Now hear this . . . exhibition finalist's success story

THE RUNNER-UP project at last year’s young scientist exhibition has evolved into a web-based company which is a corporate exhibitor at this year’s show.

Then Leaving Cert students at Ursuline College Sligo, Eimear O’Carroll, Rhona Togher and Niamh Chapman entered the project The Sound of Silence in 2009 with their physics teacher Anthony Carolan.

Their entry investigated a therapy for people suffering from temporary tinnitus or ringing in the ears. The project was overall runner-up last year and won the Health Research Board’s prize for innovation.

The team of four then developed the project into the company Restored Hearing, which was launched last August.

Its website offers an online therapy which takes one minute, is paid for by SMS or credit card, requires a broadband connection and a pair of outer earphones.

Based on sound and wave theory it uses a low hum to stimulate the cochlear hairs of the ear which may have been damaged by loud noises such as iPods, concerts or machinery.

The hairs are bent when exposed to loud noise so signals are sent to the brain when the noise stops. The therapy helps the the hairs return to an upright position. Trials have given it a 99 per cent success rate.

The company has received sales and interest in the UK, Europe, North America. The therapy was tested on live television in the Netherlands last November which significantly boosted sales there.

Ms O’Carroll who is now studying physics at the University of Edinburgh spoke of the importance of the Dublin exhibition. “Taking part in the BT young scientist competition has shown us that science and making new discoveries can lead to both business and academic opportunities.”

Going from a school project to a corporate exhibitor in a year is a surprise but shows the importance of the competition, she said.

Ms Togher is in her first year studying physics at University College Dublin (UCD). The project has become a client company of NovaUCD which is UCD’s innovation and technology transfer centre .

The company’s development was also supported by Sligo County Enterprise Board and Sligo Institute of Technology.

The next step for the embryonic firm will be to investigate the therapy’s effect on permanent tinnitus.

For further information see the company’s website is see www.restoredhearing.ie