The Callier Center for Communication Disorders at University of Texas at Dallas has financed the production of individual 3D-printed earpieces for hearing aids for children with a Kickstarter campaign.
This lab is generously funded by several donations from the community and has set a standard for audiology clinics. Earmolds are critical as they are custom-made to direct sound from the hearing aid to the eardrum.
Although there is no information on the exact 3D printing process used in production, based on the images, we assume that the Callier Center uses a 3D printing process with synthetic resin to produce custom ear molds on site. Such techniques have already been used from other medical device manufacturers around the world.
Young children with hearing problems and deafness require custom-fitted hearing aids. As they grow, multiple ear molds need to be made. While the traditional process takes a few weeks, 3D printing takes less than six hours. This will greatly benefit infants and children with new and timely ear molds.
Accordingly Andrea GohmertChief of Clinical Audiology Operations at Callier and Clinical Associate Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Callier has printed more than 1,200 ear molds in-house for more than 800 patients since the effort began in August 2022.
“As this innovation became standard of care at the Callier Center, we realized that the 3D printing lab needed its own location and research space,” said Gohmert. “We recognize that this could also be the site for other Callier clinical innovations in the future.”
A recent 3D printing workshop helped train professionals in otoscopy, impression scanning, design and post-processing techniques. This will facilitate the establishment of new facilities where in-house ear mold laboratories can be established.
Author: Nagarjun M
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