This video is an in-depth exploration of a headband named SONU from SoundHealth, which relieves congestion through stimulation of the nasal cavities. Founder and CEO Paramesh Gopi explains the scientific research that led to SONU, how it uses scans and AI to customize treatment to the individual, and the clinical trials that won FDA recognition for SONU. (Be sure to check out John’s previous review of SONU)
Resonance as the Key to Congestion Relief
Gopi, who has such strong allergic reactions that he can get sinus infections from them, learned of the research by two doctors, Peter Hwang and Bryant Lin, who investigated why singers are much less likely to develop rhinovirus infection than other people. They revealed that singing vibrates sinus cavities in such a way that they suppress the reaction of the sphenopalatine ganglion and the production of mucus that clogs the cavities. The effects of singing can be reproduced by the SONU device.
Gopi describes the science in more detail in this video, along with the computer technology that makes the SONU effective.
Each person has six sinus cavities of unique shapes and sizes. The vibrations from SONU must be tailored to the particular shapes of the individual. This is done through a scan and AI analysis. Vibrations are synthesized from violin and cello sounds.
Gopi also describes the data collected in order to map the person’s sinuses: points on face that don’t change with surgery, aging, etc., such as the edges of eyes and the shape of nostrils. The validity of their data collection was established through comparisons to CT scans.
He stresses that no biometric data is stored in the cloud; it is processed by AI locally to create the treatment plan for the individual. Furthermore, the information is not sufficient to identify an individual.
Trials and FDA Approval
The SONU is a unique device that’s hard for the FDA to classify. To win approval, SoundHealth worked closely with the FDA, which at the time was under pressure to demonstrate the accuracy of its approvals.
A total of ten clinical trials were held, two of them described in detail by Gopi. The research results have been peer-reviewed and published in medical journals. The trial that won them FDA approval required a control group, for which SoundHealth manufactured a totally different device that didn’t use the correct resonances.
Spreading the device
More than 6,000 people now use the SONU band. It requires 15 minutes at a time. Children can also use the device. SoundHealth has demonstrated that the headband’s effects match those of common anti-allergy medications.
Although sales are direct-to-consumer, they are working with providers to market the device, and with payers to cover it. They can boast of a return rate of less than 10%.
Watch the video for more interesting details about this ground-breaking device.
Learn more about SoundHealth: https://soundhealth.life/
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Full Disclosure: SoundHealth provided a free SONU which John uses regularly.
