Ringing in the ears is annoying, but in the long run it can ruin one's quality of life. To cure this, a research and development (R&D) company at Yıldız Technical University's Teknopark developed software that aims to stop the ringing by exposing the patient to music at a certain frequency
Developed with the help of physicians from the department of otolaryngology, the software is patched into a music file of the patient's choosing.
The treatment, which is called "music therapy," creates a tailor-made sound for the patient. The patient is advised to listen to the music, in which the sound is embedded. Experts claim that the longer the patient listens to the music, the higher the success rate of the therapy.
Academic Serkan Kurt, one of the developers of the software, said: "The first thing we do is to measure the frequency of the ringing in the ears. Specialists and physicians make the hearing profile of the patient, and the software creates a sound that matches the frequency of the ringing."
The project has already won many awards, including one from the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK). The project also receives financial support from the European Union. Currently, the software is being tested at hospitals in Istanbul and Ankara. Soon, the software will be used in hospitals around the world.
