Through-Air Ultrasound
Bringing Objective Information to the Middle Ear
Traditional otoscopy provides clinicians with a visual examination of the ear canal and the tympanic membrane (eardrum). But many of the conditions clinicians are trying to evaluate occur in the middle ear, behind the eardrum, where they cannot be directly visualized during a conventional ear examination.
OtoNexus Medical Technologies is developing a different approach using proprietary through-air ultrasound technology to obtain objective information about middle ear conditions during the ear examination. The technology is designed to supplement visual otoscopy and provide additional information that may support more informed clinical decision-making.
Why the Middle Ear Is Difficult to Evaluate
The eardrum creates a natural boundary between the ear canal and the middle ear. During a conventional otoscopic examination, clinicians assess the appearance of the eardrum and combine those findings with symptoms and other clinical information to evaluate what may be occurring behind it.
Because the middle ear cannot be examined directly with conventional visual otoscopy, assessment can be uncertain and variable. The OtoNexus solution is being developed to provide an additional source of objective information about the middle ear space.
A Different Approach to Ultrasound
Ultrasound Without Direct Contact With the Eardrum
Conventional medical ultrasound typically transmits sound energy into the body through direct contact with tissue using an acoustic coupling medium such as ultrasound gel.
The ear presents a different challenge.
OtoNexus Medical Technologies is developing proprietary technology designed to transmit and receive ultrasound signals through the air-filled ear canal during an ear examination.
Rather than relying solely on what is visible on the surface of the eardrum, the system is being developed to analyze ultrasound signals from the tympanic membrane and the middle ear environment.
How Through-Air Ultrasound Works
The technology is designed around a straightforward process:
From Ultrasound Signals to Objective Information
The value of through-air ultrasound is not simply generating an ultrasound signal. The objective is to extract clinically relevant information from the way ultrasound signals interact with the ear.
OtoNexus Medical Technologies is developing proprietary algorithms to analyze these signals and identify relevant patterns associated with middle ear conditions.
This introduces a quantitative source of information into an examination that has traditionally relied heavily on visual interpretation.
Where AI-Assisted Analysis Fits
Through-air ultrasound generates signal information. AI-assisted analysis is being developed to help interpret relevant patterns within those signals.
The OtoNexus Medical Technologies platform combines:
The resulting information is intended to support, not replace, clinical judgment,
Designed for the Ear Examination
The OtoNexus ultrasound otoscope is being developed for healthcare professionals who evaluate patients with suspected middle ear conditions, including pediatricians, family medicine clinicians, emergency medicine clinicians, urgent care clinicians, and otolaryngologists.
The system is designed to provide objective information during the patient visit as part of the ear examination workflow.
Why Objective Information Matters
Additional objective information about middle ear conditions has the potential to address an important information gap in today's ear examination.
The OtoNexus Medical Technologies development program is focused on how this information may help:
Improve Diagnostic Confidence
Provide additional information to supplement visual examination.
Support Clinical Decision-Making
Provide clinicians with objective information to consider alongside symptoms, patient history, and physical examination findings.
Support Antibiotic Stewardship
More informed evaluation of middle ear conditions could support more informed treatment decisions and antibiotic stewardship objectives.
Complement Clinical Judgment
Provide another source of information rather than replacing clinician expertise.
Building on a Proprietary Technology Platform
Through-air ultrasound is the foundation of OtoNexus Medical Technologies’ approach to objective middle-ear assessment.
By combining ultrasound sensing, signal analysis, and AI-assisted algorithms, OtoNexus Medical Technologies is developing a new approach to obtaining information about conditions that lie behind the eardrum.
The objective is straightforward:
Provide clinicians with objective information that complements the ear examination and supports more informed clinical decision-making.