Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THE
ROLE
OF THE AUDIO
ENGINEER
By
Dean A. DeMarre,
ScD.
Technical
Education
Research
Northeastern
University
Boston,
Massachusetts
PRESENTED
41st
AT
NO. 836
(C-6)
IN MEDICINE
Center
THE
CONVENTION
OCTOBER
5-B,
1971
AN AUDIO
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ENGINEERING
SOCIETY
PREPRINT
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Engineering
reserved
Society
The
Role
of
The Audio
Dean
A new
era
in medicine
forth under
neers.
New
and
A.
Engineer
DeMarre,
engineering
in Medicine
ScD.
is slowly
being
brought
the guidance
of farsighted
physicians
and
techniques
born of medicine
are reinforced
technology
not thought possible
even
it will lead no one will forecast.
This progress,
however,
requires
between
medicine
and engineers.
in the past,
future.
that
will
be
ten years
ago.
engiby
Where
a cooperative
spirit
A spirit never attained
difficult
to maintain
in
the
Complicating
this marriage
of medical
science
and engineering technology
is a mutual,
if separate,
history
of difficult
challenges
overcome
at great
personal
and professional costs.
Let us briefly
consider who the players
are
in the future of medicine.
The
Role
of
the
Physician
The physician
is shaded by the color of viewpoint
of the
observer.
To some he is God, to others the demigod -literal holder
of life and death over his fellow men.
Like all characterizations,
this one is false.
A doctor
is a man who, having
completed
a prescribed
program
and
passed prerequisite
exams,
is authorized
by his state and
fellow practitioners
to treat the sick and heal
the wounded.
But essentially
he is a man, another human being,
with his
own set of skills,
knowledge
and talent,
albeit
specialized,
that with experience
is honed
to an awareness,
a sensitivity,
a compassion
of and for his fellow man, unequaled
by any
other profession.
While at the time it seems that this
man, the physician,
is cold, demanding
and withdrawn,
we
must
consider
the pressures
that
he
works
under.
The medical
profession
is possibly
the most disciplined
of all of our professions.
The physician
is regulated
by
his fellow professionals,
state boards,
and specialty
boards.
On top of this sets the patient,
in some instances,
the most ruthless
of all his judges.
A slip, a thoughtless
moment,
or unforeseen
circumstance
and
all that the doctor has worked
for lies about him in ruins.
Malpractice,
or implied malpractice,
of medicine
over the last ten years
factor.
A malpractice
suit, won or
has
more
lost
driven
up the cost
than any other
by the claimant
is
It
takes
only
one
$100,000
suit
to wipe
out
the position
Whipped
by the self-righteous
and pompous,
ticians
and ignored
by the population
the
raise his voice in defense
or denial.
censored
physician
anyone.
the
by policannot
of
the Engineer
The physician,
nized for what
with
the nurse.
however,
is another
story.
old
and
--2--
The average
individual
never quite gets the concept
that
our technical
people
are somewhat
more than literate.
The
average
engineer
also has an image of himself.
This self
image can be in many ways as false as the popular
view.
In the best of time he sees himself
as a builder,
semiscientist
and leader of his fellow man.
A more recent
new self-appraisal
brought
about by economics,
is less
flattering.
It is an image of a man cheated
of his just
rewards
-- somehow left to drift by his fickle society.
None
of
these
three
views
are
are
of
valid.
They,
like
based in ignorance
engineers.
of
the
the
images
nature,
Engineers,
are like physicians
-- men.
Men who have passed
through a course
of study and endured
a structured,
if informal,
apprenticeship,
who finally
reach a professional
maturity
allowing
them to practice
both one of the oldest
and newest
professions.
The engineer
is a builder ', a communicator
and, in many respects, a guider of our destiny.
It is his lot to transform
dreams from his mind, or the minds of others
into real,
tangible
products.
It makes no difference
if the concept
is microminiature
as in integrated
circuit
design or
colossal
as in building
skyscrapers.
Engineers
use carefully
thought-out
procedures
and practices
to achieve
the stated goal -- construction
of a product.
Engineers
often confuse
themselves
with scientists
because
they use many of the same tools as the scientist
uses.
In many instances
engineering
research
is quite like scientific research.
In other cases,
it is quite different.
At the same time,an
fact and intent not
The distinction
lays
engineer
actually
more
in
can be a pure
be performing
intent
than
The engineer
practicing
his specialty
munity
is not in total control
of his
ment and expertise
must be supportive
demands
of health
care delivery.
-3-
scientist
and in
as an engineer.
in procedure.
within
the medical
comenvironment.
His judgand responsive
to the
The
Audio
Engineer
and
Medicine
a unique
position
in the medical
in acoustics,
audiometrics
and instrumentation
resolved
and will remain unsolved
until
the
skills
and knowledge
As an example
consider
measurement
of hearing
are brought
to bear
on
them.
audiometrics.
A simple
concept
of
ability.
If you take ten audiometers
to be integrated
into
for increased
hospital
patient
care.
instrumentation
is almost
narrow bandwidth
of from DC to
the lower audio spectrum.
The
universally
1,000
audio
limited
to a
Hertz.
In effect,
designer
can be ef-
fective
in improving
and implementing
instrument
design.
This is especially
true today and over the near future
as
the latest solid state-integrated
technology
is moved from
communications
and instrumentation
technology
to medical
devices.
A great latitude
neer in medicine
in health
care?
The forecast
to be one of
of work
today.
can be performed
by the audio engiWhat of the future of audio engineers
is anything
but bleak.
the most exciting
areas
cal instrumentation
of interest
range
Audio engineering
promises
of development
in medi-
two decades.
The points
molecular
disintegration
utilizing
sound
energy,
to diagnostic
and therapeutic
cedures
based
upon audio and ultrasonic
devices.
pro-
Audio
engineering,
while being one of the basic engineering
fields, has become
extremely
important
to the practice
of
medicine
and to the future of health
care delivery.
_ile
-4-
from outside
the hospital
this role for the audio engineer
may be difficult
to discern,
it is there in reality.
Employment
for the audio engineer
is not limited
to the 8,000
hospitals
in the United
States.
There are over 1,000 manufacturers
of medical
instrumentation
and nearly
300 research
institutions
related
to medicine
or health
care delivery.
The present
and future of dedicated
cipating
as part of the health
care
and personally
rewarding.
-5-
audio engineers
partiteam is both exciting