SoundFountains.com is a website of ArtSciDesign, LLC - a functional art, product, and technology development company. ArtSciDesign's principal, Gary Fisher, Ph.D., has one of his early fountain designs (US. D394,301) pictured in the World Book Health and Medical Annual, (2001); World Book, Inc., Chicago, Pg. 217 in an article about tinnitus. While this patented fountain
(River Rocks^tm) was designed for its appearance and pleasing sound, it was not engineered to generate sound having wide spectral content, nor did the design specifically address tinnitus relief, relaxation, and noise masking.

Gary became interested in tinnitus on a personal level when he developed tinnitus as a consequence of noise exposure. Many who first notice the problem and are impacted by it try ENT doctors, audiologists, vitamins, "tinnitus relief" homeopathic concoctions, and the like - resulting for many in disappointment and frustration. While there is currently no cure for tinnitus, a review of the literature showed that listening to environmental sounds from natural outdoor sources such as streams, waterfalls, and oceans helped some persons cope with tinnitus. Man-made sources such as showers, faucets, and outdoor fountains also have been reported to reduce the impact of tinnitus and in some persons have even initiated residual inhibition of their tinnitus.

With a background in engineering, biomedical engineering, and design, Gary decided that developing an indoor fountain primarily designed as a natural environmental sound generator could be of potential benefit to tinnitus sufferers. The aim was to produce indoor fountains with sound spectrums that would include the frequencies often encompassing most persons' perceived tinnitus, that would be acoustically pleasing yet unobtrusive, that would have adjustable loudness levels enabling habituation and masking, and would at the same time be visually compelling. His research and development resulted in what we call "Sound Fountains". Our Rain Forest Sound Fountain was our first commercially available fountain designed specifically to answer this need.

In addition to our tinnitus sound fountains Gary is also developing non-fountain-based technologies for reducing perceived tinnitus sounds. One of these involves an audio-visual aid incorporating acoustic surround sound, audio brainwave entrainment, and video imagery. Gary is also currently writing a book to help tinnitus sufferers develop positive strategies for coping with tinnitus. The book is due to be released in late 2011.

Gary holds a Ph.D. in Engineering with Department Distinction from UCLA and is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi. He has a number of utility and design patents some of which relate to fountain technology, holography, and behavioral modification.

©2011 ArtSciDesign, LLC, Los Angeles, California, USA.