Hear Glue Ear is an app designed for children aged 2-6 who are experiencing hearing loss due to glue ear – a condition caused by a build-up of fluid and mucous behind the ear drum which prevents sounds being transferred to the inner part of the hearing system.
Tamsin, who is a community paediatrician at Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, was supported through the MedTech Accelerator- a joint venture between Health Innovation East and Health Enterprise East – back in 2017 to allow the team to build up their business case for the technology.
The app works by pairing a microphone to a bone conduction headset which transfers sound directly to the inner ear through the bones of the skull, which bypasses the middle ear. The microphone can be attached to the lapel of a parent or teacher, meaning the headset device can be used for all activities from story time and play time around the house to the school classroom.
The app was developed by Cambridge Digital Health and the Cambridge Hearing Trust, providing parents access to reliable information about glue ear and speech and language therapy, which can be uploaded onto the app and tracked by parents.
Congratulations to Tamsin from on a fantastic achievement in recognition for her innovative approach to helping children – the full list of winners can be found at https://www.ukappawards.co.uk/2019-winners.
Read more about the MedTech Accelerator at http://www.medtechaccelerator.co.uk/.
Visit the Hear Glue Ear website to find out more.
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