Hearing Loss Treatments

As PI of Stanford Otolaryngology’s Otoinnovation program, our advanced understanding of translational medicine and links to the Stanford Biodesign and SPARK translational programs we have many fields of development of novel medical devices and therapeutics.

Medical Devices

Ear Buddy – In collaboration with Engineers in Australia, we are developing a non surgical treatment for kids with glue ear. By using our take home novel device, children can potentially avoid surgery. Our device is currently undergoing clinical study and aims to be available to the general community soon.

Auricle – Led by a team of Stanford Biodesign graduates, Auricle is developing a hearing device that can return hearing to those high frequency hearing loss while preserving low frequency hearing. Preserving this hearing is critical to enjoyment of music and the warmth of sound whilst the new hearing provided enables better communication.

Wearable Vertigo Monitor – In collaboration with Dr Steenerson in Otoneurology, we have developed a take home device that can record a patient’s vertigo attack in the home. This device can be worn by the patient for up to two weeks and can determine the cause of a patient’s dizzy attack without requiring multiple medical appointments and investigations. This is currently undergoing clinical study in patients in the home.

Therapeutics

Tympanic Regeneration – Our world leading research led to a discovery that HB-EGF can regenerate the tympanic membrane (ear drum). We took this research from discovery, through translational and pre clinical studies to a clinical trial in collaboration with Astellas Pharmaceuticals. Patient’s now have the opportunity to be recruited into an active clinical trial.

Meniere’s Disease – In collaboration with Stanford SPARK’s student drug discovery team we have tested an improved an animal model of Meniere’s Disease and are looking to repurpose existing therapeutics to prevent and abort attacks. This animal model now allows us to rapidly test therapeutic candidates.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss – We have adapted an noise induced hearing loss model and we have screened databases for potential therapeutic hits that could prevent hearing loss that occurs with very loud noise. We are actively testing repurposed drugs that could lead to a human clinical trial.

By taking an unmet medical need and applying a Design Thinking approach, we can rapidly take discoveries to new medical devices and therapeutics.