OtoBand by Otolith Labs — Head-Mounted Device for Motion Sickness Reduces Tinnitus

I stumbled upon this via Facebook this morning. Seems promising.

Anyone suffer from tinnitus? During my motion sickness research I found that Bone Conducted Vibration (BCV) can improve motion sickness but also tinnitus. I have finished the PhD, the tinnitus finding needs more research by those in the field.

We 'may' have discovered a potential remedy for tinnitus - by accident​

 

Wait! What? This is what a Baja device does for SSHL, of course you’re inputting vibration not collecting vibration from sound. Which of course is how we hear sound. If you figure this out you’d be on your way to some serious money and some serious gratitude. Send me out one when you’ve figured out the parameters. Hurry up before I invent my own.

 

So I guess you have to wear this constantly?

 

Baha device for kids, without the band, a Titanium screw is inserted into your skull the unit hangs onto.

If this actually works, which I don’t believe, but I also didn’t believe by losing hearing I’d gain sound, you could use a sticky pad for your skin and mount it. I believe med el has been making a bone conduction unit which just sticks on and holds the processing device. Add adjustable vibration settings and you may have something.

https://www.medel.com/us/adhear/

 

Looks like Neuromod has some new competition.

 

Could this be based on an effect similar to tapping/Reddit "cure"? In any case the university should continue to research this.

 

Can't be too hard to try this one at home. Just a matter of borrowing the wife's/girlfriend's 'personal device' and firing it up. And make sure you're alone. It won't be good look.

 

From the inventor of the Ototech/Otolith device, Sam Owen:

"Q4: Unfortunately our research to date has shown that it's almost an identical vibration that's therapeutic for VR and motion sickness as well as more serious conditions of the vestibular system. That's why we're not rushing to the consumer market, until we have clear technological differentiation we can't sell to a market that solves a $100 pain point with the same product that solves a $1000+ pain point in a different market."

I read that as they could, right now, sell this cheap-to-manufacture device for less than $100 for VR use. But they won't because they'll miss out on maximising profit from tinnitus sufferers who would pay $1000's for relief.

Fuck these guys.

 

Anyone want an equivalent? I could easily make these and sell them for $30-$40 probably even less. I'm serious.

It's a plastic strap attached to a plastic housing with a small vibrator inside out it. I could very easily replicate this as could probably many people here.

 

Theres also this one: https://www.amazon.com/MotionCure-GURANTEED-Technology-Wristband-dizziness/dp/B018P6YX8U

 

That device doesn't work the same way.

 

I emailed Spencer Salter and got this reply from a different email account:

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to Otolith Labs. At this time, our product is not available for sale as we are still going through clinical trials prior to FDA approval. You can be added to our mailing list for when the device becomes available in the US.

For the device specifications, we are unable to disclose the frequency and intensity of the vibrations. The device is meant for unilateral stimulation on the mastoid bone. For more information, please check out our website at otolithlabs.com. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Thank you again for your interest in Otolith Labs' product.

Emma Boguski
Otolith Labs

 

Translation:

We know how to help you but we're not going to and we're not going to tell you how either.

Total scumbags IMHO.

 

Totally agree with you. But at least FDA trials and approvals for devices are light years quicker than for pharmaceuticals, and they seem money hungry enough to push to market.

 

Another email from otolith labs after signing up to receive updates from them. This one is from sam.owen@otolithlabs.com

Hello xyz,

Thank you for reaching out. Right now we're evaluating our technology through clinical trials and plan to come to market after receiving FDA approval. Currently we don't have any trials underway for tinnitus (but that may change) so the only way you'd be able to try it is by visiting our office in Washington DC where we could give a demonstration. We hope to keep everyone posted through our website about clinical, regulatory, and product updates.

Sam


Anybody in the Washington DC area interested in trying the demo and reporting back??

 

@lcj - thanks for posting their response. I am a volunteer with the ATA Tinnitus Support Group for the Washington, DC metro area. I have shared this info with our group members. Maybe one or more will go check it out.

 

I work downtown and could do that. Since they're not trialing it for tinnitus perhaps they don't have stringent requirements, so perhaps a guy like me who's only had tinnitus since May (moderate to super loud, the latter tonight) would be allowed to give it a go. Think I should contact this Sam Owen directly?

 

That’d be awesome! Looking forward to your report! Yes I let him know I posted it on a tinnitus message board so he should expect replies from others.

 

Super, I was just about to send the email before checking back here--good to know he expects some incoming.

 

@lymebite Great! Thank you!

 

I live in DC so I'll contact the company about this.

 

So I had a very nice email chat with Sam Owen at Otolith. Within a few months, they plan to launch a usability study/dosage trial involving virtual reality, and someone like me with tinnitus but without vertigo could take part. At my request Sam placed me on a list and I'll be notified when they're ready to go. I didn't try Sam's patience too much with multiple questions but I imagine that type of person would be part of a control group, since the device is aimed at treating vertigo, after having been shown to prevent motion sickness.

