A 16-year-old Indian-American boy invented a low-cost hearing aid to help the poor, who cannot afford expensive devices.

Mukund Venkatakrishnan of Kentucky's Louisville, US, worked on the device for two years and made it available for the consumers at just USD 60.

He demonstrated the device recently at the Jefferson County Public Schools Idea Fest and won first place in the Kentucky State Science and Engineering Fair.

Speaking about his invention, Mukund said, “It eliminates the need for a doctor altogether. It is really, in essence, just amplifiers, just increase the volume based on how much hearing loss you have and it is crazy that they cost USD 1,500 each, when you can do it for USD 60.”

The processor that is used to amplify the volume by increasing the incoming signal’s volume is the expensive part - about USD 45. Rest other parts cost about USD 15.

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Mukund said that, he was inspired to invent the hearing aid, after his grandfather found tough to buy an aid, due to its high cost and difficult process.

”Since audiologists are specialists, even finding and getting an appointment with one in India was really hard. And then we got ripped off,” he said.

Mukund said that, just for the doctor’s appointments itself, people spend USD 400 or USD 500 and about USD 1,900 on the hearing aid. He then realized that hearing is a luxury, many people in developing countries cannot afford.

"In India, the median household income is USD 616 a year. If someone in India saves all year without spending a penny, they still can not afford a hearing aid.

"Unlike with traditional hearing aids, if the ear piece gets damaged it is not costly to replace. You just buy another set of ear buds. In its current form, the device is about two inches and looks like a computer processor," he said.

He envisions the device, which has a standard headphone port, fitting into pocket. He aimed at distributing the device to people who cannot afford costly hearing aids.

After knowing about Mukund, several foundations are reaching out to him to help  mass produce and distribute it.

Mukund said that he would visit his grandfather in Bangalore, India this summer and deliver the hearing aid.

By Phani Ch