A Novel Optical Tympanostomy Tube for the Prevention of Tympanostomy Tube Otorrhea

Tympanostomy tube otorrhea (TTO) is the most common complication following tympanostomy tube (TT) placement in children. Despite conventional antibiotic treatment, TTO is often persistent or recurrent due to biofilm formation on TTs and the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant otopathogens. There is a pressing need for new treatments. This study evaluated the efficacy of a novel Optical Tympanostomy Tube (Optical-TT), which uniformly emits antimicrobial blue light (aBL; 405 nm) from the tube surface, in preventing TTO. The Optical-TT was fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane, a biocompatible material transparent to aBL. aBL was delivered to the Optical-TT via a multimode optical fiber from a diode laser. In-vitro biofilms of representative otopathogens were formed on TTs in culture media, and experimental TTO was established in chinchillas. aBL-activated Optical TTs effectively eradicated biofilms on the TTs in both in-vitro settings and chinchillas, The Optical TT represents a promising approach for preventing TTO.