Keywords: medical device, product design, ent, surgical tool
Client: © InnAccel Technologies
Role: Design consultant
Deliverables: Concept development and cadaver studies
Product website: https://innaccel.com/products/eustacare/
A study on unmet clinical needs in the field of Otorhinolaryngology in India by Chachra et al. (2018) found hearing difficulties due to Eustachian tube dysfunction as a significant problem (8th out of 198 identified needs). The dysfunction is often caused by a narrowed Eustachian tube or the presence of hardened mucus. This further affects the pressure exerted on the ear drum and leads to repeated infections.
Beyond pharmacological treatment, an established method to treat chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction is to expand the Eustachian tube ostia either by conducting a functional endoscopic surgery, or balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube ostia. The balloon method is less invasive and safer, leading to no damage of the nasal lining, but it is inaccessible in developing countries, due to limited availabiliy of equipment, and high cost of the procedure.
This project was an early stage design development of a low-cost balloon dilation system for chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction. The design work included visualization of one iteration of a solution, prototyping and one round of cadaver studies. The project was further developed into a commercial enterprise by InnAccel Technologies two years later.
All ipr remain with InnAccel Technologies.
Chachra, P., Chaturvedi, J., Rodrigues, D., Jangir, R., Sirdesai, R., Tauheed, A. S., DSouza, R., Pappu, R. (2018). Identification of Unmet Clinical Needs in the Field of Otorhinolaryngology in India – A Modified Biodesign Approach. Glob J Otolaryngol 15(1) 18&ndash22. DOI:10.19080/GJO.2018.15.555904. Retrieved from https://juniperpublishers.com/gjo/pdf/GJO.MS.ID.555904.pdf