A NEW system that could revolutionise hearing tests globally has received backing from a Scottish business angel investment group.
Edinburgh-based Hearing Diagnostics has received £715,000 of investment from Archangels, enabling its hearing test system to undergo trials with universities and hearing aid retailers with a view to full market launch in 2021.
It is estimated that 466 million people worldwide experience hearing loss. Around 86% of hearing loss in the UK goes unmanaged and people with untreated hearing loss may also experience social isolation, depression and cognitive decline as a consequence.
The Hearing Diagnostics test is based on a patient wearing headphones fitted with a motion sensor and turning their head in response to random, multi-direction sounds. This test, when assessed using computational algorithms, has proved to be more accurate than existing test systems during pilot trials and is also deemed to be more resilient to imagined sounds and background noise.
The Hearing Diagnostics test can also be administered successfully without a soundproof booth and by a shop assistant rather than a more highly paid audiologist, thereby increasing accessibility and reducing cost. It takes three minutes compared to the 25-30 minutes to carry out a conventional hearing test.
Hearing Diagnostics co-founder and chief executive, Claudia Freigang, PhD, who said: “Our vision is for hearing tests to become as accessible and commonplace as eye tests to ensure that everyone with hearing loss receives care at the earliest possible opportunity. Investment by Archangels brings us a huge step towards achieving our vision and we are excited to work with such a highly experienced and supportive group of investors.”
Colin Horne, PhD, co-founder and chief technology officer of Hearing Diagnostics, said: “As humans, we have the remarkable ability to pinpoint with precision accuracy the exact location of heard sounds, something which should make testing whether a sound was heard a trivially easy task. However, to date, there has never been a testing technology that can deliver highly accurate screening at low cost. I’m thrilled that with this investment from Archangels, we’re now in a position to change this and realise a paradigm-shifting new product.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel