Following FDA clearance, the co-founders of Perth Biodesign have launched their award-winning Earflo device in the United States, which is designed to treat the underlying ear pressure associated with chronic ear infections in children.
Dr Intan Oldakowska and Dr Matthew Oldakowski, biomedical engineering senior lecturers at The University of Western Australia, co-founded Perth Biodesign after training at Stanford Biodesign where they came up with the concept for the device. They are also co-founders of the company behind the device, Earflo.
Earflo was developed in collaboration with researchers from Stanford University and is a non-invasive medical device disguised as a sippy cup that treats negative middle ear pressure during natural drinking. By addressing this underlying pressure imbalance, it helps manage fluid buildup in young children, known as otitis media with effusion, a condition that affects the hearing of millions of children worldwide and is the most common reason a child will see their doctor.
Dr Intan Oldakowska, CEO and Co-founder of Earflo, said early intervention during critical stages of development was essential to minimise the longer-term impact of hearing-related conditions on children’s learning and wellbeing.
“We see this as a new paradigm of care, enabling earlier treatment at home to help reduce developmental delays and improve quality of life at scale,” Dr Oldakowska said.
Earflo works by delivering a precisely controlled puff of air through the nose into the eustachian tube during swallowing, helping equalise pressure in the middle ear and reduce fluid buildup associated with otitis media with effusion.
Dr Peter Santa Maria, Chief Medical Officer of Earflo and Professor and Division Chief, Otology & Neurotology at University of Pittsburgh said as an ear surgeon, he had spent years watching families face a difficult choice between watchful waiting and putting their toddler under general anaesthesia.
“Earflo changes that equation so for the first time, parents have something they can actually do, and the clinical data shows it works,” Dr Santa Maria said.
Peer-reviewed clinical research revealed 86 per cent of children had immediate improvement in middle ear pressure while after four weeks, 86 per cent had significantly improved hearing and 89 per cent avoided surgery, he said.
Perth Biodesign aims to foster and grow an innovation culture across the WA biomedical and health sector by training innovators to identify and validate unmet needs through clinical immersion and develop new technologies to address these needs.
This month, UWA will host Perth Biodesign’s inaugural Innovation Summit, which will bring together leaders from healthcare, investment, research, government, and the startup sector, including Professor Josh Makower, Co-Founder and Director of Stanford Biodesign.
UWA’s Director Biomedical and Health Innovation, Professor Kevin Pfleger, Chair of Perth Biodesign and Biodesign Australia, said the summit would include keynote speakers, panels, and honest conversations about what's working, what's next, and what Australia’s role looks like on a global stage.
Perth Biodesign’s Innovation Summit will be held at the University Club on Monday 18 May, 8am to 4pm, followed by the 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Fraser’s Kings Park from 6pm. For more information and to register, visit: Perth Biodesign