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NIH SBIR Program Awards Qualia Oto $1.84M Phase II Grant
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June 29, 2026 – The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) selected Qualia Oto as an award recipient for its Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This $1.84M award will fund two years of additional research and development as Qualia Oto solidifies a path toward commercialization and the securitization of an FDA Master File for its novel shape-adaptive polymer integration with cochlear implants (CIs).
"The significance of this award cannot be overstated," said Benedict Voit, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. "From a business standpoint, this Phase II grant is a milestone for the company, highlighting the external recognition of our innovative significance, providing resources that will push us towards market, and strengthening our commercial relationships. From a scientific perspective, the incorporation of our novel electrode arrays into cochlear implants can provide safer surgeries and more resolute implant functionality for new patients."
Some of the largest challenges within the CI space are the variability in ease of electrode insertion, concerns for intra-cochlear trauma, and the potential impacts on speech performance. Qualia Oto’s shape-adaptive cochlear implant electrode arrays are a novel solution to these challenges, greatly improving electrode insertion; this will have the downstream effects of reducing trauma and improving speech performance.
"This Phase II award is a testament to the years of diligent work of a great team that truly believes in the importance of our inventions," said Qualia Oto cofounder, Chief Medical Officer, and otologist Dr. Kenneth Lee. "I am excited as the CMO of what this will mean for Qualia Oto, and I am even more excited as an otologist of what this will mean for future patients whose lives will be positively impacted."
Currently, for each new patient, the surgeon must weigh the risks and benefits of a lateral wall insertion, that has a high likelihood of atraumatic results and residual hearing preservation, vs. a perimodiloar insertion, that offers superior electrode placement. Qualia Oto’s IP-protected innovation offers the best of both options.
Historically, lateral wall electrodes have been the preferred CI electrode option due to the higher likelihood of achieving atraumatic insertion and preserving residual hearing. However, placing electrodes closer to the modiolus of the cochlea can offer potential performance benefits, such as more focal stimulation and reduced current spread due to a shorter distance from the electrode to the neurons of the modiolus. Unfortunately, conventional perimodiolar electrodes suffer from higher rates of trauma and electrode displacement (translocation), negatively affecting the preservation of residual hearing.
Qualia Oto is addressing this long-standing challenge by utilizing shape-adaptive polymers as a dynamic element that induces programmed self-curling of the CI electrode arrays in the inner ear. This approach facilitates gentle and gradual repositioning of the implanted arrays from the lateral wall to the modiolar wall with reduced trauma. By combining the advantages of both lateral wall electrodes (i.e., atraumatic insertion) and perimodiolar electrodes (i.e., focal placement), the proposed technology enables a combination of reliable CI electrode insertion and improved sound perception.
Senior Research Engineer Dr. Jimin Maeng is the grant’s principal investigator. "We are thrilled about the growth this grant will make possible," Dr. Maeng said. "In Phase II, we will fabricate our shape‑adaptive cochlear implant electrode arrays, carry out a sheep implantation study, assess long‑term polymer performance through accelerated aging, and complete all required biocompatibility evaluations. By integrating mechanical, chemical, electrophysiological, and imaging analyses, we aim to rigorously validate the technology and build the evidence base necessary for future commercialization."
The University of Iowa will work alongside Qualia Oto, leading large animal studies that prove the viability, safety, and efficacy of the new technologies. Additionally, Qualia Oto will collaborate with globally recognized companies NAMSA (North American Science Associates), which will generate pre-clinical and biocompatibility protocols along with subsequent experimentation; and MCRA (Musculoskeletal Clinical and Regulatory Advisers), which will assist in the regulatory and biocompatibility strategy including necessary bench testing and technical documentation requirements, physio-chemical characterization, biocompatibility, toxicological risk assessment, and creating a Device Master File for FDA submission.
The Phase II award will provide funding through June 2028.
About Qualia Oto
Qualia Oto is an innovative biomedical device company focused on improving the individual’s quality of life through better aural technologies. By integrating our proprietary shape-adaptive polymers, we are advancing the next generation of cochlear implants allowing for minimal trauma, a superior positioning of electrodes, and an increased effectiveness and stimulatory resolution for chronic, targeted microstimulation. Qualia Oto’s team of medical and scientific experts aim to reshape – literally and figuratively – cochlear implants and their capacity in overcoming debilitating hearing loss.
For additional information, please contact:
Benedict Voit, Chief Operating Officer