# Ear Medication-Delivery Devices This Drug Delivery Device Will Deliver Drugs Into the Inner Ear By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2016-02-02 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/drug-delivery-device References: [betaboston](http://www.betaboston.com/news/2016/01/26/draper-device-could-help-develop-drugs-for-hearing-loss/) & [draper](http://www.draper.com/news/draper-device-could-accelerate-restoration-hearing) A group of engineers working in Cambridge, Massachusetts-based non-profit research firm Draper have developed an innovative drug delivery device that could help reduce or completely reverse hearing loss. The device, which is about the size of a golf ball and is operated by batteries, works by delivering medication directly into ear cavities. Pharmaceutical companies and research groups have been making inroads into developing drugs that could help reverse hearing loss. However, there has been much concern that getting experimental drugs into the [inner ear cavity](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ib-stim) would be a main challenge. This is where the Draper drug delivery device comes in. The device can be surgically inserted behind the ear, and would deliver controlled doses of drugs directly into the cochlea. This drug delivery device is a groundbreaking invention that could help do something that has long been considered impossible -- reduce or reverse hearing loss through medication. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.8/10 - Popularity: 4% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Drug Delivery Devices:** The development of innovative drug delivery devices presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the healthcare industry. - **Hearing Loss Reversal:** The pursuit of drugs and devices to reverse hearing loss opens up possibilities for disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. - **Inner Ear Medication:** Advancements in delivering medication directly into the inner ear through devices like the Draper drug delivery device create avenues for disruptive innovation in the healthcare and otology industries. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Healthcare:** Innovative drug delivery devices have the potential to disrupt the healthcare industry by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of medication delivery. - **Pharmaceuticals:** The development of drugs to reverse hearing loss represents a disruptive opportunity in the pharmaceutical industry, addressing a previously unmet medical need. - **Medical Devices:** The emergence of inner ear medication-delivery devices creates a disruptive innovation opportunity in the medical device industry, revolutionizing how drugs are administered in the ear. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mems-speaker.md) - [Bulbous Ultrasonic Patches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ultrasonic-patch.md) - [Mobile Hearing Therapy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hearing-therapy.md) - [Nearly Invisible Hearing Aids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/core-one-pro.md) - [Wearable Drug Delivery Patches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wearable-injector.md) - [DIY Bone Conduction Hearing Aids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mearsun.md) - [Tinnitus Symptom-Alleviating Compounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tinnitus-symptoms.md) - [Tinnitus-Addressing Neuromodulation Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neuromodulation-devices.md) - [Hummingbird-Inspired Ear Cleaners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ear-cleaning-device.md)