Neurostimulation implant to restore hearing & speech understanding
Auricle is a medical device company building a breakthrough neurostimulation implant to restore hearing in millions of patients who no longer benefit from hearing aids, get less than 60% on a word recognition test, but aren't prepared to make the jump to a cochlear implant.
Our approach preserves remaining natural hearing through a reversible and less invasive surgery, addressing the key concerns that hold most patients back from getting a cochlear implant (currently the only treatment option for these patients).
The company spun out of Stanford Biodesign having completed two acute human clinical studies demonstrating the approach will work. The team is now focused on developing their full implant system for their first clinical trial.
Auricle addresses a currently unserved profile of hearing loss that affects a growing population of 3.5 million patients in the US and represents an immediately accessible $1.2B market opportunity with existing reimbursement.
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Active Founders
Francis Wong, Founder
I'm Francis, a UK-trained surgeon who worked in the National Health Service as a surgeon for 5 years. In 2012 I moved to the Bay Area to get my MBA/MPH at UC Berkeley. I've worked in several product management roles at startups including 23andMe and Castlight Health. I also founded Outcomes, Inc., a digital health startup enabling the routine use of patient-reported outcomes. Prior to Stanford, I worked at Haven in Boston and co-founded Auricle out of the Stanford Biodesign Fellowship.
Jay Dhuldhoya, Founder
I am a medical device engineer and entrepreneur with a BA from Columbia and an MS from Rice in biomedical engineering. I have led R&D, quality, and manufacturing projects at Element Science, an SF-based Class 3 medical device start-up. I recently completed the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship where I co-founded Auricle.
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