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Dental Drill Noise-Canceling Device Connects With MP3 Players

by Caleb Johnson on January 10, 2011 at 06:00 PM

Device cancels noise of dentist's drill.
For many people, the mere sound of a dentist's drill starting up is enough to make them sweat and panic. But researchers have created a new device that cancels out the drill's high-pitched whir while allowing patients to hear the dentist's voice.

According to BBC News, the device, which was developed jointly at King's College London, Brunel University and London South Bank University, contains a chip that turns every sound in the room into a digital signal. The device analyzes incoming signals, and blocks out unwanted noise -- in this case, the dentist's drill -- by blasting it with an inverted sound wave. It works the same way as noise-canceling headphones. Most importantly, researchers say the device plugs directly into an MP3 player, so the patient can listen to music during a routine teeth cleaning or even a root canal. "The beauty of this gadget is that it would be fairly cost-effective for dentists to buy, and any patient with an MP3 player would be able to benefit from it at no extra cost," Professor Brian Millar, one of the device's creators, told the BBC.

Tags: audio, dentist, health, medical, mp3, Mp3Player, music, NoiseCancelling, science, sound, top

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