Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in partnership with Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, won the Mobile Health University Challenge with software that screens for hearing impairment.
With an estimated 588 million people worldwide and 5.7 million Brazilians afflicted by some level of hearing loss, the technology – dubbed the Sana AudioPulse – aims to make testing easier for hearing-impaired populations in rural and poverty-stricken areas that may not have access to medical care. Laws in Brazil mandate that newborns be screened for hearing loss; however, the implementation process has been stymied by funding limitations and shortages of staff and proper equipment. This AudioPulse technology could help overcome these obstacles.