Smartphone tympanometer to detect middle-ear problems in children in low-resource settings
mHealth Tympanometer: A Digital Innovation to Address Preventable Childhood Hearing Loss in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
A low-cost smartphone device with built-in AI to find middle-ear problems and prevent hearing loss in young 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-11137722 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be screened with a low-cost tympanometer that connects to a cellphone and uses machine learning to help interpret ear results. The team will develop the device, train the algorithm on clinical ear exams, and compare its readings to standard tympanometry performed by audiology professionals. They will field-test the device in partnership with local clinics and schools in low-resource settings, working with an existing validated mHealth hearing screening company. The aim is to create an easy-to-use tool that teachers or community health workers can use to find children with treatable middle-ear disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young children (toddlers and school-aged children, roughly ages 1–11) in low- and middle-income settings who are available for school- or clinic-based hearing screening are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children whose hearing loss is due to inner-ear (sensorineural) or genetic causes, and adults, are unlikely to get direct benefit from a tympanometry-focused device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable earlier detection and treatment of middle-ear disease and prevent many cases of childhood hearing loss in low-resource areas.
How similar studies have performed: Mobile pure-tone hearing screeners have shown promise and one validated mHealth screening device exists, but smartphone-based tympanometry with machine-learning interpretation is a newer approach still being tested.
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.