Many patients suffer from lack of quality sleep and rest because of the activities going on outside their wards, the constant interventions by medical staff and the alarms and lights of the biomedical equipment used for monitoring and therapeutic purposes.
Our project aims to dampen noise originating from outside the patient's ward (or the patient's sleeping area in the case of a multi patient ward) by the use of an acoustic curtain. The acoustic curtain is made up of three layers: an acoustic foam sandwiched between two sound absorbing textiles. Because of its acoustic properties, the curtain will reduce noise to a level that does not interfere with the rest or sleep of a patient. The curtain will be light, easy to use and will incorporate infection control through its smooth surface finish and its antimicrobial properties.