Maryland Small Business Zeteo Tech, Inc. Develops Hearing Protection for Military Working Dogs with Army funding

SYKESVILLE, Md., Nov. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Zeteo Tech, Inc., a venture-backed biodefense and medical device company in Sykesville, MD, today announced the development of the Canine Auditory Protection System (CAPS). The project was developed in collaboration with Dr. Pete "Skip" Scheifele MD, PhD, LCDR USN (Ret) of the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Scheifele is the leading animal audiology expert in the world today.

The project was supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command under Contract No. W81XWH-19-C-0046 as part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program managed by the Army Research Office. Army Research Office is an element of U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Office.

High noise levels during training, transport, and operations can cause temporary and permanent hearing loss in working dogs.

"Even a short helicopter flight can affect a dog's hearing, resulting in impaired performance and inability to hear the handler's commands, which can hinder the mission," said Dr. Stephen Lee, senior scientist at Army Research Office. "This new technology protects the canine while on missions and can extend the dog's working life."

Cumulative exposure can result in permanent hearing loss, reducing the dog's working life. The CAPS has been tested extensively with military working dogs and Federal law enforcement working dogs. Dr. Scheifele has measured the hearing protection effectiveness of the CAPS during helicopter operations and the dog's short-term hearing loss was significantly reduced.

The CAPS utilizes lightweight, high-quality acoustic absorption materials to block unwanted sounds. Unlike conventional hearing protection, the CAPS is constructed of flexible materials, easily conforming to the unique shape of a canine's head. This flexibility is key to ensuring proper sealing around the ear and maximum sound reduction. The "Snood" style headgear was designed to uniformly distribute the pressure required to hold the hearing protection in place, avoiding difficulties associated with straps.

Finally, at just over an inch thick, the CAPS low profile will not be a hindrance when working in tight spaces and is compatible with other gear used by working dogs.

"Zeteo Tech is excited to provide CAPS in response to a critical need for effective canine hearing protection in demanding environments," said Michael McLoughlin, Vice President of Zeteo Tech, Inc.

For more information about Zeteo Tech and CAPS, please email [email protected].

The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. In conducting research using animals, the investigator adhered to the Animal Welfare Act Regulations and other Federal statutes relating to animals and experiments involving animals and the principles set forth in the current version of the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, National Research Council.

CONTACT 
Rob Haralson for Zeteo Tech 
[email protected], (202) 674-6679

SOURCE Zeteo Tech, Inc.