Within a month, a Rochester-area startup company called SensGard expects to have its first product - a hearing protection device - ready for sale.

That's quick work from the company's founders, Rob DiNardo and Greg Post, who knew virtually nothing about hearing protection as recently as a year ago.

They licensed the patented technology from Syracuse University in March. And they officially formed the company only three months ago.

The existence of SensGard demonstrates the potential of the technology available at area universities to help launch new companies and boost the local economy.

Working out of their homes, DiNardo and Post have created what is, so far, a virtual company. They are contracting with local companies for design, manufacturing, Web site development and other tasks. Job creation comes in many forms, they said.

"A lot of attention gets paid to big companies that create new jobs," Post said. "While we might not create new jobs in the very near future, companies like ours most definitely support the economy by providing additional work to local firms."

For years, DiNardo, 45, and Post, 42, who were business development managers at PAETEC Communications Inc., have wanted to launch or own a company. Both earned master's degrees at the University of Rochester's William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. About a year ago, they decided to make their move.

"We weren't getting younger, and it just seemed like a good time to start out on our own," Post said. "We had a sense of what it takes to start up a company. We started looking for something to commercialize quickly."

They made their initial connection with Syracuse University at the October 2003 "Unytech" venture capital conference in Canandaigua.

When they studied a university database of available technologies, they selected the Zwislocki Ear Muffler, a patented device developed by Jozef John Zwislocki, a Syracuse professor emeritus widely known for his research in sound and hearing.

"Ear plugs and protective muffs have been the same for 30 years," Post said. "There has been no innovation until this."

A Zwislocki muffler, which weighs less than 2 ounces, looks like a set of thin headphones. It folds up easily into a size that fits into a shirt pocket.

The design channels sound into small chambers located above the earpieces and deadens excessive noise across all frequencies. But the muffler still allows the wearer to hear voices. DiNardo and Post have tested the muffler with workers at several area companies and offices.

Dr. Anthony Ricci, a Pittsford dentist, tried the device in his office. He found it comfortable and effective.

"Because of drills, a lot of dentists have hearing loss," said Ricci, who also wears the muffler when he flies. "This is a very good ear protector."

SensGard plans initial production of about 10,000 Zwislocki mufflers selling for $15 to $20 each. The company will concentrate sales in the Northeast.

"We don't want so much demand we can't afford to fund the inventory," DiNardo said.

The company founders see future markets beyond industry. These include the military, gun owners who shoot regularly and those who do home repair or woodworking projects. The muffler could be combined with a music source for a lightweight set of earphones with high acoustic quality.

DiNardo and Post have invested their personal savings in the company. They're living cheaply, they said.

In spite of a difficult local environment for raising money, SensGard also has attracted other investors.

"People are always looking for opportunities," DiNardo said. "If you network correctly and if you have your information and your plan in a logical and organized form, you'll find those looking for opportunities."