An Auditory Evoked Response-Based Objective Tinnitus (AER-BOT) Diagnostic Device

Tinnitus is an auditory perception in the absence of an external source of sound that occurs in 50 million people in the U.S., a quarter of whom suffer severely enough to seek medical attention. Chronic subjective tinnitus is most often caused by hearing impairment due to aging or explosive noise trauma. In 2010 tinnitus became the most common service-related disability among veterans due to brain injuries from explosive devices, and compensation payments will reach $2.26 billion by 2014. Quantum Applied Science and Research (QUASAR), a leader in non-invasive physiological signal sensing, and Otosound, a developer of devices for treatment of tinnitus, are collaborating to develop an easy-to-use objective tinnitus diagnostic device. This device will use EEG-based Auditory Evoked Responses (AER) for objectively diagnosing tinnitus and identifying its frequency, and furthermore, it may enable assessment of its severity and monitoring of treatment efficacy. This Phase I SBIR effort is intended to establish technological feasibility of the proposed AER-Based Objective Tinnitus (AER-BOT) diagnostic device. This project has a high chance of successfully leading to a product as its scientific basis is already published, patented and licensed to Otosound, and QUASAR"s patented easy-to-use Dry-Sensor Interface (DSI) technology acquires the requisite high-fidelity EEG signals.