The Memo: Preceptis Medical Transforming Ear Tube Placement With an Office-Based Alternative

Under the direction of CEO David Carey, Preceptis Medical is transforming pediatric ear tube procedures with its Hummingbird^Ⓡ Tympanostomy Tube System (TTS): a quick, general anesthesia-free, office-based solution that simplifies care for families and ENT surgeons. By eliminating the need for general anesthesia and the operating room, Hummingbird offers a more accessible and efficient approach to one of the most common pediatric procedures. As Carey puts it, “This is one of those unique products where everyone benefits.”

Origin Story

Preceptis Medical was founded by a pediatric anesthesiologist who saw firsthand the inefficiencies of a decades-old surgical standard. “He had just seen all of these cases where children were under general anesthesia, where there was 20 minutes of operating room setup for a five-minute procedure,” Carey explains. “He saw an opportunity to make things more efficient and more family-friendly.” That vision led to the development of Hummingbird, a device that allows ear tubes to be placed in a matter of minutes, right in the ENT’s office.

For Carey, the opportunity was a natural fit. “Throughout my career, I’ve always sought out problems to fix. I’ve enjoyed being on the front end of everything from drug-eluting stents to robotics. For me, it’s about changing workflows to benefit patients,” he said. “This was a very interesting and novel device to disrupt a procedure that needed it.”

The Current Landscape

Ear infections remain one of the most common reasons children visit the pediatrician. In the U.S., nearly one million children undergo ear tube placement annually, and around 30% will need the procedure more than once. Yet for decades, the procedure has required general anesthesia and an operating room, adding time, stress, and cost for families and health systems alike.

Preceptis is addressing all of that. “There haven’t been many innovations in this space in the last 40 years,” said Carey. “So for us, the market opportunity is to work hard to educate surgeons and help them develop the workflow to take these cases out of the OR.” Importantly, he notes, “ We want to provide optionality for the ENT.”

That optionality comes at a critical time. As surgical volume increases and block time in ASCs becomes increasingly difficult to access, ENT surgeons are seeking alternatives. “Some of our customers have told us it’s been harder and harder to get ASC time. Imagine having to tell a parent with a suffering toddler that they have to wait three months to get OR time. With Hummingbird, they can do these in the office, control their schedule, and better manage the patient experience,” Carey explained. “With Hummingbird, some surgeons are even treating patients on the same or the following day.”

And it’s not just surgeons who are interested. “Parents are very involved in the pursuit of our general anesthesia-free option,” he added. “In fact, 6,000 parents a year use our website to find a surgeon that offers Hummingbird.” 

That growing demand is partly driven by a shift in clinical thinking. Many pediatricians and parents are becoming more cautious about repeated exposure to general anesthesia in children under three, particularly in cases where children may need multiple ear tubes or other procedures. At the same time, they’re also wary of frequent antibiotic use for recurring infections. Preceptis’ office-based approach offers a valuable alternative that helps strike the right balance: avoiding general anesthesia, while still addressing the need for timely intervention.

Inside the Innovation

The Hummingbird device combines the multiple stages associated with OR-based myringotomy and tube placement procedures into a single step. Utilizing Preceptis’ patented One-Pass^Ⓡ Technology, myringotomy and placement are achieved less invasively by advancing the device through the tympanic membrane and actuating the device to insert the tube. With the tube preloaded on the device and a small amount of topical anesthetic applied, the surgeon can complete bilateral placement in under five minutes, without the need for sedation or general anesthesia.

“The procedure is very quick,” said Carey. “Parents are with the child the entire time as opposed to having to sit in a waiting room, making it less traumatic for the children. It’s done like any other doctor’s appointment. The child is back at daycare or school later that day.”

That simplicity is also improving access for families on Medicaid, who often face long delays due to OR scheduling and cost constraints. “Half of the children that need ear tubes are in Medicaid families, but there’s a large disparity in actual treatment,” Carey said. “By moving the procedure to the office, we reduce the time and costs associated with the OR, and that makes it more approachable.”

Surgeons, meanwhile, benefit from a reliable, FDA-cleared device that’s now synonymous with the procedure itself. “It’s often called a ‘Hummingbird procedure.’ We want to be the Xerox of this specific niche,” Carey said.

Progress and Milestones

With thousands of procedures already performed, Preceptis is ready to scale. “The hard work is done. Now the scaling and getting that commercial engine revved is where it’s at for us,” Carey said.

A significant milestone was reached with the introduction of HCPCS code G0561 by the CMS, effective January 1, 2025. This reimbursement code supports in-office pediatric tympanostomy tube placement using devices like Hummingbird, simplifying billing and making it easier for ENT practices to adopt the procedure.

To support this momentum, the company is raising a Series D round focused on two core priorities: growing the sales team and deepening market development. “We’ve partnered with AcuityMD and are spending a lot of time helping Hummingbird surgeons tell the story in their communities,” Carey said. That effort is already paying off: “Our market research shows that 88% of pediatricians say they will move their ear tube referrals to a provider offering office-based procedures.”

Carey’s enthusiasm for Preceptis’ future is clear. “We’ve proven that we have a great product/market fit, and that there’s a customer need. We’re raising awareness, building our team, and making sure every surgeon knows this option exists. There’s nothing but good that can come from eliminating general anesthesia for a high-volume, routine procedure.”

Join Us at LSI USA ‘26

Carey has been selected to present at LSI USA ‘26 next March 16th–20th in front of hundreds of global medical technology companies. Join us in welcoming him to the event in Dana Point, CA, where he will share the latest updates on Preceptis Medical’s technology and development.