Hear this: The first wireless, non-sedative hearing machine

MANILA, Philippines - Asian Hospital and Medical Center marks another milestone in its mission to provide innovative and world-class healthcare service as it introduces the first wireless and non-sedative ABR machine to the Philippines, the Vivosonic Integrity.

An ABR machine is used for hearing assessment of children and in screening for tumors of the ear nerve. By studying electrical brain activity, known as auditory brainstem response (ABR), the integrity of nerve connections from the inner ear to the part of the central nervous system, called the brainstem, can be evaluated. The detected auditory brainstem responses can be used to determine a patient’s threshold of hearing or to reveal if there is a tumor that is blocking the auditory pathway. 

 Because the accuracy and reliability of an ABR machine are greatly affected by ambient noise and muscle movement, such as hallway chatter, a baby crying, breastfeeding, or a toddler fidgeting, the test is usually done in a sound-treated room with the patient quiet or asleep. In certain circumstances, to achieve this quiet state, the patient may be sedated or, in the case of a difficult-to-test child, may be put under general anesthesia.

 And, this is what sets the Vivosonic Integrity apart, as it is the world’s first ABR machine which does not require patients to be put to sleep or sedated and can be done even in the presence of noise. Without the need for medication or special equipment, an audiologist can easily do ABR on an awake and active child in any hospital environment, such as the hearing laboratory or a noisy place like the neonatal ICU.

“This is the breakthrough in ABR development that we, at Asian Hospital, have long been waiting for. Not only is the Integrity remarkable by doing away with the need for sedation, it also allows for ABR testing in different clinical settings where hearing assessment could never be done before. Integrity has made ABR testing practical, safe, and more affordable for the patient,” says Dr. Ernest Manas, section head of the Hearing Unit.

The technology behind Integrity’s non-sedative capability is a patented system by Vivosonic called Kalman Weighted Filtering. Kalman, as it is more popularly known, is a complex algorithm that optimizes the ABR signal while effectively filtering out concomitant electrical activity originating from the muscles, eyes, and other parts of the body that normally dampen the response. What results is the appearance of robust and unmistakable waveforms representing the auditory brainstem response, which is then evaluated by the audiologist for presence of hearing loss or tumor.

The Integrity is also the world’s first wireless ABR machine, establishing it as a revolutionary device in terms of portability and sophistication. Because it employs wireless technology, there are no long cables that tether or immobilize patients during testing. Integrity can permit a child to freely move around, even play, making the test even more acceptable to parents and children. 

For more information on the Integrity machine, call the Hearing Unit of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center at 771-9000 to 02 or 876-5756. E-mail hearingunit@asianhospital.com or visit www.asianhospital.com.