PETER LING wants to partner with audiology clinics nationwide to provide innovative 3D ear scanners for custom earplugs, delivering an alternative to invasive and time-consuming physical impressions.
Sydney business founder Mr Peter Ling has a sound proposition for Australia’s independent audiology clinics to help them add value and attract clients. He will sponsor 3D ear scanner investment upfront, place them in clinics and, with the practitioner, jointly charge clients for scans that provide specifications for custom earplugs.
Ling started doing the scans for local musicians seeking customised earphones (often called “custom in-ear monitors”/CIEMs) in 2022 as a side hustle in a Sydney audio store. The service became so popular that people began flying to Sydney to access it which “speaks to the desirability of the method and outcomes”. Manufacturers of earplugs and CIEMs still regularly refer their customers to him.
As demand grew, he started working full-time in his business, Auricle Digital, and in 2023 began flying to Melbourne and Brisbane every second month to do scans in rented premises once there were enough website bookings.
“I can’t be on a plane all the time so I’m really excited to work with audiologists to offer them this new opportunity,” he says. “We’ll work in a partnership model; I can sponsor the purchase of a Natus 3D Otoscan so clinics aren’t put under a large financial load to start providing direct ear 3D scanning services.
“We will work out a clinic–specific pricing structure together for the process. I’d love to see places all over Australia where people can be scanned.”
It’s a win-win for everyone, Ling adds, as the innovative technology and new custom ear products will drive clients to clinics for a more comfortable, more accurate, less invasive and less risky non-contact scan. Practitioners will save time as the scan takes about three minutes per ear and is quicker than a physical impression. It also reduces the need for repeat impressions due to accuracy of the fit.
“Our success rate over the past year was 92.7%, meaning 92.7% of people were extremely happy that their customised ear products based on the digital scan were comfortable, fitted and worked well,” he says. “This compares with the 70% to 75% industry standard of people being satisfied after an impression fit, where a-quarter were returned or adjusted.”
Comfort is the big one
The scanned custom fit solution enhances function, comfort and performance but the strongest benefit of a 3D scanned earplug is comfort, Ling says. “We estimate at least a 10% to 15% difference in the actual size and shape of a person’s ear in a 3D scan versus what an impression tries to represent.”
“This is because the impression material creates pressure in the ear and pushes on crevices, soft tissue and cartilage, oversizing the ear shape. When we use the scanner, we’re only measuring using light so there is no deformation of your ear; products produced off the back of that are fundamentally different and significantly more likely to be comfortable and acceptable to the patient.”
Ling says the American Navy funded development of the technology to eliminate risks of injuries during impression taking. While rare, these include eardrum perforations from a sealed pressure chamber, distorting the ear’s shape and attachment of impression material to the eardrum.
However, risk is further minimised with direct 3D ear scans, he adds. A probe goes past the ear’s second bend, so people must be careful and trained, but a camera is attached providing visual feedback to guide the process ensuring there is little to no contact. Light rays create the image by scanning the canal for a perfect fit.
The scanning process never fully seals the ear and does not introduce pressure into the ear. “The process is much less invasive with minimal contact. We do not place any objects or materials near the eardrum,” Ling adds.
He likes to talk the customer through what’s happening and why, and make observations and decisions including around the jaw position.
“I’m wanting to address the person, context and need; for example, some shooters will be in fast–paced tournaments with complex courses,” he says. “Understanding where their jaw is helps us to better support them; do we need to cater for this person’s heavy breathing if they’re moving quickly through a tournament course and have an open mouth to get air in while yelling instructions to others? This is different from someone using earplugs for work focus in an open plan office or to listen to music at home.”
Famous musicians and actors
Ling has provided scans for more than 250 people including many in the music industry such as Tones and I, some of her touring musicians and crew, and Angus and Julia Stone. Actor Chris Hemsworth wore custom in-ear monitors in Limitless series 2 which were based on Ling’s scans. They were used in a viral performance with singer Ed Sheeran surprising a packed arena with a stealth drum performance from Hemsworth.
Ling has spent 25 years doing audio for a large house of worship. “Supporting musicians and artists is something I find rewarding so it’s great being able to grow that from part time into something more meaningful,” he says.
“I’ve also worked for more than 20 years in the IT industry including health projects and I always wanted to have my own business. The logistics and lessons I learned empowered me and helped me grow to a place where I thought I could take a good crack at my own business.”
He thought of the business model in 2016 when direct ear 3D scanning came to market but was not in a position to act.
“MiniDisc, a leading personal audio technology store near me has reseller agreements with several in-ear monitor companies, so I approached them, said I wanted to sell ear scans, and they said they’d support it,” he says. “We said ‘let’s see how it goes’ but demand quickly grew and it’s gone really well.”
The first thing he tested for his business model was consumer support and the answer from the market was a resounding yes, locally and internationally. While most website visitation is from Australia, much is also from the US, Europe and South America.
Ling has also fitted pilots, recreational shooters, motor enthusiasts, motorcyclists and construction workers as well as event and communications workers, and fitted for sleep, swimming, sports and travel. “We’ve had very positive feedback with clients saying comfort and performance is great.”
As of April 2025, a single scan is $249 (incl GST) to use with hearing aids, earplugs or CIEMs. Auricle Digital Alpha earplugs are also $249 including GST and a second pair of earplugs, $180. A case, neck rope and clothes clip help prevent loss or damage from dropping earplugs.
The scans can be used with Ling’s in-house earplugs, or with any other manufacturer. Ling sends the scans to manufacturers who make the customised ear products and mail them to customers. If there are issues related to the scan he will work with the manufacturer so the customer/patient doesn’t need to worry.
The 10 manufacturers he has partnered with are also impressed as scans reduce the amount of reworking they have to do due to increased accuracy.
3D ear scans taking over
“In future, the number of situations where impression material is going to be more appropriate than a direct 3D scan will be rare but never zero,” he predicts. “Clinically the right tools must be used for the right clinical application and currently impression material is the more available/accessible clinical tool so the appropriate choice.
“As more scanners come online this will move the balance to where a scan will become the appropriate clinical process for the most common clinical applications.
“We’re making it easier for people who already get custom earplugs and are creating new opportunities for those who have not been able to access custom ear products such as people with autism.
“Some neurodiverse clients have shared with me they avoided custom earplugs because of the impression process, however they are excited to have access to new tools that might help manage difficult symptoms and situations.” Many clients breathe a large sigh of relief after being scanned and state it was much better than physical impressions, he adds.
From a customer viewpoint, it’s a no-brainer, Ling says, and there are also many benefits for practitioners.
“Enabling audiologists to access the scans will bring people to clinics sooner in their hearing journey,” he says. “We are working on some things that will benefit people in new ways that will be immediately useful to them every day and our audiology partners will have a front row seat. My desire is to create a good relationship with the audiologist so patients will move into their hearing journey with practitioners much earlier.”
Ling has seen the challenges audiologists have with commercialisation and accessing expensive technology. “I’ve been able to model something that’s going to help them gain access to this technology even if they can’t invest in it upfront,” he says.
“These innovative products set up the conversation with consumers about how something fits perfectly in their ear and can be comfortable and functional. That’s exciting, and I need to take a community of clinical people with me on that journey, because there will be different perspectives on the products and how they’re used, and I want clients to receive the correct information from practitioners.”
For more information, see auricledigital.com or contact Peter Ling on 0435 544118 or info@auricle.digital.
