Inventis Introduces HEARLab® ACA for Celesta

A New Era in Objective Cortical Assessment

▶ Inventis, a global leader in advanced audiological and balance diagnostic technology, is proud to unveil HEARLab® ACA (Aided Cortical Assessment), a groundbreaking new software module for the Celesta evoked potentials platform.

Integrated seamlessly into the Inventis Maestro clinical software suite, HEARLab® ACA equips hearing healthcare professionals with an advanced, objective tool to confirm whether speech-like sounds successfully reach the patient’s auditory cortex.

▶ Enhancing Clinical Verification with Cortical Data

Comprehensive audiological management relies on combining electrophysiological data, clinical findings, and behavioral testing. However, obtaining clear behavioral feedback can be challenging when working with infants, young children, or individuals with cognitive impairments.

HEARLab® ACA bridges this diagnostic gap by measuring cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in a free-field setup while the patient is awake and relaxed. The module allows clinicians to verify speech detection in both unaided and aided conditions, offering objective evidence of amplified speech access to support hearing aid fitting and post-fitting verification.

▶ Engineered for Precision and Ease of Use

Designed for seamless integration into everyday clinical practice, HEARLab® ACA utilizes four frequency-specific speech tokens, /m/, /g/, /t/, and /s/, that span the spectral range of human speech from low to high frequencies.

To ensure confidence in result interpretation, the system incorporates automated statistical detection powered by Hotelling’s T² test:

‣ Objective Math-Based Detection: The software automatically calculates a $p$-value to differentiate true cortical responses from background EEG noise.
‣ Statistical Significance: A threshold of p < 0.05 indicates a statistically significant cortical response, reducing subjective reliance on visual waveform analysis alone.

▶ Key Clinical Applications

The addition of HEARLab® ACA to the Celesta platform provides vital objective evidence across several challenging clinical scenarios, including:

‣ Pediatric Hearing Aid Fittings: Validating that amplified speech reaches the cortex during early intervention, well before a child can participate in behavioral testing.
‣ Post-Fitting Verification: Confirming the real-world benefit of hearing aid adjustments in free-field environments.
‣ Complex Patient Evaluations: Assessing individuals unable to provide reliable behavioral responses.
‣ Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD): Supporting diagnostic decision-making and rehabilitation planning in complex otoneurological cases.

▶ Looking Ahead: Expanding Access Worldwide

Available via a dedicated software license within Maestro, HEARLab® ACA significantly enriches Celesta’s capabilities in auditory and vestibular evoked potential testing.