Pre-competitive Development of a Portable EEG Auditory Evoked Potential Measurement System, Auxiliary in the Diagnostic of Hypoacusia

Undoubtedly, research and development activities in higher education institutions must have scientific, technological, social and economical impact in the surroundings. However, since the researcher´s productivity in Mexico is measured by the number of publications, the results seldom conclude in a true technological development. This paper describes the result of an initiative between Morelia Institute of Technology (ITM) and the Public Health Secretariat of the Michoacan State (SSM), to produce biomedical instrumentation to facilitate early diagnostic of hyoacusia in newborns. The EEG-ITM05, portable EEG data acquisition system, is the result of a 3-year ongoing effort to build a pre-competitive device. The equipment was tested on 10 unmedicated young adults and the results were compared to those obtained with a previous prototype, the EEG-ITM03 and a commercial instrument (Cad well 7200). The results obtained with the three instruments are consistent and suggest that the ECG-ITM05 can provide information for diagnostic of hypoacusia.