Unmet Medical Need:  Surgeons currently use makeshift devices to create openings for intracochlear therapies that can irreversibly injure the surrounding tissue. As a result, surgeons are cautious about pursuing intracochlear therapies recommended for patients.

Envisioned Healthcare Product: Drs. Jeffrey Kysar (Mechanical Engineering) and Anil Lalwani (Otolaryngology) have developed devices for uniform and reliable delivery of intracochlear implants and therapeutic agents across the round window membrane without anatomic or functional damage, thus minimizing patient injury, maintaining hearing, and improving recovery time by avoiding traumatic disruption of bony walls of the cochlea, while enabling more precise dosing of therapeutic delivery over time.

Stage of Development:  Enhanced intracochlear access has been demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo studies. Studies also showed that the tool does not cause inner ear trauma and preserves hearing.

April 2015 Article

March 2016 Article

August 2017 Article

Collaborative Research Team:  Jeffrey Kysar PhD and Anil Lalwani MD

Funding Cycle: 2013-2014