Indian Lady Entrepreneur Designs Non-Invasive, Portable Device For Detecting Hearing Loss in Babies
Indian Lady Entrepreneur Designs Non-Invasive, Portable Device For Detecting Hearing Loss in Babies
An Indian lady entrepreneur has designed a non-invasive, portable device for the detection of hearing loss in babies. This is an innovative discovery that has positive implications for eliminating speech, language and cognition difficulties at later points in life. The mass screening tool has been developed by Bangalore based Neeti Kails who has also won the 2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise for this invention.
Annually, around 150,000 hearing impaired babies are born in the country. Due to lack of definitive screening systems in place, this impairment generally goes undetected. If there is lack of proper rehabilitation and interventions at an early stage, this can exacerbate speech problems at a later point in life.
Kailas is the director and co-founder of Sohum Innovation Lab. She says the goal of the invention is to prevent lateness or delay in the detection of hearing loss. The device invented by her is powered by battery and it is based on the science of the measurement of ABR or auditory brain-stem response that tap currently electrical activity within the brain when stimulated through electrodes placed in the brain, explains the 29 year old entrepreneur who has founded the company with her engineer husband Nitin Sisodia.
She has also described the device. It is like a headband that can be strapped onto the head of the baby. The device reads responses from the auditory system of the brain when stimulated. In case the brain does not respond to these stimuli, it becomes clear that the child cannot hear sounds. The lady entrepreneur has also discussed how the device is non-invasive and safe for use.
Her invention has great value for treating speech loss and impairment. If the affliction can be determined within the first 6 months, speech loss is easily preventable. According to Kailas, what differentiates the device from others is that the testing system is ideal for blocking background noises in busy Indian hospitals and clinics.
Products available in the Indian market currently are manufactured abroad. They do not take background noise into account. Kailas has discussed how the new testing system incorporates her patented, in-built algorithm that differentiates the ambient noise from the test signal.
This indigenous technology is also cheaper than other hearing-loss detection devices present in the market. Other ABR centric tools currently available in the country are not indigenous. Moreover, they cost anywhere between $10,000 and $29,000. The design would be one-fifth of the cost of foreign ones, estimates Kailas.
Moreover, its user friendly design makes it simple to use in rural areas or by public health works in resource deficient settings. The prize money-50,000 Swiss francs or around 33.6 lakh rupees will also enable the young entrepreneur to move towards clinical trial stage by the end of this year. These are the indigenous technologies which have the potential to revolutionise healthcare in India.
