Skip to content
American Academy of Audiology
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Honors and Awards
    • Get Involved
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Students
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Renew
American Academy of Audiology
Member Login
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Honors and Awards
    • Get Involved
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
September 8, 2023

New Technology: Preventing Hearing Loss In NICU Infants

  • Audiology in the News

Electrical engineer Dr. Lichauan Liu of Northern Illinois University (NIU) has designed technology to prevent hearing loss in newborns who are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

NICUs are noisy places. According to Almadhoob and Ohlsson (2020), sound levels in NICUs range from 7 dB to 120 dB and often exceed the maximum acceptable level of 45 dB recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Even more concerning is that noise exposure to a pre-term infant can cause apnea, hypoxemia, alterations in oxygen saturation, and increased oxygen consumption secondary to elevated heart and respiratory rates. This, in turn, can decrease calorie absorption. High noise levels also are associated with an increased rate of errors and accidents, leading to decreased performance among staff (Wachman and Lahav, 2011). 

Nearly a decade ago, Dr. Liu began a partnership with Invictus Medical to commercialize her active noise control (ANC) device, called the Neoasis. The Neoasis, which is placed on an infant’s incubator, uses a proprietary active noise control system to significantly reduce harmful noises via wave cancelling technology, while maintaining communication between newborns and their parents or caregivers.

In July 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use. With this clearance, Invictus has moved forward toward deploying the Neoasis ANC device in NICUs. It is well documented that a quieter environment has a positive impact, including improved sleep hygiene and weight gain in infants where both are critical for development.

Dr. Liu continues to work on other projects that use noise cancellation, such as a pillow that would cancel out the sound of snoring. Dr. Liu is making hearing health improvements for infants and adults!

References

Almadhoob A, Ohlsson A. (2020) Sound reduction management in the neonatal intensive care unit for preterm or very low birth weight infants. Coche Data Syst Rev.  1(1):CD010333. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010333.pub3. PMID: 31986231; PMCID: PMC6989790.

The Hearing Review. (2023) Researcher develops tech to prevent hearing loss in NICU infants.  (accessed September 8).

Wachman EM, Lahav A. (2011) The effects of noise on preterm infants in the NICU. Arch Dis Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed 96(4):F305–309. 

Share this

Related Posts

Ectoderm Barcoding Reveals Neural and Cochlear Compartmentalization

Industrial Air Pollution and Newborn Hearing Screening Failure

Dizziness and Neck Pain: A Perspective on Cervicogenic Dizziness

Recent Posts

Coding and Reimbursement

NASEM Releases Report on Meaningful Outcomes in Adult Hearing Health Care

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recently released the report “Measuring Meaningful Outcomes for Adult Hearing Health Outcomes.” The report includes the committee’s…

Read More
The White House (Washington, D.C., USA)
Government Relations News

Trump Administration’s FY 2026 Budget Proposes Deep Cuts and Reorganization for HHS

President Donald Trump has released his fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It reflects a dramatic…

Read More
Government Relations News

Academy and FLAA Advocate Against Risky Hearing Aid Policies

Last week, Florida Senate Bill (SB) 126 passed in the Senate and moved to the House. Initially introduced alongside House Bill (HB) 101 to remove…

Read More
wave-mark

Join the Academy

Academy members receive many benefits for professional development, practice management, and community development.

Become a Member
COMM24-Academy_Website_Graphics-revised_logo(W)

American Academy of Audiology
11480 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191

Tel: 703-790-8466
Fax: 703-790-8631

  • Practice Resources
  • Education and Events
  • AAA Annual Conference
  • News and Publications
  • Careers
  • Advocacy
  • About the Academy
  • Consumers and Patients
  • Audiology Community
  • Students
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Antitrust Policy and Guidelines
  • Terms of Use Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

© Copyright 2025 American Academy of Audiology

Website by Yoko Co

This content is an exclusive benefit for American Academy of Audiology members.

If you’re a member, log in and you’ll get immediate access.

 

Member Login

 

If you’re not yet a member, you’ll be interested to know that joining not only gives you access to top-notch resources like this one, but also invitations to member-only events, inclusion in the member directory, participation in professional forums, and access to patient resources, tools, and continuing education. Join today!

Scroll To Top
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.Ok