Smartphone middle‑ear tester to spot preventable childhood hearing problems
mHealth Tympanometer: A Digital Innovation to Address Preventable Childhood Hearing Loss in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
This project builds a low-cost smartphone-based middle‑ear tester with smart software to find treatable hearing problems in children in low- and middle-income countries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11394022 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
They are creating an inexpensive tympanometer that works with a cellphone and uses machine learning to help interpret results for middle‑ear disease, a common and preventable cause of childhood hearing loss in low-resource settings. The device will be designed with user-centered input so community health workers or school screeners can use it without specialist training. The team will validate the device in partnership with local sites in low- and middle-income countries, including South Africa, and compare results to standard clinical tests. The goal is a broadly usable tool that can be integrated into school hearing screening programs where newborn screening is not available.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are young children (particularly ages 1–11) in low- and middle-income countries who can be screened in schools or community clinics.
Not a fit: Children whose hearing loss stems from inner‑ear or genetic causes rather than middle‑ear infections, or those already receiving comprehensive audiology care in high‑resource settings, may not benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could detect treatable middle‑ear disease early and help prevent lifelong hearing loss among children in low-resource areas.
How similar studies have performed: Mobile pure‑tone screening tools have been validated previously (for example by hearX), but a smartphone tympanometer with machine‑learning diagnostics is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Little Rock, United States
- Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis — Little Rock, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Emmett, Susan Davis — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Emmett, Susan Davis
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 below.