This project will continue the development, validation, and commercialization efforts of Audiology Incorporated to develop hearing testing products that will increase access, efficiency, and accuracy of hearing tests. The methods are based on behavioral science and statistical validation to provide automated tests of hearing that can be performed without the requirement for highly trained professional operators. The project will combine several software products with a new hardware platform that will provide a complete automated testing solution that can be marketed directly to end users (such as audiologists, physicians, hearing aid specialists, nurses, educational institutions, and retail centers.)

Public Health Relevance

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent and one of the most undertreated health conditions. Prevalence of hearing loss is expected to increase from 10% to 12% from 2000 to 2050 due to the aging population. The increased prevalence along with population growth will significantly increase the number of Americans with untreated hearing loss. There are serious psychosocial health consequences of untreated hearing loss, including distress, somatization, depression, and loneliness. Current hearing health delivery models are not added to meet the current need. As the unmet need increases, the psychosocial health of our society will be impacted. This project is aimed at developing technologies that will increase access to hearing health services by reducing the personnel, equipment, space, and overhead costs of hearing testing.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Biomedical Research, Development, and Growth to Spur the Acceleration of New Technologies (BRDG-SPAN) Program (RC3)
Project #
1RC3DC010986-01
Application #
7921893
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-ETTN-C (53))
Program Officer
Miller, Roger
Project Start
2010-04-08
Project End
2013-09-30
Budget Start
2010-04-08
Budget End
2013-09-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$1,970,886
Indirect Cost
Name
Audiology, Inc
Department
Type
DUNS #
362916384
City
Arden Hills
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55112
Margolis, Robert H; Wilson, Richard H; Popelka, Gerald R et al. (2016) Distribution Characteristics of Air-Bone Gaps: Evidence of Bias in Manual Audiometry. Ear Hear 37:177-88
Margolis, Robert H; Wilson, Richard H; Popelka, Gerald R et al. (2015) Distribution characteristics of normal pure-tone thresholds. Int J Audiol 54:796-805
Margolis, Robert H; Eikelboom, Robert H; Johnson, Chad et al. (2013) False air-bone gaps at 4 kHz in listeners with normal hearing and sensorineural hearing loss. Int J Audiol 52:526-32
Zecker, Steven G; Hoffman, Howard J; Frisina, Robert et al. (2013) Audition assessment using the NIH Toolbox. Neurology 80:S45-8
Ginter, Samantha M; Margolis, Robert H (2013) Acoustic method for calibration of audiometric bone vibrators. II. Harmonic distortion. J Acoust Soc Am 134:EL33-7
Margolis, Robert H; Stiepan, Samantha M (2012) Acoustic method for calibration of audiometric bone vibrators. J Acoust Soc Am 131:1221-5