Sonitus Medical Technology Ranks #1 on Cleveland Clinic's 'Top 10' Medical Innovations for 2010

    SAN MATEO, CA, October 15, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sonitus Medical, Inc., a medical device company developing the world's first non-surgical and removable hearing device to transmit sound via the teeth, today announced that technology it developed was ranked #1 on Cleveland Clinic's Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2010. The SoundBite hearing system is an investigational new bone conduction device intended initially for single sided deafness(SSD), a usually permanent condition.

The 'Top 10' list was unveiled last week during Cleveland Clinic's 2009 Medical Innovation Summit. Selected by a panel of Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists, the list features a wide range of breakthrough techniques, devices, and therapies that are being developed to treat everything from deafness and Parkinson's disease to pneumonia and sleep disorders.

Among the major criteria that served as the basis for qualifying and selecting the Top 10 Medical Innovations were the following:

• Have significant potential for short-term clinical impact (either a major improvement in patient benefit or an improved function that enhances healthcare delivery).
• Have a high probability of success.
• Have sufficient data available to support its nomination.

"We are thrilled that technology developed by Sonitus Medical came out on top of this broad ranging list of medical innovations," said Amir Abolfathi, CEO of Sonitus Medical. "It is an honor to be recognized by such a leading institution as the Cleveland Clinic. We look forward to our SoundBite hearing system making an impact in the coming year as we plan to complete our clinical trial process so we can better serve the 9 million patients who currently suffer from single sided deafness in the US alone."

Causes of single sided deafness, sometimes called unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, can include sudden hearing loss or sudden deafness, trauma, diseases, infections, or other inner ear problems.

To view the full list of medical innovations or for more information about this year's Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit, visit http://www.clevelandclinic.org/innovations/summit/top10_2010.htm.

About SoundBite
SoundBite hearing system is the world's first and only non-surgical and removable hearing solution designed to imperceptibly transmit sound via the teeth to help people who are essentially deaf in one ear regain spatial hearing ability and rejoin the conversation of life. It employs a well-established principle called bone conduction to deliver clear, high quality sound to the inner ear. Nearly invisible when worn, the SoundBite system consists of an easy to insert and remove ITM (in-the-mouth) hearing device--which is custom made to fit around either the upper left or right back teeth--and a small microphone unit worn behind the ear. No modifications to the teeth are required. This system is currently for investigational use only with clinical trials now underway intended to support an initial filing for FDA 510(k) clearance to treat single sided deafness. Intended future indications include conductive and mixed hearing loss.

About Sonitus Medical
Sonitus Medical Inc. is a privately held medical device company developing the SoundBite hearing system, a non-surgical and removable hearing solution that imperceptibly transmits sound via the teeth. Relying on the principle of bone conduction, this nearly invisible ITM (in-the-mouth) hearing and communication platform is currently for investigational use only and is initially intended as a simple and non-invasive treatment for hearing disorders such as single sided deafness, conductive and/or mixed hearing loss and tinnitus. Potential future applications include consumer and covert communications. Founded in June 2006, Sonitus Medical is headquartered in San Mateo, California. To learn more about Sonitus Medical, please visit www.sonitusmedical.com.

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