Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Ear, Nose & Throat Disorders

Trials to Discover Novel Treatments and Techniques

At the ENT Translational & Basic Science Research Center at University Hospitals Ear, Nose & Throat Institute, our experienced researchers are conducting clinical trials to investigate a variety of causes of and treatments for disorders of the ears, nose and throat.

Examples of this research include:

• Robotic markers to improve surgical outcomes: This was a multicenter clinical study to look at the use of robotic fiducial markers (objects used in the field of view of an imaging system) to accurately predict the path of surgery toward the cochlea in order to improve surgical outcomes and potentially use robots one day to do parts or all of the surgery. The trial was completed recently and the results were quite interesting. A manuscript describing the results is under preparation.
• Study of adenotonsillectomy for children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: The purpose of this multicenter trial is to determine the effect of a removal of tonsils and adenoids on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children, which can cause health problems including poor growth, high blood pressure, diabetes and behavioral and learning difficulties. Although removal of tonsils and adenoids is the usual treatment for children with OSAS, it is not known with any certainty if the child's OSAS symptoms improve afterward. This randomized controlled study will help determine if improvement occurs and will also look at whether certain groups, such as children who are overweight or of different ethnicities, are helped by the surgery. The study was sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania. Physicians with UH ENT Institute and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital served as sub-investigators on this study.
• Implanted device to treat obstructive sleep apnea: This Phase III FDA trial is investigating the effectiveness of a surgically implanted device in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The device is a hypoglossal nerve (found below the tongue) pacer that functionally stimulates the tongue to create a larger airway with the objective of reducing sleep-related apnea and snoring.