New University of Michigan Tinnitus Discovery — Signal Timing

[Nick47]

A startup funding report from the University of Michigan has just been released.

Auricle is briefly mentioned. Quote:

@Fra, it is very old. Do not read anything into it.

 

[Fra]

@Fra, it is very old. Do not read anything into it.

It's not. It's linked from a UMich newsletter I just received on May 29th. The email stated the following:

Accelerate Blue Fund Highlights $6.8M Total Investment in U-M Startups In 2024 Impact Report

The Accelerate Blue Fund recently published their 2024 Annual Report, detailing the Fund's performance and the progress of their portfolio companies. Pivotal in transforming research breakthroughs into tangible societal benefits, the Accelerate Blue Fund offers necessary seed capital to early-stage startups.

 

[Saba]

Thank you, @Fra. You made my day. Bless the possibilities and the progress in tinnitus research!

 

[ThomasF]

The post on their LinkedIn describes them as a "licensee of bimodal patents" to a number of companies. I imagine this has been discussed before, but it suggests to me that instead of developing its own products entirely in-house, the company is licensing these patents to others who are working on devices aimed at the same goals as the Susan Shore device and its underlying research.

To me, this means that multiple firms may be developing similar tools or treatments, which could increase the chances of effective solutions reaching the market. Since the patent licensing covers such a broad range, it may also explain why it is difficult to get specific information directly from Auricle.

Again, this has likely been mentioned before, but in my view, it is encouraging. It suggests that other companies are also working toward the same goal of effective treatment.

 

[Gb3]

2024 Update: The AB Fund led a pre-seed round that enabled Auricle, Inc. to move forward with product development and human factors testing in preparation for obtaining FDA clearance.

Isn't this just referring to the human trials they already completed?

 

[STEELERS1951]

NBB Seminar Series​

Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 at 11:00am​

The seminar will be In-Person.​

​

Susan Shore, Ph.D.​

Professor Emerita of Otolaryngology, Physiology, & Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan​

---

"Reversing pathological neural plasticity to treat tinnitus"​

Abstract:

The dorsal cochlear nucleus is the first site of multisensory convergence in mammalian auditory pathways. Principal output neurons, the fusiform cells, integrate auditory nerve inputs from the cochlea with somatosensory inputs from the head and neck. After noise exposure, fusiform cells exhibit increased spontaneous activity and cross-unit synchrony, physiological correlates of tinnitus. Underlying mechanisms include homeostatic and timing-dependent plasticity. To reverse the pathological plasticity, we delivered repeated bisensory auditory-somatosensory stimulation to guinea pigs with tinnitus, choosing an inter stimulus interval known to induce long-term depression (LTD). The LTD inducing bisensory (but not unimodal auditory) stimulation reduced physiological and behavioral evidence of tinnitus in the guinea pigs. Next, we applied the same bisensory treatment to human subjects with tinnitus using a double-blinded, sham-controlled, crossover study. The LTD inducing bisensory stimulation reduced both tinnitus loudness and intrusiveness. Unimodal auditory stimulation did not deliver either benefit. Bisensory auditory-somatosensory stimulation that induces LTD in the dorsal cochlear nucleus may hold promise for suppressing chronic tinnitus, which reduces quality of life for millions of tinnitus sufferers worldwide.

Herklotz Conference Room

300 Qureshey Research Lab
Irvine

 

[kingsfan]

UC Irvine is just a little bit farther from the University of Michigan.

 

[Meyer37]

UC Irvine is just a little bit farther from the University of Michigan.

Seeing Christopher in your profile picture reminds me of Phil Leotardo, who also wore a neck brace, and how poor posture has worsened the intensity of my tinnitus. A good reminder to focus on posture!

Is anyone planning to attend the seminar in person? It seems like a fantastic and rare opportunity to learn more about the current status of tinnitus research and the Shore Device.

 

[kingsfan]

Is anyone planning to attend the seminar in person? It seems like a fantastic and rare opportunity to learn more about the current status of tinnitus research and the Shore Device.

I would attend, but it appears Dr. Shore and I have swapped living locations...

 

[noahv]

If anyone out there is local to UC Irvine and can get to the Dr. Susan Shore seminar tomorrow, that would be great! Unfortunately, no recording will be made available...

Hello,
Unfortunately, this seminar will be in-person only, as it is a private event for the UCI community.
If Dr. Shore returns for another talk in the future and it is open via Zoom, we will be sure to share that information.
Best regards,
Thank you,

Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

 

[Ken219]

If anyone out there is local to UC Irvine and can get to the Dr. Susan Shore seminar tomorrow, that would be great! Unfortunately, no recording will be made available...

Read the abstract. It is vague and uses the word "may." Nothing sounds promising.

 

[BadNeighbors]

Read the abstract. It is vague and uses the word "may." Nothing sounds promising.

This is not ideal, but academic language is much more restrained than advertising or everyday speech. Advertisers tend to exaggerate, and in casual conversation we often draw conclusions that would frustrate most academics.

