What it does
A pressure-adjusting product that relieves ear discomfort during airplane takeoffs and landings.
Your inspiration
When traveling by airplane, we all inevitably experience ear discomfort, especially during takeoff and landing, and are prone to symptoms such as tinnitus, ear congestion, or ear pain, all of which are caused by changes in cabin air pressure. The tube in the ear that connects the middle ear to the throat is called the Eustachian tube, and its role is to neutralize the pressure between the middle ear and the throat. As the air pressure in the cabin varies greatly, the pressure inside and outside the ear also varies, resulting in tinnitus and ear congestion.
How it works
By pressing the product in each ear with both hands, the pressure in the Eustachian tube is equalized during takeoff and landing. Pressing the device during takeoff draws air into the ear, causing the Eustachian tube to rise, i.e., the pressure outside the ear is greater than the pressure inside the ear. During landing, the pressure device pulls air out of the Eustachian tube, causing it to contract, which means that the pressure inside the ear is greater than the pressure outside the ear. Using the EFPB ensures that the Eustachian tube opens and closes smoothly in the correct direction and maintains the proper pressure level in the Eustachian tube to minimize Eustachian tube discomfort caused by aircraft takeoffs and landings. The EFPB is reusable, requires only simple pressure, is intuitive to operate and does not interfere with the flight process, thus enhancing the quality of the flight for the customer.
Design process
The product has gone through three generations of design. The first generation was ear-mounted and in the form of an airbag, with the palm of the hand to press the air into and out of the ear canal. However, it was found that the structure of the product could not be smoothly designed for pressing in and pulling out, so the second generation was designed. The second generation was designed with an in-ear, headphone-like design, which could reduce the carrying volume and improve the design of the product's inner chamber, so that air could be pressed in and out by pressing with a single finger, but the structural design of the product was not reasonable at that time. Therefore, the third generation was explored, and it is expected that this product can be operated without the need of electromechanics. Then the third generation optimized the structure design, the product can achieve different modes of take-off and landing just by rotating, through the one-way valve structure and the reverse one-way valve structure to achieve different modes of use.
How it is different
The product differs from existing products in that it is reusable, non-intrusive, does not require electricity, and has a unique aesthetic design that makes it a great accessory for the airplane. People who have used earplugs in the past that are not reusable and need to be controlled by medication have invasive vascular control, which is not good for the ear canal.
Future plans
In the future, we are working with ENT doctors to explore whether the product will be too harmful to the ear canal, and to experiment the volume of gas that can be passed through the product and the volume of gas that can be pumped out through experimental equipment to see if the product can comply with the contraction of the Eustachian tube, and in the future, we hope that the product can be successfully introduced into the real-world testing environment, and ultimately, it will be able to provide better quality of landing and take-off to the passengers and the flight attendants.
Awards
2024 DNA Paris Design Awards-Winner,2024 MUSE Design Awards-Silver,2024 IDA Design Award-Bronze,2024 gSIC Global Student Innovation Competition on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology-Taiwan Selection Competition-3rd Runner up,2024 Dècor Hoüse Design Competition-the Honorable Mention Award
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