Hearing test developer asks Central Belt volunteers to 'lend an ear'

A Edinburgh-based tech outfit is appealing for volunteers after launching the trial phase for a revolutionary new hearing test.

Hearing Diagnostics, which is backed by Scottish business angel investment syndicate Archangels, has developed a hearing test during which the patient wears headphones fitted with a motion sensor and turns their head in response to random, multi-direction sounds.

This test has proved to be more accurate than existing systems during pilot trials and is thought to be more resilient to tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sounds - and background noise.

Co-founder and chief executive Claudia Freigang said: “Now, more than ever before, we need a hearing test that is accessible, easy and reliable, which is what we believe we have developed at Hearing Diagnostics.

Hearing Diagnostics co-founder and CEO, Claudia Freigang (right), explains the hearing test process to volunteer Susan Christie. Picture: Jamie Williamson

“Hearing loss, if left unmanaged, can have a debilitating impact on anyone’s life and we believe passionately that getting hearing care early can make living with hearing loss more manageable.

“That’s why we’ve developed this system, which is more robust and, we believe, more accurate than existing hearing tests. It doesn’t need an audiologist to conduct the test and can be undertaken outside of hospitals without the need for a soundproof booth.

“Every volunteer who comes forward to ‘lend an ear’ will be making a significant contribution to making hearing loss diagnosis easier and more accessible for everyone else.”

Volunteers, who will be unpaid, need to be able to attend testing sessions in either central Glasgow or Edinburgh in the months of February, March or April and be aged between 25 and 75 years.

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