Bio-Inspired Ear Probe Revolutionizes Early Hearing Loss Diagnosis

Binghamton University Assistant Professor Jian Zhou, PhD ’18, is leading a five-year, $1.84 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop a dual-sensing ear canal probe for more accurate otoacoustic emissions detection. According to the university, the research team aims to build a prototype within the first three years before advancing to participant testing.

NIH-Funded Project Targets Improved Hearing Loss Detection

Hearing assessments often rely on picking up faint sounds generated inside the inner ear. Whenever a sound goes into the ear, a much quieter sound comes back out, according to project details. If a medical device picks up and analyzes these signals, known as otoacoustic emissions or OAEs, audiologists can determine if a patient has hearing problems. The spiral-shaped cochlea generates these emissions through sensory hairs responding to auditory stimuli. Studies show that OAEs disappear after the inner ear sustains damage, making reliable detection vital for early diagnosis.

Adapting Spider-Inspired Flow Microphones for Medical Diagnostics

The new probe builds on patented sensing technology developed by Binghamton faculty members inspired by how spiders hear sound through their webs. According to Distinguished Professor Ronald Miles, humans traditionally design microphones to detect acoustic pressure because human ears work that way. However, most animals, including many insects, hear the motion of the air instead. Miles, who serves as a co-investigator on the project alongside University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Professor Christopher Shera, noted that mosquito antennae and fine hairs move back and forth to capture sound.

Through prior experimentation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, the researchers found that their bio-inspired design responds to sound with perfect fidelity from 1 hertz up to 50 kilohertz. This yields a broader frequency range and flatter frequency response than conventional pressure-based microphones. While the technology no longer relies on harvesting spider silk, Zhou emphasized that nanotechnology allows them to fabricate structures with dimensions below 10 nanometers—up to 100 times thinner than spider silk.

Shrinking Advanced Tech for Safe Clinical Use

Commercialization of the underlying bio-inspired flow microphone has already begun through the Canadian venture firm TandemLaunch and its spin-off company Soundskrit. For this medical application, the Binghamton research team must shrink the technology down significantly. The plan involves integrating a laser for enhanced precision alongside a traditional acoustic-pressure microphone while ensuring complete safety for patients. Because the human ear canal and hearing system are exceptionally small, studying them presents major engineering hurdles. Miles noted that the undertaking requires substantial technological advances suited for engineers who build physical systems.

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