I'm not sure I'll participate because, reading into the mention of virtual reality, it sounds like part of this will be an effort to create temporary vertigo/dizziness as before. Maybe I'm being superstitious, but I may not want to risk inducing that permanently (or even temporarily!). I have several markers of Meniere's but not vertigo and based on what I've read, I should be thankful for that. But I'll decide after I learn more about the trial.

So I haven't succeeded in arranging a visit just to test for tinnitus effects, which was the first request I made. However it's great to get direct communication from the company that they're aware of its effect on tinnitus patients, at least the handful they encountered (all/many, I don't know), even if they have no idea why. I'm sure they'll investigate this avenue further.

 

@Chriscom, good info! Thanks for the follow up.

I would keep pushing to get a demo. What did Sam say when you asked if you could come into the office?

 

Well, that's what I opened with--I "just" have tinnitus, think I could stop by for a test drive? Sam kindly responded with the info about the upcoming vertigo trial. Basically my question was clear and his answer was clear.

I don't blame them, especially if it works at all for our condition--can you imagine what this office would be handling once everyone with tinnitus in the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) got wind of this? And while it seems super-safe, if I were running a trial I wouldn't necessarily want to place this on non-vetted heads. Because IIRC the initial tinnitus discovery correctly, it turned up on subjects that had already been screened for that round of tests. Who knows if that device could have damaging effect on a hidden incipient aneurysm, or something covered in their subject screens.

I salute anyone who wants to pursue it further, but considering as Sam put it "We have no clinical data on tinnitus, have any idea which forms of tinnitus we may help, and above all make no claims regarding the efficacy of our device with tinnitus," I don't blame them for focusing at this moment on the issue that their investors have actually invested in.

 

Sorry, forgot to follow up on this thread. Below is my continued conversation with Sam. It does seem like he is walking back his initial statement about being demoing the device, which is a little disappointing, (although maybe he would in person just not in writing?) But at least we have confirmation that it's the same device as the one from the linkedin article.

-----

The FDA has told us we are a Class II medical device. Legally this means we have serious and potentially criminal liabilities if we go around testing our device on patients without an ethics board approval or at the very least a clinician present. While we’re considered a non-significant risk device we are in a very real way interacting with an internal organ and don’t yet know what side-effects may occur (e.g. we had no idea we would reduce tinnitus, but imagine our liability if somehow we caused tinnitus).

We’re about to start enrolling subjects in an IRB approved dosage trial for which tinnitus is not a disqualifying condition. Under IRB approval we’re legally protected then to administer our technology to anyone enrolled. If someone has tinnitus and reports it helps or doesn’t help their symptoms it’ll be recorded. And if someone tries our device and for whatever reason decides they don’t want to complete the whole protocol they’re allowed to stop at any point and for any reason.

So until the FDA clears us for over-the-counter use, IN WRITING the only thing I can legally offer to patients asking to test our technology for certain conditions is the ability to be enrolled in a trial where their condition doesn’t disqualify them.

Sam

Sent from my iPhone



On Aug 26, 2019, at 7:32 PM, lcj wrote:

Hi Sam, if these testers want, are they able to come to your office to try the device? Or do they need to sign up for a clinical trial first?


Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 24, 2019, at 11:22 AM, Samuel Owen <sam.owen@otolithlabs.com> wrote:

It’s been slightly updated but not ready for commercial sale. We’ll be able to try multiple power levels in our office.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 24, 2019, at 2:04 AM, lcj wrote:

No prob! I hope you get a lot of testers

Btw is this the same device as the one that Spencer Salter found accidentally works on tinnitus patients (through his testing on motion sickness)? Or has it been updated?

Sent from my iPhone

 

I sent a brief email to Sam too and he responded that he will contact once they are ready to do the study. I have not decided if I will go through with it; I will need to ask him more questions when the time comes. After reading the response to @Chriscom 's email, I may not go with it.

 

Thanks for the updates. Their approach sounds prudent, not to mention staying within the guidelines of the law and safety. Glad their research is on track to continue.

 

If they’re truthful and it reduced tinnitus and you could stop the trial anytime I’m not sure why you wouldn’t give it a shot. If it was a drug or surgery I would understand hesitation. If it’s a vibrating headband and some VR goggles I’d be inclined to go for it.

 

I do have some dizziness/mild balance issues sometimes and I would not want to turn that into vertigo, similar to ChrisCom's reason. At the moment I do not know much about the device. I will definitely ask them a lot of questions once they contact me.

 

The thing about this technology is that the results are supposed to be instantaneous (unlike most treatments which can take months or even longer). It would be very easy to test the effectiveness, and the participant could provide feedback on the results immediately.

"I have since offered the device to other tinnitus sufferers (image below). They all have a similar smile. Some took the device home to use in the quiet where tinnitus is perceived at its worst. Afterwards, they don’t want to give the device back."

(my italics)​