Thursday, 12 October 2006
Hearing test volunteer
Inventors of a new hearing test device at the University of Queensland are confident that early detection of hearing impaired newborns will be quick and accurate.
The start up company Ausonex™ claims their advanced automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) device does three things for the screening of hearing impairment in newborn babies: it improves accuracy, reduces protocols to a single stage test, and reduces the time it takes to do the test.
Ausonex CEO, Geoff Wanless, said that the time to get a result from newborns can vary from 5-20 minutes using current devices, but with the new technology, the time is reduced to 5-20 seconds.
"We have conducted some early trials at the Mater Mother's hospital with over 100 babies being tested, with very very good results. The results are reflecting the accuracy and test times that we have indicated," Mr Wanless said.
"It is very positive feedback. They (hospital staff) like the device, they do appreciate the speed at which they get a result."
The CEO also points to the improved accuracy of the new technology, where 1% of newborns would be referred directly to audiologists.
"A big problem with current equipment is that it is not very accurate. So typically it could give readings between 4%-10% false positives. In other words you will submit babies to the test and 4-10% of babies will be indicating that there is a problem with the child when there is not. These babies are then re-tested before being referred to an audiologist," Mr Wanless said.
"The actual incidence of hearing impairment is 0.6-0.7% of the general population.
"The current practice in the industry is a two stage test because of the high false-positive rate.
"With our device we will be able to change that protocol to a single stage test so that 1% of newborns are flagged with a possible hearing impairment and will get referred to an audiologist straight away for diagnosis," he said.
A finalist in UQ Business School's Enterprize competition, Ausonex will find out on Friday 13 October, if they have secured $100 000 seed funding.
Other finalists are GetCracking (concrete roads will be cheaper to build and last longer), Imprezzeo (image recognition software), Pepfactants (technology break-through for industries using emulsions and foams), BioShield (vaccine for a virus that has devastated the aquaculture industry globally), Neutropharma (transfusible neutrophils), and LanguageMap (cost-efficient way of testing English language skills).
"We have a chance to make a pitch to win to get capital very quickly which will allow us to go to the next stage, building further prototypes and carrying out further clinical trials," CEO Geoff Wanless said.
In the developing world, six out of every 1000 newborns are diagnosed with a hearing impairment each year.
To secure your place at Enterprize Pitch Day on Friday 13 October, contact Amy Hsylop a.hyslop@business.uq.edu.au
Press quality photos are available.
Media enquiries:
Cathy Stacey
Marketing Development Manager
Phone (07) 3365 6179
Mobile 0434 074 372
Fiona Sutton
Mobile 0423 637 699
Email media@business.uq.edu.au
