Tennessee Patent of the Month – December 2021
The tympanic membrane is the first portion of the middle ear to receive sound waves. You might know it by it’s more common name – the eardrum. Sound waves strike the eardrum and are transmitted through a series of bones to the cochlea, where they are then processed. Trauma and infection can lead to eardrum deformities and perforations and impact our ability to hear.
Repairing the eardrum requires a procedure called tympanoplasty. This repair is achieved using a graft which can be taken from a variety of sources (eg. skin, fat, vein tissue etc.). These procedures have a relatively high risk of further infection, hearing loss, tinnitus or more and are often linked to the graft itself. Biodlogics, LLC has developed an alternative procedure to repair the tympanic membrane, reducing the rate of complications experienced.
Biodlogics’ procedure removes the need for a graft, using a tympanic construct instead. The construct is made from a combination of amniotic and chorionic membrane from human birth tissue. This tissue can be acquired from consenting donors who are extensively pre-screened beforehand. The construct is prepared through an intensive sterilization and treatment process before the membrane can be cut into the desired shape and size for the recipient. The membrane is shown to have an improved acceptance when adhered to the perforated eardrum, reducing the risk of complications and ultimately having greater results.
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