Earlens today said it entered a strategic agreement with Verily to develop next-generation capabilities for the Earlens Contact Hearing Solution.
Earlens’s Contact Hearing Solutions directly activates the hearing system to deliver the broadest bandwidth in a nonsurgical hearing solution. It uses a small lens to vibrate the eardrum to replicate the natural hearing process.
“Unlike traditional hearing aids that amplify sound through a speaker, Earlens uses a small lens to vibrate the eardrum, which directly activates the natural hearing process and delivers the broadest bandwidth available today,” Earlens president and CEO Bill Facteau said in a news release. “By combining our complementary sets of expertise, we aim to develop a next-generation hearing solution, as well as explore modalities for monitoring that may address conditions beyond hearing loss.”
Through the agreement, Earlens suggests that Verily’s capabilities expand the AI capabilities of the hearing solutions.
“Verily’s extensive experience in custom miniaturized, low-power and integrated medical devices uniquely position us to enhance the Earlens solution with a smaller, more efficient and more powerful behind-the-ear device,” chief technical officer of Verily Brian Otis said. “Earlens is the only hearing solution that places a lens on the eardrum, and by combining our innovative medical, wearable and sensor technologies, we can further revolutionize the industry to support patients dealing with hearing challenges.”