Earswitch

Designing a better way for disabled communication

You will struggle to find a product purpose more meaningful than EarSwitch.

In our business we often meet inspirational people – it’s what makes working in the design industry so varied and exciting. Somerset-based GP Dr Nick Gompertz is just such a person.

Communication is something we all take for granted until you cant. Nick has been developing a transformative technology to enable patients to communicate again.

With extensive experience in the medical field, Nick saw an opportunity for innovation from a tiny muscle in the ear called Tensor Tympani. Knowing this is one of the last parts of the body to deteriorate in neurological illnesses, Nick foresaw the potential of this muscle as a communication ‘switch’, for patients with conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), locked-in syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Inspired by Jonathan Bryan, a 13 year old boy who wrote a book letter by letter using just his eye called “eye can write: a memoir of a child’s silent soul emerging“, Nick recognised the huge value and importance a good communication device is for individuals.

The late Professor Stephen Hawking used a device which, using an infrared device mounted on his glasses, relied on him tensing a muscle in his cheek.

But have you ever heard of the tensor tympani? It’s a tiny muscle in the ear that, in conjunction with some clever technology, can potentially be used to help patients communicate.

This tiny muscle offers new hope to people whose speech generating technology has become limited or unusable.

Having already proven the concept, Nick has successfully raised an £1.45 Million NIHR Product Development Award (PDA) to develop a commercial medical-compliant device over the next few years.

It’s a truly collaborative project, with Realise working alongside The University of Bath, Portsmouth Technology Trials Unit, i2R regulatory, as well as our friends Amalgam, Cubik and New Icon over at The Product Partnership, and the EarSwitch Expert User Group.

With the project now underway, Pippa Bridges (Project Lead on behalf of Realise) has been busy meeting users first-hand, creating designs and testing prototypes.

“This is a truly inspirational project. The impact it could have on users who cannot communicate or have trouble with their current assistive communication setup is massive, so we are all excited to see the outcome of product testing. It’s humbling to think this design could be so beneficial and pivotal to users.”

With a granted UK Patent and an International PCT application, this device has the potential to change the lives across the world. Watch this space to find out more about how the project develops in the next 12 months.