Device to screen babies for hearing problems

Neeti created this innovation, in 2016, because she has an Indian childhood friend who was born with hearing problems. “She has had a totally different life to the rest of us, with very few opportunities”, the inventor explained.

Hearing is very important because it affects the child’s cognitive, language and speech development. Also, there is currently no standard screening system in the Indian healthcare system.

With the help of her husband, Nitin Sisodia, she launched the Sohum Innovation Lab, and the lab’s first product is a device to screen babies for hearing loss.

The solution, which is still a prototype, consists of a non-invasive portable headgear which works by measuring brainstem response. It fits easily over the patient’s cranium, like a headband. Non-stick electrodes on the scalp measure the auditory brain-stem response (ABR) to auditory stimuli. If the patient’s brain shows no response, there is indication that the child suffers from a hearing disorder. It is patented pending and cost effective.

“Another of the device’s major advantages over other testing systems is our patented, in-built algorithm that filters out ambient noise from the test signal. This was really important for us because, if you’ve ever been to health clinics in India, you’ll know how incredibly crowded and noisy they are,” said Neeti.

The instrument will cost as little as one fifth the price of instruments in use now, which range between $12,000 and $29,000. It is also battery powered, portable and designed to be intuitively operated by untrained users, so it can be used anywhere, by anyone.

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2lbExEJ

More info: http://www.sohumforall.com
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