Wearable Programmable Tactile Speech Aid for Deaf People

描述（由申请人提供）：第二阶段计划有两个关键方面：库尔特协会将建立在其成功的SBIR第一阶段手表设备，以开发一个创新的，甚至更高度小型化的触觉设备，专门为婴儿。该设备将在婴儿的前臂上提供振动触觉刺激，以创建他们的声学和语言环境的意识。该设备将是独立的，非侵入性的，无论婴儿是失聪还是听力正常，都不会造成伤害。 第二个方面是使用从弗吉尼亚州的通用新生儿听力筛查计划，其父母志愿者从出生到7个月的试点研究的主题。筛选该计划的受试者将在出生后第一周配备连续佩戴的婴儿振动触觉辅助器。该计划将进行视觉强化测听和心率测听测试，以确保婴儿在出生后3个月，6个月和7个月对声学环境的反应。 如果成功的话，这个SBIR计划将提供改善失聪婴儿早期语言前神经发育的方法，这将导致改善的语言发育更接近于正常听力婴儿。 拟定商业应用：拟议的试点测试将提供一个基础上，以评估安装所有听力受损的新生儿与婴儿振动触觉援助的价值。 这种辅助在假阳性的情况下不会造成伤害，并且不排除任何后续干预选项。 该婴儿设备将适合于作为低成本消费电子设备大规模生产，以供听力学专业人员分配。

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.