Dr. Shore only has a few studies that provide evidence that this may alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus. Good academics are trained to constantly question their own results.

I am definitely biased in favor of Dr. Shore because I hope this will work, but unless something significant happens in her talk, I am not ready to give up cautious hope.

 

[dd314]

Read the abstract. It is vague and uses the word "may." Nothing sounds promising.

The last couple of trials showed clear efficacy, and her results have been reproduced at least once. This method definitely seems to work for somatosensory tinnitus.

What I do not understand is why it still has not been tested on non-somatic tinnitus, which makes up roughly half of us. How hard would it be to include a few non-somatic participants in a trial?

 

[withintention]

I have a theory on why Auricle is delayed.

I recently visited a new audiologist to establish care and discuss hearing aids for masking.

Two audiologists greeted me and introduced me to a representative from Lenire. The three of them then spent an hour delivering what felt like a scripted hard sell for Lenire. I am talking about sales tactics that resembled those used by timeshare salespeople. When I asked about hearing aids, their only response was, "Why don't you want to try the only FDA-approved device for tinnitus, Lenire?"

I have experienced less aggressive sales tactics when buying used cars. It became very clear that Lenire has a strong sales incentive program in place.

If Lenire has already partnered with many private practice audiologists in this way, then Auricle faces a serious sales and distribution challenge. They will need to displace Lenire in all of these existing relationships, which will be difficult given Lenire's first-mover advantage.

Auricle might obtain FDA approval but still struggle to establish a sales and distribution network because Lenire has already secured a strong foothold.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

I have a theory on why Auricle is delayed.

I recently visited a new audiologist to establish care and discuss hearing aids for masking.

Two audiologists greeted me and introduced me to a representative from Lenire. The three of them then spent an hour delivering what felt like a scripted hard sell for Lenire. I am talking about sales tactics that resembled those used by timeshare salespeople. When I asked about hearing aids, their only response was, "Why don't you want to try the only FDA-approved device for tinnitus, Lenire?"

I have experienced less aggressive sales tactics when buying used cars. It became very clear that Lenire has a strong sales incentive program in place.

If Lenire has already partnered with many private practice audiologists in this way, then Auricle faces a serious sales and distribution challenge. They will need to displace Lenire in all of these existing relationships, which will be difficult given Lenire's first-mover advantage.

Auricle might obtain FDA approval but still struggle to establish a sales and distribution network because Lenire has already secured a strong foothold.

Now all Lenire needs is to introduce an after-sales follow-up, a heavy-duty persuasion session to convince the patient that their tinnitus has been cured. Like, no one can hear it... it is all in the mind.

Just kidding.

That said, I must confess that I benefited from TRT treatment back in the mid-1990s, although the ringing continued.

Sadly, my tinnitus has worsened. Maybe it is both age-related and noise-related, or perhaps it is due to my sensitive hearing.

 

[withintention]

Now all Lenire needs is to introduce an after-sales follow-up, a heavy-duty persuasion session to convince the patient that their tinnitus has been cured. Like, no one can hear it... it is all in the mind.

Just kidding.

That said, I must confess that I benefited from TRT treatment back in the mid-1990s, although the ringing continued.

Sadly, my tinnitus has worsened. Maybe it is both age-related and noise-related, or perhaps it is due to my sensitive hearing.

I forgot to mention this earlier, but the Lenire representative actually told me that the increase in my tinnitus after my acoustic trauma two years ago was psychosomatic, simply because I had very mild tinnitus before it. This, despite the fact that I could barely hear it in a quiet room back then and now I can hear it over a crashing waterfall. They were despicable.

I am glad to hear that TRT has worked for you, though I am sorry your tinnitus has worsened. I have found some small relief from playing distracting sounds and am interested in trying it more seriously. It seems to help extend the periods when I am not so focused on the ringing.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

I have a theory on why Auricle is delayed.

I recently visited a new audiologist to establish care and discuss hearing aids for masking.

Two audiologists greeted me and introduced me to a representative from Lenire. The three of them then spent an hour delivering what felt like a scripted hard sell for Lenire. I am talking about sales tactics that resembled those used by timeshare salespeople. When I asked about hearing aids, their only response was, "Why don't you want to try the only FDA-approved device for tinnitus, Lenire?"

I have experienced less aggressive sales tactics when buying used cars. It became very clear that Lenire has a strong sales incentive program in place.

If Lenire has already partnered with many private practice audiologists in this way, then Auricle faces a serious sales and distribution challenge. They will need to displace Lenire in all of these existing relationships, which will be difficult given Lenire's first-mover advantage.

Auricle might obtain FDA approval but still struggle to establish a sales and distribution network because Lenire has already secured a strong foothold.

Here I am, extrapolating on something I only half understand. But if I recall correctly, Lenire is a combination of sound therapy and a device that "tickles your tongue."

