References


History
  • Developed in Calgary, Alberta, Rhinoclear was created by Calgary nasal and sinus surgery specialist, Dr. Brad Mechor of the Calgary Sinus Centre. After years of seeing patients struggle to use nasal rinses and feeling that there could be a better “solution” for having patients use a nasal rinse, Dr. Mechor partnered with Dr. Merle Olson.
  • Over a decade of clinical practice and seeing the therapeutic and preventative benefits of using a daily nasal rinse, Dr. Mechor encountered several obstacles to having patients use a nasal rinse on a regular basis. These included:
    • Rinses are inconvenient. You need to have a clean source of water to mix your nasal rinse and most people don’t have the time or the patience to boil water and let it cool and then use it or be bothered to buy distilled water, so they use tap water and this can lead to serious infections.
    • Rinses are uncomfortable. Current nasal rinses have a fixed volume of 240 mLs and for the most part that is too much solution and patients would describe the feeling of drowning or even being water-boarded. Many also described having plugged ears and would avoid using nasal rinses. Too much volume can also dry the nasal passaged out and make symptoms worse.
    • Rinses - like the classic netipot- and aerosol sprays can be ineffective at reaching the sinus openings and because users don’t find great benefit, they won’t use them on a long term basis.

    • Nasal rinse bottle are prone to contamination (which can lead to further infection and make users worse) and don’t completely empty which leads to wasted solution (can become quite expensive if adding medications to the nasal rinse) Because of these reasons, and wanting to help keep people healthy and out of the doctors’ office for nasal and sinus concerns.
  • Rhinoclear Rhinorinse was developed to offer a convenient and effective nasal care solution.
  • Unlike products on the market that are inconvenient to mix and can lead to further infection, dryness and uncomfortable feelings of drowning and plugged ears, Rhinoclear offers a pre-made, Health Canada approved, clinically proven effective nasal rinse solution (Rhinorinse) and ergonomically designed bottle to reduce both waste of solution and bottle
    contamination.
  • Rhinorinse has a composition similar to sea water and our bodies plasma that has been shown in multiple clinical studies to be more effective and superior to the rinses currently available. These studies have shown then benefit of a Ringer’s Lactate or sea-water like solution vs normal saline that is the basis for available nasal rinses.
  • And, because Rhinorinse is pre-made, users can choose any volume of solution that they want to use for their rinses therefore making it more convenient and comfortable to use, along with essentially eliminating risk of contamination with mixing the rinse.

  • A 36 patient survey at the Calgary Sinus Centre showed a significant preference to the pre-made solution because of convenience with users describing the solution as soothing with longer lasting effect that currently available nasal rinses along with benefit gained with using a lower volume of solution compared to 240 mL rinses.
  • The Rhinoclear Nasal Rinse Bottle has an inverted design to allow for complete emptying and a bacterial resistant plastic to reduce the risk of contamination and infection. The design of our bottle directs the solution upward to the main drainage area of the sinuses reducing the amount of solution directed towards the back of the nose and opening of the eustachian tube (where the ears drain). This helps to reduce ear plugging and we believe provide better penetration into the sinus openings.
      References
      • A double-blind randomized controlled trial of normal saline, lactated Ringer's, and hypertonic saline nasal irrigation solution after endoscopic sinus surgery. Low TH et al. Am J Rhinol Allergy 2014 May-Jun;28(3):225-31
      • Ringer-Lactate solution versus isotonic saline solution on mucociliary function after nasal septal surgery. Unal M et al. Laryngol Otol. 2001 Oct;115(10):796-7.
      • Identification of bacterial contaminants in sinus irrigation bottles from chronic rhinosinusitis patients. Lewenza S, Charron-Mazenod L, Cho JJ, Mechor B. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010 Aug;39(4):458-63.
      • Nasal irrigation: from empiricism to evidence-based medicine. Bastier P-L et al. European annals of otorhinolaryngology, Head and neck diseases 132 (2015)281-285
      • Contamination of sinus irrigation devices: A review of the evidence and clinical relevance. Psaltis A et al. Am J Rhinol Allergy 26, 201-203, 2012.
      • Evaluation of bacterial transmission to the paranasal sinuses through sinus irrigation. Hauser L et al. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2016;6:800-806.
      • The clinical significance of nasal irrigation bottle contamination. Keen M et al. Laryngoscope, 120:2110-2114, 2010.