About us.
At The Airway Company, we are dedicated to designing innovative products for tracheotomy patients. Our mission is simple: improve our patients’ quality of life through the airway devices we create. Our products are designed not only to achieve this mission but also to be as light, discreet, and comfortable as possible. To date, thousands of patients have enjoyed the many advantages of the Shikani Speaking Valve™ and the Shikani HME™.
Our primary responsibility is to the tracheotomy patients, speech language pathologists, respiratory therapists, ENT physicians, pulmonologists, and other clinicians who specialize in airway disorders. We are currently active in research and development, and we strive continually to provide the highest quality products, services, and information in order to meet their needs.
Before the introduction of tracheotomy speaking valves,
The only method of restoring phonation in patients with tracheotomies was direct finger occlusion of the cannula opening. The flapper membrane speaking valve was a phenomenal breakthrough that was brought to market in the 1980s, but that device has remained substantially unchanged since then.
The Shikani Speaking Valve™ is the first true innovation in the field of phonation speaking valves since the flapper valve was invented. Its novel ball design allows tracheotomy patients to speak and breathe more freely and with significantly less airway resistance as compared to other flapper speaking valves on the market today.
Following the invention of the Shikani Speaking Valve™, Dr. Shikani subsequently invented the Shikani HME™, a revolutionary device that allows patients to restore essential respiratory functions, thereby improving their pulmonary health. Used in unison, the Shikani Speaking Valve™ and the Shikani HME™ allow patients to speak, heat, humidify, and filter air simultaneously, a revolutionary concept in the field of tracheotomy patient care. Although these devices can be used independent of one another, the combination of the two restores a tracheotomy patient’s quality of life in an unmatched way.
Our Goal:
To invent and design innovative airway-related products that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of adult and pediatric tracheotomy patients.
Expanding our mission worldwide.
Thanks to our network of distributors, The Airway Company is currently serving patients in 10 countries, with more on the way. Visit our Distributors page to learn more about importing products with The Airway Company.
Our Team
Alan Shikani
MD, FACS, FARS
CEO
Dr. Shikani is the co-founder of The Airway Company and inventor of the Shikani Speaking Valve™ and the Shikani HME™. Dr. Shikani is currently the Chief of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at three major hospitals in Baltimore: LifeBridge Sinai, MedStar Union Memorial, and MedStar Good Samaritan. He is also the founder of the Maryland ENT Center Group and Director of its Maryland Nose & Sinus Rhinology Fellowship program. Having personally treated hundreds of tracheotomy patients over several decades, Dr. Shikani specializes in airway management disorders and has published extensively in the field. He holds 24 otorhinolaryngology patents in his name and has successfully brought several related devices to market. Dr. Shikani completed his residency and fellowship training in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and he is an active member of many distinguished medical societies including Alpha Omega Alpha, the Triological Society, the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and the American Rhinologic Society.
Patrick Shikani
CFO & COO
Patrick is the co-founder of The Airway Company and is the company’s CFO and COO. He is also Dr. Shikani’s third son. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Patrick attended the University of Virginia for his undergraduate education, majoring in business. Following graduation in 2014, he moved to New York City and began his career working in the finance industry. Patrick first became interested in the medical device space in his early days at Citigroup, where he worked on a small team that helped advise medical device powerhouse Stryker Corporation on an attempted mega-merger with Smith & Nephew. It was around this same time that Patrick first learned about his father’s airway inventions. Very intrigued, Patrick helped his dad work through a business plan and finally, after four years of working in finance in NYC, ultimately decided to move to Philadelphia to help build The Airway Company from the ground up. Patrick is very excited by the progress made to date and is looking forward to helping many more patients live better and healthier lives in the future. Patrick received his MPH from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and is in the process of receiving his MBA in healthcare management from the Wharton School.