Easy & Accurate Universal Screening Now Possible with the AUDIOscreener™
ST. LOUIS /PRNewswire/ -- Everest Biomedical Instruments Company introduces the AUDIOscreener(TM), the first ever portable, computer- independent device to combine evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests for advanced, reliable and simple newborn hearing screening.
With its state-of-the-art technology, the AUDIOscreener™ provides the first step in detecting hearing loss. Hearing loss is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 5 of every 1,000 babies born. However, the practice to date has generally been to screen using either OAE or ABR -- not both. Because OAE and ABR assess different aspects of the auditory system (the ear versus the brain), used alone they can mistakenly pass hearing-impaired children. In addition, when used alone, the tests can increase the incidence of false positives (children with normal hearing who receive Refer results).
Auditory stimulation in the first year of life is critical to the healthy development of speech and language. However, if not screened at birth, most children with hearing loss go unidentified until they are between 18 and 36 months, which is well beyond the critical period for speech and language acquisition. Studies show that hearing-impaired children who are not diagnosed and treated before they are 6 months old develop speech and language skills that are significantly behind their normal-hearing peers. Recognizing the magnitude of this problem, the National Institutes of Health and the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Recommend universal newborn hearing screening using both OAE and ABR.
The AUDIOscreener™ provides the only practical solution. By combining OAE and ABR and adding key diagnostic features the device can detect every child with a hearing impairment and minimize the rate of false positives triggered by some single-screening methods used today.
Everest Biomedical Instruments Company designs and develops state-of-the-art diagnostic and screening devices to enhance life and its opportunities. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Everest combines breakthrough research in electronics, signal processing and computer engineering with existing medical research to quickly bring to market reasonably priced devices. For more information, visit www.everest-co.com .
SOURCE Everest Biomedical Instruments Company