To be a bit fairer, it also involves guided counselling, which in the early stages of tinnitus can be quite important. From what I've read, it is some variation of tinnitus retraining using white noise therapy, combined with a device that delivers electrical stimulation through the tongue to the brain.

It appears to work for some people, some of the time, especially in cases of early onset tinnitus. But then again, most successful outcomes from any therapy tend to occur during the early stages.

That said, the aggressive marketing approach is inappropriate. It does Lenire no favors to have such criticism circulating online. If ENTs or sales personnel are working on commission, this practice should be stopped immediately.

But look at the position we sufferers are in. Can we really be blamed for being drawn to something, when we are dealing with a condition that is so widespread and yet so neglected by both Big Pharma and mainstream medicine?

If Lenire is "the only show in town," or one of the few available options, what is a desperate person supposed to do?

I've heard that a percentage of patients have worsened with the therapy, and that their tinnitus actually became more intrusive.

However, once the Bionics Institute device for objectively measuring tinnitus loudness becomes widely available, we may finally get more clarity on the matter.

 

[dd314]

Here I am, extrapolating on something I only half understand. But if I recall correctly, Lenire is a combination of sound therapy and a device that "tickles your tongue."

To be a bit fairer, it also involves guided counselling, which in the early stages of tinnitus can be quite important. From what I've read, it is some variation of tinnitus retraining using white noise therapy, combined with a device that delivers electrical stimulation through the tongue to the brain.

It appears to work for some people, some of the time, especially in cases of early onset tinnitus. But then again, most successful outcomes from any therapy tend to occur during the early stages.

That said, the aggressive marketing approach is inappropriate. It does Lenire no favors to have such criticism circulating online. If ENTs or sales personnel are working on commission, this practice should be stopped immediately.

But look at the position we sufferers are in. Can we really be blamed for being drawn to something, when we are dealing with a condition that is so widespread and yet so neglected by both Big Pharma and mainstream medicine?

If Lenire is "the only show in town," or one of the few available options, what is a desperate person supposed to do?

I've heard that a percentage of patients have worsened with the therapy, and that their tinnitus actually became more intrusive.

However, once the Bionics Institute device for objectively measuring tinnitus loudness becomes widely available, we may finally get more clarity on the matter.

The Bionics Institute found that people with very severe tinnitus have reduced cerebral blood flow in certain areas of the brain. Whether this is caused by the stress of having tinnitus or is actually contributing to the generation of tinnitus itself, no one knows for sure.

In my opinion, minimum masking level is a better objective measure of tinnitus. It is also the metric that Shore's team uses as the gold standard.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

The Bionics Institute found that people with very severe tinnitus have reduced cerebral blood flow in certain areas of the brain. Whether this is caused by the stress of having tinnitus or is actually contributing to the generation of tinnitus itself, no one knows for sure.

In my opinion, minimum masking level is a better objective measure of tinnitus. It is also the metric that Shore's team uses as the gold standard.

I realize that I'm out of my depth here, but if it were possible to place the subject—whether human or animal—under stress while simultaneously observing the rate of cerebral blood flow to specific areas of the brain, could that provide more clarity on the overall picture?

It probably would not lead to a cure for tinnitus, but it might shed some light on how to reduce the suffering of those who are severely affected.

 

[Gb3]

How about we just get an update on the status of the device?

 

[Meyer37]

Auricle might obtain FDA approval but still struggle to establish a sales and distribution network because Lenire has already secured a strong foothold.

I believe that any device that is truly effective will be strongly and tirelessly promoted by an army of tinnitus sufferers. That kind of organic word-of-mouth marketing, coming from the community that understands the condition best, is the most powerful form of promotion.

I can't wait to get my hands on a device that actually provides relief and then share it with others. If it lives up to expectations, it will undoubtedly gain massive attention on social media.

 

[DimLeb]

I believe that any device that is truly effective will be strongly and tirelessly promoted by an army of tinnitus sufferers. That kind of organic word-of-mouth marketing, coming from the community that understands the condition best, is the most powerful form of promotion.

I can't wait to get my hands on a device that actually provides relief and then share it with others. If it lives up to expectations, it will undoubtedly gain massive attention on social media.

I believe that as well. The fact that there is still complete radio silence about this device after so many years suggests that something is off. Either it does not work—at least not as it was supposed to—or it got buried in a logistical or bureaucratic mess.

 

[Hazel]

All of us at Tinnitus Quest are thrilled to share that a live Q&A with Jon Pearson and Susan Shore from Auricle is coming up.

The event will happen sometime before the end of October 2025, though the exact date is still to be announced. Soon you will be able to sign up.

As for what to expect, there will be updates on the development of Auricle's device, insights into what the team has been working on, and a look at what lies ahead. There will also be a dedicated portion of the event for audience questions.

This could turn out to be our most popular Q&A yet! How about we try to get over 1,000 people to attend?

 

[Gb3]

How about we just get an update on the status of the device?

Ask and you shall receive! Thanks, @Hazel!