Orange County, CA - August 1st 2018 - The Durham, North Carolina based firm MED-EL has presented the world’s first active bone conduction implant named BONEBRIDGE. The company recently obtained FDA De Novo clearance for this new hearing implant technology. The system transmits soundwaves, via bone conduction directly to the inner ear, where they are processed as natural sound.
The system consists of an implant that is placed under the skin behind the ear, and an audio processor to receive sound waves. The audio processor records the sound and converts it into signals, which are then transferred through the skin to the implant. The implant is embedded in the temporal bone and converts the signals received into mechanical vibrations that are then transmitted to the surrounding bone. The bone then conducts these vibrations to the inner ear where they are converted to nerve signals and transmitted as impulses to the auditory nerve, similar to the natural hearing process.
“Our innovative development of the BONEBRIDGE will considerably improve the lives of patients. Due to the intact-skin design, the protective function of the skin is preserved.” Dr. Ingeborg Hochmair, CEO and, CTO of MED-EL.BONEBRIDGE allows people with conductive/mixed hearing loss, or single-sided deafness to hear the full range of sounds; which is also designed to reduce the risk of infection after surgery. Patients with hearing impairments could be fitted with bone-anchored hearing aids. However, these hearing aids can often have complications, and the devices can be complex to handle for some patients. The BONEBRIDGE is designed to be an intact, under-the-skin implant that ensures optimal daily hearing performance while remaining discreet and unobtrusive.
This new audio processor comes in many colors to help match a patient’s hair color. The device doesn’t require tedious cleaning procedures and can be removed at any time.
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