Leanne Fana ninth-grade student at Westville High School in the Poway Unified School District in San Diego, Californiawas the winner of 2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge (#YoungScientist), the premier middle school science competition in the United States. At just 14 years old, Fan invented headphones that detect and treat middle ear infectionsdevising a way for children to receive treatment while listening to their favorite music.In his fifteenth year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2022 took place on 17 and 18 October at the world headquarters 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. This year’s winner competed against eight other finalists, each evaluated through a series of interactive challenges and the final presentation of their innovation.
In this edition, the young Leanne Fan managed to win the first prize for inventing low-cost hearing aids, called Finsen Headphones, that use machine learning and blue light therapy to detect and treat middle ear infections in children. The world sees 700 million cases of middle ear infections and nearly 21,000 deaths a year from related illnesses.
The use of Finsen headphones could potentially reduce the number of children suffering from hearing loss by up to 60%.
In the process of inventing this new product, Leanne was supported by her older sister, Kara, who in 2019 created liquid nanoparticle bandages to replace the use of antibiotics and won America’s Best Young Scientist award.
“At just 14 years old, Fan invented headphones that detect and treat middle ear infections”
Unique to the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, finalists are paired with a 3M scientist who mentors them and works with them one-on-one to transform their idea from concept to prototype. This year’s winner was paired with Dr. Ross Behling, a research specialist in 3M’s corporate research materials laboratory division.
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