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Nuheara wants to improve kids’ concentration with its wonder buds
Health & Biotech
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Nuheara, maker of the “world’s most intelligent earbud” is planning to target children’s hearing disorders.
Hearables innovator Nuheara (ASX:NUH) has commissioned research by non-profit Ear Science Institute Australia to see if its technology can improve listening performance in kids with Auditory Processing Disorder.
Perth-based Nuheara (ASX:NUH) makes “Iqbud” earbuds that function as music listening devices — as well as an enhanced version called “Iqbuds Boost” which is pitched as a hearing assistance device for people suffering mild hearing loss.
Auditory Processing Disorder or APD affects the ability for the brain to understand what the ears can hear. Symptoms including difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, following instructions or distinguishing between similar sounds.
The federal government estimates about 2 to 5 per cent of children are affected by APD. Neither exact numbers — nor the cause — are understood, however.
The disorder is known to affect more boys than girls.
>> Tim Boreham: Why investors shouldn’t be deaf to Nuheara’s appeal
“When we started Nuheara we never dreamt that our products could also support children with APD,” co-founder and chief Justin Miller told investors on Wednesday.
“We have seen first-hand the early anecdotal evidence which demonstrates the immediate responsive change in some children who have APD when they are wearing IQbuds.”
The shares were trading up 3 per cent in morning trade at 9.6c.
Nuheara says its earbuds allow for users to control the level of background noise using a proprietary Super Intelligent Noise Control (SINC) technology.
The technology is already used as a hearing aid for mild-to-moderate hearing loss and has achieved clinical validation for its audiometry assessment.
Moving into children’s hearing disorders presents a potential healthcare channel expansion — and it isn’t the only market Nuheara is researching.
It’s also in collaborative research agreements to evaluate the tech’s use in autism, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Last Nuheara made $1 million in customer receipts and had $4.8 million left in the bank at the end of March.
