Electronics consultancy company Plextek came up with a device that can turn headphones into a warning system for hearing conditions like tinnitus. Based in the UK, the firm developed the tinnitus detection system allows users to test their hearing on a daily basis. By monitoring their response and looking for small changes over time, users will have a better chance of catching early symptoms and seek medical help for potential hearing conditions as soon as possible. The hearing device prototype can be used in normal headphones and syncs to a smartphone app, which measures subtle changes.
This invention would be the first of its kind available to consumers outside of a clinical setting and is an example of how health tech can complement healthcare systems.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Health Tech Monitoring
- The development of tinnitus detection headphones paves the way for health tech monitoring advances that allow patients to test for hearing conditions at home.
- Consumer-focused Medical Devices
- The tinnitus detection system prototype is significant for being made more readily available outside of a clinical setting and as an example of the future of consumer-focused medical devices.
- Smart Headphone Integration
- The headphone prototype that can sync to a smartphone app, provides an opportunity for disruptive innovation, as more medical monitoring technology is integrated into daily-use devices such as smart headphones.
Where This Applies
- Healthcare Technology
- The tinnitus detection headphones have implications for the healthcare technology industry in that they allow for more preventative action to be taken in hearing condition detection.
- Consumer Electronics
- With more medical monitoring technology evolving to exist within everyday-use consumer electronics such as headphones, the consumer electronics industry is poised for growth and development.
- Medical Devices
- This invention sets a precedent for more accessible and convenient medical devices that can be utilized outside a hospital setting.
