Ear Brush Cleaner
J&J
| Ear Brush Cleaner, | Dr. Marc Blatstein |
Like most people, when I have had either an ear “itch”, or I felt that I needed to clean my ear of ear wax, I chose one of the following instruments: a paperclip, the end of a pen, a Q-tip, or my eye glasses (the end that hooks around the ear).
Then several years ago, while trying to get the ear wax out of my ear using one of the previously mentioned examples, I severely impacted the wax further into my ear thus creating a very Painful Problem! 
I made an appointment with an ENT colleague who explained to me the dynamics of what happened and proceeded to saline flush out my ear, I vowed never to go through this again.
Over the following weeks I was on a mission:
– While using an OTC (Over the Counter) dental instrument to floss, Sunstars’GUM Go-Betweens (Antibacterial), I experimented and took out a fresh one to clean out my ears. While the bristles were too stiff, it had worked! Out came the ear wax while at the same time I 
scratched my itchy area. Since that moment I have used that same OTC dental instrument to clean my ears, and I was on a personal mission. – Over the next two years I looked at every ear care product that was available OTC, (please note CVS’s Safety Swab with their ‘flair’, which does not prevent impacting ear wax nor does it prevent damage to the inner and drum). They consisted of either cumbersome liquids or oils that one squirts into one’s ear, or as pictured, were rigid devices (that could also damage one’s eardrum), while at the same time were not useful, safe or practical. One very popular product even had a disclaimer- “To Not” put 
them into your ear; however most of us still continued to do so.
– The targeted markets: Hearing Aid Manufactures (i.e.: Amplifon (Miracle Ear)), Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Urgent Care Facilities; (ENT specialists would likely continue to utilize various means of flushing out the ear with more involved cases), as well as the more inclusive OTC population. – The larger market (OTC), Q-Tips;
With some minor adjustments, Ear Brush Cleaner© here too can meet and exceed most of their uses, while doing so safely.
Q-Tips Precision Tips Review [December 21, 2011]
“It’s not usually thought of, but Q-Tips are often overlooked as one of the most mundane tools around the house. But they can be one of the most useful tools to have. There are many uses for a Q-tip, from the simple cleaning of ears, to the intricate cleaning of electronics, all just to mention a few. Now a new type of Q-tip has been released: Q-tips Precision Tips. These narrow tips are great for small crevices, usually found in electronics and on home decorations, to name just a couple.” Other uses;
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Ear Brush Cleaner© drawings based on an OTC dental floss instrument with just one of many concepts of ‘my flair’ to prevent eardrum contact, while having more flexible and softer, absorbable and slightly longer bristles.
In conclusion, from colleagues and friends who both wear hearing aids and those who don’t, I’ve learned that wax buildup is a common issue. I asked colleagues the following question: What do you use to clean out your ears? Q-tips were the most common answer (even with their disclaimers). Only trained ENTs knew that these should not be used as they would contribute to injury to the ear drum and/or impacting ear wax within the canal.
In conclusion, Ear Brush Cleaner© can have a flair in function similar to the one I’ve shown below (for the OTC market) that restricts its insertion into the ear canal, to be at a distance as to not abut the ear drum. The bristles are to be flexible and soft as to not cause soft tissue damage as well as being absorbent. This along with ‘our sensation of proprioception’ adds another layer of protection to the inner ear.
All of the attributes of the Ear Brush Cleaner© makes this the only practical, safe and effective product for the removal of ear wax from the ear canal without contributing to injury of the ear drum.
Ear Brush Cleaner© is Johnson and Johnson’s opportunity to provide a device that can be used safely, thus affecting many lives in a positive way.
Ear Brush Cleaner©
