Frustrated by how long it would take to assess patients, make devices by hand, test, and fit them, Szolomayer turned to technology. “There were all these people waiting in line, and I thought, there really has to be another way,” he tells Philanthropy Age.

Years of research followed and resulted in a partnership with Harvard audiologist Brian Fligor (pictured above) and his company Lantos Technologies, which means 3DP4ME has been able to bring state-of-the-art 3D ear scanning technology developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to Jordan to make customised hearing devices.

Unlike the conventional process of injecting foam into the patient's ear to create the mould for custom hearing aids, 3DP4ME’s portable 3D ear scanner operates like a balloon, inflating inside the ear and capturing more than one million data points in just two minutes.

This data is then uploaded to customised CAD (computer-aided design) software and subsequently sent to the 3D printer, which can produce 10-12 moulds in just 40 minutes - significantly more than the five a day Jordan’s traditional labs produce.

The speed of the 3D printing keeps costs low, and its portability means NGOs like 3DP4ME can reach more remote and vulnerable communities in harder-to-reach areas.

For audiologist Fligor, hearing loss is akin to a “broken link” in a child’s developmental chain because it affects speech and limits access to education and other activities. “If we can just replace that one link, we're going to be able to create whole people,” he says.

Although ubiquitous in many parts of the world, thanks to companies such as Sonova Group in Switzerland (which owns Phonak), DETAX in Germany, and Formlabs in the United States, the technology is still groundbreaking in Jordan, where only one company, hearingTec, is known to offer customised 3D printed hearing aids. 3DP4ME, however, is the only nonprofit providing them pro bono or at reduced costs to lower-income communities in the country.

“One of our partners in Germany, they do 3,000 of these a day,” Szolomayer explains. “We’re not there yet but if can scale and build our capacity, we could be.”

3DP4ME was registered in the United States as a 501c(3) nonprofit organisation in 2016, but it took a further four years for the organisation to get an NGO license in Jordan.

Initially, it relied on referrals from Jordan’s Institute of Family Health (IFH), which conducted three days of free medical examinations at two locations in the country, including Baqa'a refugee camp – the largest camp in Jordan housing 131,630 registered Palestinian refugees.

But to optimise efficiency, the organisation has since broadened its scope to accept referrals from other established NGOs that already maintained lists of individuals in need of hearing medical assistance, avoiding unnecessary duplication of efforts.

In addition to IFH, which operates under the King Hussein Foundation, 3DP4ME also works with Prince Mired, who heads the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCD).

Grant-funded, 3DP4ME’s work to-date has been paid for by corporates and some bilateral aid.

After the success of the pilot, a second round of fittings is planned for later in 2023, if additional funding is secured, also targeting approximately 50 children, and if finances allow, a third in 2024 aims to reach 200, says Szolomayer.

With an eye on longer-term sustainability, the NGO is looking at introducing a blended payment model; with those who can afford it paying a subsidised amount for the hearing aids, while families on the lowest incomes continuing to get the service for no charge.

“The first part of our dream is to build some real capacity here in Jordan, but our hearts’ desire is really to go inside Syria because of all the bombing campaigns there over the years, the needs are immense,” says Szolomayer.

The NGO is also exploring the possibility to expand into 3D printing for lower limb prosthetics, another much needed service in a country hosting higher-than-average numbers of children wounded by conflict. - PA