- The SOFI project, promoted by the Pinnae Foundation through the 7th Call for Proposals to Promote the Territory, is being developed with the participation of the IRD and MindAffect to create objective hearing assessments for vulnerable groups. The system is being evaluated in real-world contexts with the participation of users from the Ave Maria Foundation and Residencial Palau.
A pending challenge: hearing without words
Hearing loss affects a large percentage of the global population. According to the who, more than 430 million people require hearing rehabilitation, a figure expected to rise to 700 million by 2050. In addition, the lack of early detection and treatment of hearing loss accelerates cognitive decline and can lead to premature dementia.
However, traditional methods of hearing diagnosis require the patient’s active collaboration, which excludes those who cannot communicate in a conventional manner—babies, people with severe disabilities, older adults with dementia, and others. For these vulnerable groups, classic hearing tests provide only partial results, often leading to hearing aids that are poorly adapted to their real needs.
This is why the SOFI project was launched: to address the needs of the “2 billion hard-to-assess patients” who are excluded from current diagnostic systems.
Cutting-edge technology: the SOFI system
The SOFI project introduces Sofi technology, developed by the Dutch company MindAffect. Sofi is an objective, fast, and easy-to-use auditory diagnostic system.
During the test, the patient wears a headband with brain sensors that record their activity using EEG (electroencephalography) technology while they listen to soft sounds and watch a silent video of their choice for less than 10 minutes.
Once the test is complete, the system automatically calculates full audiometric thresholds without any need for verbal interaction from the patient. In this way, it combines air- and bone-conduction assessments in a single test, offering accurate and user-friendly results.
SOFI Project Objectives
The SOFI project aims to make the SOFI system an accessible and valuable tool in the field of audiology. Its main objectives include:
- Rapid, non-invasive hearing assessments based on brain responses, requiring no active effort from the patient.
- Accurate and comfortable results without the need to signal or respond verbally.
- Early detection and improved access to hearing solutions for vulnerable groups, enhancing the quality of the hearing aids and treatments provided.
These advances will enable more inclusive and personalised diagnoses, tailored to each person’s real needs.
Key partnerships and acknowledgements
We would like to highlight that this project would not be possible without the collaboration and commitment of our partners. We thank MindAffect for its technological innovation; the Pinnae Foundation for its financial support of innovative social projects in the Garraf region; and the Ave Maria Foundation and Residencial Palau for facilitating access to users and real-life testing environments.
Thanks to this valuable partnership, we can validate SOFI directly with those who need it most, ensuring that the technology fulfils its mission: improving the quality of life of people with communication difficulties. This project is an example of what we can achieve when technology and solidarity work hand in hand.