Callier Center 3D-Printing Innovation Honored by D CEO Magazine

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08.17.2022

A doctor puts 3D-printed ear modes in place on an infant.Certified pediatric audiologist Stephanie Williams AuD’08 adjusts the earmold for infant Liam Bradley, held by his mother, Wendy. The earmold was made using a 3D printer on-site at UT Dallas’ Callier Center for Communication Disorders.

The Callier Center for Communication Disorders at The University of Texas at Dallas is the first audiology clinic in the nation to manufacture earmolds on-site using 3D printing. For this work, the center’s Infant Hearing Project received the Outstanding Innovation award in the nonprofit category at D CEO’s fifth annual Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards, presented in partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas.

Callier’s 3D-printing technology makes it easier for families to get hearing treatment for their infants within their first three months. The program increases efficiency and access to health care services while also reducing costs. An earmold is a custom-shaped insert for the ear canal that channels sound from the hearing aid to the eardrum.

Dr. Andrea Gohmert, Callier’s director of audiology clinical operations and clinical associate professor of speech, language, and hearing in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), said that the traditional process of ordering earmolds takes two to three weeks at a minimum. During the pandemic, supply chain issues doubled that wait.

“Since an infant’s ear canals grow so rapidly, the child sometimes outgrows the earmolds by the time they arrive,” she said. “With our innovation, Callier is now able to have a hearing aid on a young child within 24 hours of diagnosis. We feel this process will be reduced to eight hours in the near future.”

Gohmert said the 3D-printed earmolds project is initially limited to infants and children. Callier clinicians evaluate about 400 children a year for hearing loss, and over 50% of those children with diagnosed hearing loss are under the age of 5. On average, Callier identifies 50 new infants a year who were born with hearing loss and will need amplification.

“An infant will need at least seven new sets of earmolds in their first three years as they grow,” she said. “Older children typically receive two new sets of earmolds a year up to age 5, then one per year after age 5 when ear-canal growth slows.”

Gohmert added that savings on materials and shipping costs with in-house manufacturing have reduced the average price of earmolds by 20%.

BBS professor Angela Shoup BS’89, MS’92, PhD’94, the Ludwig A. Michael MD Callier Center Executive Director, said the Callier team hopes to provide guidance to help clinics implement this process nationwide.

“We are honored to receive D CEO’s Innovation Award for the use of 3D-printing technology for patient care,” she said. “Our clinicians, faculty, scientists and students not only deliver leading-edge clinical services, but also seek to develop new treatments and technologies to increase health care efficiencies and improve treatment efficacy. The Callier Center team is committed to exceeding the standard of care to transform the lives of infants, children and adults with speech, language and hearing differences.”

–Stephen Fontenot

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