Wearable Programmable Tactile Speech Aid for Deaf People

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Phase II program has two key aspects: Coulter Associates will build on its successful SBIR Phase I wristwatch device to develop an innovative and even more highly miniaturized tactile device specifically for infants. This device will provide vibrotactile stimulation on the infant's forearm to create an awareness of their acoustic and speech environment. This device will be self contained, non-invasive and will fundamentally do no harm whether the infant is deaf or normal hearing. The second aspect is to use subjects referred from Virginia's Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program and whose parents volunteer for a pilot study from birth to 7 months. The subjects that screen for the program will be fitted with a continuously worn infant vibrotactile aid at the first week after birth. The program will conduct Visual Reinforcement Audiometry and Heart Rate Audiometry tests to assure the infant's response to the acoustic environment at 3, 6 and 7 months after birth. If successful, this SBIR program will make available means to improve the early pre-language neural development of deaf infants which should result in improved language development that more closely approximate that for normal hearing infants. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed Pilot Test will provide a basis on which to evaluate the value of fitting all hearing impaired newborn infants with an infant vibrotactile aid. The aid does no harm in cases of false positives and does not preclude any later intervention options. The infant device will be suitable for mass production as a low cost consumer electronic device for dispensing by audiological professionals.