Throughout his ultimate yr of learning robotics, electronics, and communication engineering, Kanishka Patel stumbled upon a information article that might form his future. The piece detailed a groundbreaking growth by the British defence and safety agency BAE Programs — a military helmet utilizing bone conduction know-how to facilitate communication amongst troopers on the battlefield.

Intrigued, Kanishka delved into analysis on bone conduction know-how and its potential purposes. If it may improve communication amidst the cacophony of warfare, he contemplated, what different transformative makes use of may it serve?

Would possibly it supply hope to these coping with listening to loss, or people with situations like microtia, whose exterior ears are underdeveloped? Might this know-how current a non-surgical, cost-effective resolution for thousands and thousands worldwide?

Kanishka’s thoughts buzzed with prospects, igniting a ardour to discover the untapped potential of this innovation.

In a powerful affirmation of their journey, Kanishka and Raj Shah have certainly cast a outstanding path over seven years. By their firm WeHear, the 2 have constructed HearNU — a listening to support that makes use of bone conduction know-how, providing a non-surgical resolution for folks with conductive listening to loss. They’ve additionally developed bone conduction earphones known as WeHear OX — the place the earphone doesn’t sit inside your ears.

WeHear has a granted patent for its HearNU and is reworking the lives of 1000’s of younger kids and adults with conductive listening to loss, during which sound waves are usually not capable of carry throughout to the internal ear.

Kanishka and Raj declare that it’s “the one bone-conduction listening to support in India and the world”.  Since their launch in 2021, they’ve bought over 11,500 gadgets and have earned a income of Rs 5.5 crore in FY 2023-24.

Additionally they bagged a deal of Rs 2.5 crore in Shark Tank India Season 3 from Peyush Bansal, valuing their firm at Rs 250 crore.

So what precisely is bone conduction know-how and what makes their patented product distinctive?

Made in India for the world

Kanishka recollects being fascinated by audio and electronics. He participated in lots of robotics competitions internationally, and infrequently got here throughout good improvements, hoping to make one himself sooner or later.

“I had about 18 to 19 pairs of earphones as I really like listening to music. Once I learn in regards to the bone conduction know-how used within the US Military, I puzzled in regards to the different use instances for it. I began researching and developed a prototype of a listening to support utilizing this know-how in 2017,” Kanishka tells The Higher India.

The Ahmedabad resident then spoke about this concept along with his co-founder Raj, who stop his job and joined him to construct the machine. They have been incubated on the Gujarat College Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC), the place they acquired funding and help to begin their analysis and growth.

After a number of tweaks, after they have been glad with the prototype, they partnered with the Bahera Munga Shala in Ahmedabad, a faculty for hearing-impaired kids to check their machine. The second that the duo dearly cherish, is the primary time a toddler heard a sound in his life, due to their machine!

“We performed some music, and the kid heard a sound for the primary time in his life. I can’t overlook the best way his face lit up. He began having fun with the music, and his mom was in tears. That second is etched in my reminiscence without end,” shares the 28-year-old.

With their resolve strengthened, the duo then labored on perfecting their machine. This journey was removed from clean because it took them round two and a half years and 7 prototypes earlier than they got here up with their ultimate machine — the HearNU.

After they felt that their machine was prepared for the market they did alpha and beta testing for one and a half years earlier than launching the ultimate model in 2021.

How the machine works

This machine is supposed for individuals who have conductive listening to loss, have microtia (a congenital ear deformity during which the exterior ear is malformed and underdeveloped), or have some other downside within the bodily ear.

The HearNU comes with a wearable band, which is related to the listening to support via Bluetooth, and makes use of bone conduction know-how. The listening to support, which is formed like a band, sits behind the ear on the temporal bone.

“This machine makes use of the bone as a conductor of sound. The machine, positioned on the temporal bone, sends vibrations to the cochlea. It bypasses the bodily ear system, specifically the outer ear, internal ear and center ear, straight simulating the final a part of the ear, which is related to the mind,” explains Kanishk.

The band, which the consumer wears on the hand, is supplied with microprocessors. “It captures the audio and sounds, tunes them, processes them and sends them to the listening to machine, enabling the consumer to listen to. The Bluetooth may also be related to some other machine like a cell phone, TV, or laptop computer, serving to kids take heed to lessons,” he provides.

The answer for folks with conductive listening to loss is normally a surgical implant known as the BAHA implant (Bone-Anchored Listening to Assist), which makes use of the identical know-how used on this listening to support. The corresponding surgical procedure typically prices Rs 8 lakh, in keeping with the founders, whereas this machine prices Rs 80,000.

“Our differentiator and patent is for the truth that we now have been in a position to make use of this know-how, which is used within the surgical procedure and army gadgets, for a non-surgical listening to support,” he provides.

They partnered with the All India Institute Of Speech and Listening to in Mysuru for medical trials and likewise acquired grants from the Union Authorities and State Authorities price Rs 25 lakh to fund their analysis.

Right this moment, via this enterprise, the duo have offered the reward of listening to to over 11,500 kids and adults throughout the nation — nearly all of that are via partnerships with companies and CSR actions. Additionally they associate with State Governments to distribute listening to aids as a part of the Authorities’s Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

As well as, HearNU is at present being exported to nations in Africa, with plans for international growth supported by a granted patent masking 27 nations.

After the success of HearNU, in addition they launched a bone conduction earphone known as WeHear OX, which they declare is “secure for our ears” because it bypasses the bodily ears and comes geared up with a 72-language translator. These earphones are priced at Rs 10,000.

They’re engaged on HearNU BTE — a listening to support for folks with different types of listening to loss — and have three extra merchandise within the pipeline.

“We wish to create an ecosystem in listening to aids which are utterly comprised of scratch in India, for the world. Our options can be inexpensive for all, guaranteeing that everybody with listening to loss can discover a non-surgical various,” says Kanishka.

With the WHO estimating that one in 10 folks may have disabling listening to loss by 2050, such options are undoubtedly welcome.

Edited by Pranita Bhat, Photos Courtesy WeHear

Sources

WHO Report