Restored Hearing a young, web-based company can assist World Cup fans who are suffering from the effects of listening to the Vuvuzela horn at this year’s World Cup or at other sporting events.  Restored Hearing has developed and provides a low frequency therapy for people who are suffering from temporary tinnitus. The company is a client of NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin, nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises.

Rhona Togher, Eimear O'Carroll and Anthony Carolan, co-founders, Restored Hearing

Temporary tinnitus, or ‘ringing in the ears’  is caused by exposure to loud environments, for example listening to the noise of the Vuvuzela horn at sporting or other events, loud music at concerts or operating loud machinery. In such noisy environments damage can be done to the sound receptor cells in the cochlea.

The cochlea is that part of the ear which converts wave-vibrations into electric signals before sending these signals onto the brain.  When these receptor cells, or tiny hairs, get bent or damaged during exposure to the loud noises, signals continue to be sent to the brain even after the exposure to the noise has ceased. This results in a continued perception of a noise that isn’t there.

To alleviate this problem and to assist sufferers, Restored Hearing offers a unique online and tailored, minute-long therapy sessions for individuals who want to clear their ears of the ‘ringing’ sensation and regain ‘buzz free’ hearing.  The therapy is based on sound and wave theory, using a low hum to physically stimulate the cochlear hairs back into their original upright position.

The therapy sessions, which have a 99% success rate, can be purchased singly by SMS payment or in batches of ten using a credit card. Restored Hearing also provides a subscription payment that provides monthly, quarterly or annual use of the sound therapy.

According to Rhona Togher, co-founder, Restored Hearing, “The growing phenomenon of the use of the Vuvuzela horn at the World Cup and other sporting events around the globe, including GAA matches here in Ireland, will see sports fan using our temporary tinnitus therapy in the same way concert goers currently benefit.  This unexpected new customer base can conveniently access our therapy online so that they can continue to enjoy their sporting events without the annoyance of ringing in the ears.”

Restored Hearing was established in May 2009 by Rhona Togher, Eimear O’Carroll and Anthony Carolan and was formally launched in August 2009. Since then the company has received international interest and sales in UK/Ireland, Europe, North America and Australia.

The company is continuing to research the therapy’s effects for the sufferers of permanent tinnitus. In addition to running the company, Rhona and Eimear are also continuing their studies and have just completed their first year as undergraduate physics students in University College Dublin and University of Edinburgh respectively.

Restored Hearing is currently participating on NovaUCD’s Campus Company Development Programme which assists entrepreneurs in bringing their innovative ideas to fully developed and sound commercial businesses. The company, which originated in Co. Sligo, has previously been supported by the Sligo County Enterprise Board and the Business Innovation Centre, Sligo IT.

ENDS

15 June 2010

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: +353 (0)1 716 3712.

Editor’s Notes

Restored Hearing established in 2009 has developed a therapy to alleviate temporary tinnitus. The therapy which lasts for approximately one minute, only requires a broadband connection, a pair of outer ear headphones and it has a 99% success rate proven by scientific trials.

NovaUCD is University College Dublin’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre.  NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with the industry and business communities. NovaUCD as a purpose-built incubation centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx.