Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
A Comparative Study of Drug Delivery Methods Targeted to the Mouse Inner Ear: Bullostomy Versus Transtympanic Injection
Published on: March 8, 2017
An objective comparison of leakage between commonly used earplugs
Jeremiah A Alt1, William O Collins
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. jeremiah.alt@ent.ufl.edu
Objective:
We sought to determine the efficacy of commonly used earplugs using an anatomically correct ear model.
Methods:
The total volume and rate of water that leaked past the earplug and subsequent defect in the tympanic membrane over separately measured 30, 60, 120, and 180-second intervals were recorded. Scenarios tested included a control with no earplug, custom molded earplug (Precision Laboratories, Orlando, FL), Mack's plug (Warren, MI), Doc's plug (Santa Cruz, CA), and cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly.
Results:
All plugs tested resulted in less leakage at all time points when compared with no plug (P < .05). At 30 seconds, the custom molded, Mack's and Doc's plugs all showed significantly less leakage when compared with the cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly (P < .05). At 60, 120, and 180 seconds, Mack's, Doc's, and the cotton plugs all showed significantly less leakage compared with the customized plug (P < .05). At 120 and 180 seconds, Mack's plugs had significant less leakage than the cotton plug (P < .05). Among the types of plugs, the molded variety (Mack's) showed the least volume and lowest leakage rate (f(4,45) = 94 [P < .001]). In addition, Doc's and cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly were more effective than the customized earplugs.
Conclusions:
If the clinician feels that middle ear and external canal water exposure should be minimized, then use of earplugs, particularly the moldable variety, merits further consideration.
