that. Obviously, I love talking audio, but I'll drop this now. Hopefully the Heidleberg guys can shed some further light (no pun intended) on this. _____ From: Marshall Tyler <mtyler@xxxxxxxxxx> To: "prieleye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <prieleye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sun, July 17, 2011 12:51:37 PM Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis Jef, and others, Thanks for the 4k frequency information. How about the dbs? Perhaps while someone is testing, what direction(s) are the loudest? I wonder, even if the sound level is not a hearing/health issue, l personally find the sound quite annoying as well as a fatigue problem. I've wondered how to neutralize the "noise box". Your thoughts, Marshall Note new eMail: MTyler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone ----- Reply message ----- From: "Ethan Priel" <prieleye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Sun, Jul 17, 2011 11:53 am Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis To: "optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Yes, you know your audio, and you also skirted a potentially sticky PC issue…not to mention the children's rights activists. E From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jef Jodell Sent: 17 July, 2011 23:49 To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis The issue is both dbs and frequency. The frequency is 4000 Hertz (4Kz). Human hearing goes from 20 H to 20Kz. We are most sensitive to 1K Hz, just as we are most sensitive to green in light wavelengths. Human voices (male) tend to be centered around 800-1000Hz, and easy to hear. Women's voices are slightly higher, generally speaking, but around 4KHz is what we start to consider "shrill", as in a child crying. You get used to it. Only repeated constant exposure (sitting at it "on" for hours at a time) could cause any issue, and it would take decades to cause a problem. I know my audio. -j ________________________________ From: "blutmancra@xxxxxxxxxxx" <blutmancra@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sun, July 17, 2011 10:25:41 AM Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis When I started to work with heidelberg systems it was annoying but you get use to it. Health end of it I really won't know. I figure heidelberg sells the product is not to harm operators or patient hearing. I guess you have to research to see if there was any complaints of hearing loss etc. Maybe there should be a study started. Brian Lutman,CRA Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry ________________________________ From: Raymond Mok <raywmok@xxxxxxxxx> Sender: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:14:09 -0400 To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ReplyTo: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [optimal] Re: Spectralis Our office have just installed the Spectralis. I'd noticed the high pitched noise but didn't bothered much. However one of the tech said as soon as we click the "yellow" icon, the high pitched sound gave her spitting headache. I agree the high pitched sound is in the safety zone but does bothered some people. Ray Mok CRA, COMT Ophthalmic Photographer DHMC-Ophthalmology On Jul 16, 2011, at 8:21 PM, Ray Gardner <raygardner99@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:raygardner99@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote: No I've got four and about to have six in my office. The Spectralis has a sound like that of a hearing aid whining but causes no hearing problems. Its just annoying at first then after a while you seem not to notice it any more. The HRA was much loader and gave off a lot of heat. Thing of the Spectralis as the Ferrari of cameras it has a strange sound but runs and does like no other camera can. If you need any help you can call me. (806) 676-9793 Sent from my iPhone On Jul 16, 2011, at 4:06 PM, robert santora <rbsantora@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:rbsantora@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote: To All, Is there any concerns about the high pitched frequency sound from the Spectralis causing potential harm? I have suggested discreet protective ear wear by anyone that is uncomfortable around the sound. I was asked by our docs to start a thread to see how other offices are addressing this. Thanks