SBIR-STTR Award

Hearable System for Impact and Blast
Award last edited on: 4/4/2022

Sponsored Program
STTR
Awarding Agency
DOD : DHA
Total Award Amount
$1,347,006
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
DHA20B-002
Principal Investigator
Anthony Dietz

Company Information

Paxauris LLC

4101 East Fanfol Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85028
   (602) 396-8566
   N/A
   www.paxauris.com

Research Institution

Medical College of Wisconsin

Phase I

Contract Number: W81XWH-21-P-0023
Start Date: 1/15/2021    Completed: 8/14/2021
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$249,914
In addition to providing hearing protection and communications, earplugs provide an attractive platform for measuring head response to impact and blast events. Sensors embedded in deep-insert earplugs can accurately measure head kinematics due to their close coupling to the skull in the bony region of the ear canal. However, this region is extremely sensitive, and the stiff earplug material required to fix an accelerometer in place would be intolerable. Paxauris has innovated a comfortable deep-insert earplug that is easily fitted and removed. It is reusable, cost-effective, and may be instrumented with miniature high-bandwidth accelerometers and gyroscopes to accurately measure head response. In this project we will develop a hearable system for monitoring impact and blast that is based on our innovative earplug technology. We will demonstrate the feasibility of our concept by prototyping an instrumented version of our earplug and testing it in an impact test facility and in a shock tube. In Phase II we will mature our hearable system and proceed through laboratory tests to field tests. At the end of Phase II, we will deliver production-ready prototypes to the Army. In Phase III we will transition our system to a hearable product ready for acquisition and sales.

Phase II

Contract Number: W81XWH22C0011
Start Date: 1/3/2022    Completed: 5/2/2024
Phase II year
2022
Phase II Amount
$1,097,092
Service members need head protection that goes beyond the impact protection provided by their helmets. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can last years with severe consequences. Repeated mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) can affect performance and build to permanent damage. Monitoring impact and blast exposure will enable the military to protect service membersÂ’ health by evaluating the effectiveness of protective equipment and by structuring training to reduce injuries. Hearing is another aspect of head health that has suffered from inadequate protection. Tinnitus and hearing loss are the top two service-connected disabilities for U.S. military Veterans. Effective hearing protection is essential for service members, who rely on their hearing for safety, communications, and situational awareness. Permanent or even temporary hearing damage affects performance, endangers lives, and reduces quality of life. Current hearing protection is inadequate due to issues with comfort, fit, and ease-of-use, which affect compliance and cause reductions in field performance compared to laboratory ratings. Inadequate hearing protection can also impair communications and situational awareness, which impacts mission performance and safety. An opportunity exists for an in-ear device that provides improved hearing protection, clear communications and enhanced situational awareness while also monitoring exposure to blast and impact events. Paxauris proposes a Head Health Hearable system comprising an innovative comfortable deepinsert earplug that is comfortable, easily fitted and removed, reusable, cost-effective, and instrumented with sensors to measure head response to impact and blast and a processor to compute exposure risk damage metrics. In Phase I we demonstrated the feasibility of our concept. In Phase II we will mature our hearable design, fabricate prototype systems and proceed through laboratory qualification tests and human subject verification tests. At the end of Phase II, we will deliver prototypes to the Army. In Phase III we will transition our system to a hearable product ready for acquisition and sales.