Matthew Georgiou was having trouble in school. He wasn’t listening, and teachers were saying he simply wasn’t paying attention in class. What first seemed like defiance had a more troubling explanation — Matthew couldn’t hear. Like his older brother Nicholas, Matthew was struggling with Eustachian tube dysfunction, a condition in which small passages connecting the back of the throat to the middle ear don’t open properly. When that happens, airflow is blocked and pressure builds in the middle ear, leading to symptoms such as tinnitus, clicking or popping sounds, pain, fluid buildup and hearing loss. Both boys had already undergone surgery to place tubes in their eardrums to relieve fluid buildup and improve airflow, but the fix isn’t always permanent, and some children need repeat procedures. As Matthew's parents weighed putting their youngest son through the operation again, they were offered a shot at something new: a non-invasive, $279 device designed to treat the condition at home in children as young as two. Earflo, developed by biomedical engineers in Australia, resembles a high-tech sippy cup. As children drink, a soft mask on top of the cup gently seals under the nose. When they swallow, it pushes air through the nasal passages, helping to open the Eustachian tubes, equalize pressure, release trapped fluid and improve hearing. The device syncs with a companion app that tracks when a child swallows and whether it successfully opens the Eustachian tubes. When it does, a rocket in the app takes off and climbs toward a star. The game is designed to encourage children to complete the two-minute treatment consistently and correctly by earning digital rewards for successful sessions. For parents and clinicians, the app also provides a way to monitor usage and track progress over time. Earlier this week, Earflo announced that it had received FDA clearance for its device, which launched in the U.S. on Wednesday for $279. It can be purchased at Earflo’s website.
