Illuminating New Pathways to Intervention
What makes EarGenie® different
Our EarGenie® prototype, currently in clinical trial, is the first fNIRS device designed for clinical use in audiology clinics. Our techniques accurately and objectively measure hearing and speech discrimination, supporting critical unmet needs in clinical practice. With EarGenie, our aim is to provide:
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Assessment of the functional hearing of babies with auditory neuropathy.
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Objective programming of cochlear implants and validation of hearing device programs.
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Evaluation, using our speech discrimination test, of whether an infant’s hearing aids are supporting language development, thus leading to earlier referral for cochlear implantation when appropriate.
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Objective measurement of speech discrimination in children with language delay to help speech pathologists provide the most effective therapy.
EarGenie®:
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Uses advanced algorithms with proven accuracy to analyze auditory responses rapidly and automatically
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Is designed to be baby friendly and easy to use
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Features an intuitive user interface for ease of clinical use
What we measure
EarGenie® uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure how well a baby or child can hear and distinguish between different speech sounds.
fNIRS is a, non-invasive brain imaging technique using light in the near-infrared spectrum to measure brain activity. It works by measuring changes in the concentration of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin in the brain.
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Light passes harmlessly from sources placed on the scalp through the brain.
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Light returning to the scalp is detected by sensitive sensors.
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Areas of the brain activated by sound will show changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin level.
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Using our proprietary algorithm, we can measure these haemoglobin changes.
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The brain's hearing and language centres are imaged
Our research
White paper
Journal articles
2023
The Use of Heart Rate Responses Extracted from Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Data as a Measure of Speech Discrimination Ability in Sleeping Infants. Ear and Hearing, 2023 14.
​Lee, O.W., Mao, D., Savkovic, B., Wunderlich, J., Nicholls, N., Jeffreys, E., Eager, M., Korneev, M., McKay, C.M.