Otoscan a finalist in MDEA awards

The Otometrics Otoscan® has been named as a finalist in the Radiology, Imaging and Electromechanical Device category of the prestigious Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA).

Otoscan is a digital 3D ear scanning solution that makes digital impressions for custom in-the-ear pieces such as earmoulds and hearing aids. The scanner system transforms images of the ear into 3D digital files that are uploaded to the cloud service, Otocloud™, for immediate use in production of custom products.

Accuracy is crucial to customize a hearing aid. Otoscan includes two laser types and an integrated tracking system that supports the user’s freedom of movement. An intuitive interface guides the user through the scanning process in three steps, supporting scanning deep in the ear canal and across the full pinna – far exceeding the coverage for silicone or other direct ear scanning systems available. The user and the patient can see the scan building as data points are collected, giving the hearing care professional the opportunity to explain the patient’s ear anatomy in real time with detailed images. The scanner also provides indications of completeness and quality, enabling the user to pause and resume scanning throughout.

Design Concepts worked extensively on the headset that holds a fiducial ring around each ear, which is printed with a series of dots and dashes tracked by cameras in the handheld scanner. The series of images are stitched together into a complete scan of the inner ear. Once positioned on the patient’s head, the headset must remain completely fixed. This posed tremendous challenges as every small motion of the head and jaw can alter the rings’ position. In addition, the headset needed to be easily adjustable for different head and ear sizes. The solution floats in space, decoupled from the head. It balances usability with rigidity and makes placement a one-handed operation.

Winners will be announced at the 2019 MDEA Ceremony held Tuesday, June 11, 2019 in conjunction with the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

The MDEA is the medtech industry’s premier design competition committed to recognizing significant achievements in medical product design and engineering that improve the quality of healthcare delivery and accessibility.