Title: Earswitch: a new human:computer interface for augmentative and alternative communication.
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: The Earswitch is a sensor (a device) that is placed in earphones and responds to movement of the eardrum inside someone's ear. This movement can be operated voluntarily by a person - like most muscles in the body. The eardrum is moved by a movement of a middle ear muscle. The middle ear muscle can be controlled by people who lose the ability to control their other muscles, with diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), and those who have suffered from brainstem strokes. These strokes cause damage to an area of the brain below the nerve that controls the middle ear muscle. However, this nerve remains unaffected by the stroke and as a result, the middle ear muscle can still be moved. The Earswitch is a new way of controlling devices such as mobile phones and computers, with wide-ranging health applications. Testing has shown that The Earswitch can be used to type handsfree on an on-screen keyboard. The Earswitch is different from other devices that help people to communicate (with diseases like MND) as it is worn in the ear, like an earphone. This means it can also be useful in people with communication problems who also have severe movements that they cannot control, such as some people with severe cerebral palsy. These uses can transform people s lives; giving them back the ability to communicate more easily or allow them to communicate for the first time. No previous device has been developed using these ear-drum movements. The Earswitch provides a completely unique communication option. There are many other applications for The Earswitch technology. These include handsfree hearing-aid control for people with finger movement difficulty (such as arthritis), and the control of hearing aids so voices can be heard more easily above background noise. Initially, we will develop The Earswitch to help people communicate more easily, such as those with MND. We will then progress the technology to help people control other technologies such as mobile phones and computers. When The Earswitch sensor is in hearing aids or earphones, these earphones can then be purchased from normal high street outlets.

Lay abstract: The Earswitch is a sensor (a device) that is placed in earphones and responds to movement of the eardrum inside someone's ear. This movement can be operated voluntarily by a person - like most muscles in the body. The eardrum is moved by a movement of a middle ear muscle. The middle ear muscle can be controlled by people who lose the ability to control their other muscles, with diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), and those who have suffered from brainstem strokes. These strokes cause damage to an area of the brain below the nerve that controls the middle ear muscle. However, this nerve remains unaffected by the stroke and as a result, the middle ear muscle can still be moved. The Earswitch is a new way of controlling devices such as mobile phones and computers, with wide-ranging health applications. Testing has shown that The Earswitch can be used to type handsfree on an on-screen keyboard. The Earswitch is different from other devices that help people to communicate (with diseases like MND) as it is worn in the ear, like an earphone. This means it can also be useful in people with communication problems who also have severe movements that they cannot control, such as some people with severe cerebral palsy. These uses can transform people s lives; giving them back the ability to communicate more easily or allow them to communicate for the first time. No previous device has been developed using these ear-drum movements. The Earswitch provides a completely unique communication option. There are many other applications for The Earswitch technology. These include handsfree hearing-aid control for people with finger movement difficulty (such as arthritis), and the control of hearing aids so voices can be heard more easily above background noise. Initially, we will develop The Earswitch to help people communicate more easily, such as those with MND. We will then progress the technology to help people control other technologies such as mobile phones and computers. When The Earswitch sensor is in hearing aids or earphones, these earphones can then be purchased from normal high street outlets.

Research activity codes: 5.3 MEDICAL DEVICES
Health categories: NEUROLOGICAL;STROKE