Devices & Diagnostics, Health IT, Startups

iHear Medical proposes a DIY solution to make customized hearing aids more affordable

In a bid to make customized hearing aids more accessible and less expensive to people […]

In a bid to make customized hearing aids more accessible and less expensive to people who have a hard time hearing, iHear Medical is cutting the audiologist out of the equation.

The medical device startup is making mail-order hearing aids that consumers can fine-tune at home using an accompanying hearing test kit. Inside the test kit is a tool kit, USB cord and computer software.

The devices are about the size and weight of a kidney bean and fit inside the ear in a way that they are nearly invisible, iHear says. Users customize the fit using a seal tip that comes in four different sizes and calibrate the devices using the software. They’re designed to last for about 18 months, if users take them out before bed.

Intended for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, the hearing aid and test kit will cost $199, plus about $10 a month for extra batteries and seal tips.

Judging by the $178,000 the company’s raised through early sales of the device through Indiegogo, consumers like the idea of that. Hearing aids typically can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, plus the cost of a visit with an audiologist. It’s no wonder, then, that the NIDCD estimates that 80 percent of Americans who experience hearing loss don’t seek help.

The mail-order model isn’t popular with audiologists, and there are some risks for consumers. Several medical conditions, from infections to tumors to inner ear conditions, can cause hearing loss, so skipping out on the appointment with a professional could mean those go undetected. iHear attempts to address that by asking buyers to fill out a waiver saying they don’t have any of those medical conditions.

Many of the so-called “personal amplification devices” sold over the internet also aren’t FDA cleared. iHear says it’s awaiting 510(k) clearance of the test component, but said it’s had “limited clinical testing” and needs further refining before it can be commercialized. The test kit and device have been tested in about 30 people, iHear says.

The California-based company was formed by Adnan Shennib, an entrepreneur who also founded an extended wear hearing aid company called InSound Medical, which was acquired by Sonova Holding AG in 2010. It expects to begin shipping orders made through the Indiegogo campaign late this summer and expand its customer base toward the end of the year.

[Image credit: iHear Medical]

 

Shares0
Shares0