Creating a device to help preterm infants recognize speech sounds
Official title: Development of a Therapeutic Device to Improve Speech Sound Differentiation in Preterm Infants
Funded at Thrive Neuromedical, LLC · NIH-11078358 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new device that helps preterm babies in the NICU hear and understand speech sounds better, which is important for their brain and language development, and it’s designed to be used by their healthcare team.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Thrive Neuromedical, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project start | May 3, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $588,466 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DC020684-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11078358 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are preterm infants hospitalized in the NICU, particularly those who are 32 weeks gestational age or older.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not preterm or those who are not hospitalized in a NICU may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing and testing a therapeutic device aimed at improving speech sound differentiation in preterm infants who are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The device, known as the smallTalk NICU Active system, is designed to be used by healthcare professionals to provide infants with exposure to infant-directed speech, which is crucial for their brain development. The project includes a clinical trial to evaluate the device's effectiveness in enhancing the ability of these infants to differentiate between speech sounds, which is essential for their language acquisition. By integrating this device into clinical practice, the goal is to support the cognitive and communicative development of preterm infants during their critical early weeks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly enhance the speech and language development of preterm infants, leading to better long-term communication skills.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches in enhancing language acquisition in infants have shown promise, indicating potential for success in this novel application.
Where this research is happening
-
Thrive Neuromedical, LLC
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koch, Dean R — Thrive Neuromedical, LLC
- Study coordinator: Koch, Dean R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.