Infant being tested with EarGenie prototype
Some infants born with a hearing loss have delayed audiological intervention, leading to poor language development. We have developed a prototype device, called EarGenie, that uses light to assess the hearing of infants, and can provide information that current hearing tests for infants cannot provide. EarGenie aims to fast-track intervention so that every infant has the best chance to develop language well. However, introducing a novel technology into clinics poses translational challenges due to unfamiliarity of the technology and limited fundamental knowledge of how to interpret the test results. This project aims to pave the way for translation of our innovation into paediatric audiology clinics by ensuring that the future clinically-approved EarGenie device is easy for clinicians to use and that they have the basic understanding to interpret the test results. The project will introduce a research prototype of EarGenie to key clinics in Australia and overseas, train audiologists in its use, and teach them about the novel technology. Feedback will be obtained about the useability of the prototype EarGenie and how it could be integrated into their clinic procedures.