Summit Medical Ltd, a global medical device manufacturer in the heart of the Cotswolds has been creating tools to help children understand left and right sound recognition. The bespoke hearing assessment tools are supporting St Michael’s Hospital Paediatric Audiology Department in Bristol.
St Michael’s Paediatric Audiology Department works with children of all ages and abilities, including those with complex needs, specialising in the diagnosis and management of hearing and balance conditions. One of the tools they use is known as ‘People in a Boat’.
Through years of regular use and helping children in need, the original wooden ‘People in a Boat’ had reached the end of its shelf life and needed replacing. With no replacement options available, the department reached out to Summit Medical for support. Using in-house rapid prototyping and 3D printing technology, Summit Medical were happy to help and provide a durable, colourful solution, for free.
‘People in a Boat’ plays a key role in helping children understand left and right sound recognition during audiology assessments. As tones are played through the left or right ear, children place a small figure into the corresponding side of the boat, helping clinicians assess hearing across different frequencies.
Leveraging its Rapid Lab and in-house 3D printing capabilities, the R&D team at Summit Medical reverse-engineered the original design, modernised it, and produced a durable, colourful new set of tools for all four of the department’s sound booths, each matched to the booth colour scheme.
Nick Bridgman, R&D Design Lead at Summit Medical, who personally delivered the completed sets to St Michael’s Paediatric Audiology Department, commented:
“This project is a great example of how innovation doesn’t always need to be complex to make a real difference. By applying our rapid prototyping and design expertise, we were able to provide a practical solution that will support clinicians and improve the experience for young patients.”
Zahra Dumbuya, Paediatric Audiologist at St Michael’s Hospital, expressed her gratitude:
“Our ‘men in a boat’ game is much-loved, so it was a sad day when we had to retire our wooden version. The upgrade Summit Medical have provided though is incredible and the children have loved playing with it. The Children’s Hearing Centre team worked closely with Nick from Summit Medical, from design to production, and we could not have asked for a better result. We couldn’t wait to start using them and we have received nothing but positive feedback. We are so grateful to the Summit Medical team, especially Nick, for their support.”
While Summit Medical is a recognised name within the NHS, known for delivering high-quality clinical support as well as revision arthroplasty and mixing system solutions, this project highlights the company’s broader capabilities across research and development, bespoke design, and rapid manufacturing. Nick added:
“We’re incredibly proud to support healthcare providers in this way. Whether it’s large-scale product supply or smaller bespoke solutions like this, our priority is always practical innovation that benefits both clinicians and patients.”
Summit Medical fosters collaboration with organisations looking for design, innovation or specialist support, and strives to develop cutting-edge solutions that address the needs of the global medical landscape. If you would like to discuss a project, get in touch to learn about our in-house expertise.
Press Contact:
Jake Dennys
Marketing Executive
E: jake.dennys@summit-medical.co.uk
T: 07796528893