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New Implantable Hearing Aids in Phase III Trials

New Hearing Aids Targeted to Swimmers and Other Athletes

The California Ear Institute located in East Palo Alto is in the final phase of testing an implantable hearing aid specifically for hearing impaired athletes. The hearing aid is manufactured by Otologics, a Colorado-based company.

Instead of a BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing AId) or a Cochlear Implant design, this hearing aid utilizes the three middle ear bones (ossicles) to transmit sounds. A small microphone and a sound processing unit are implanted behind the ear. A wire from the sound processing unit is attached to a vibration wire that in turn, is attached to the middle ear bones. Sounds picked up from the outside are amplified and transmitted to the middle ear bones through the vibrating wire.

The hearing aid wearer can use a remote control to adjust the hearing aid for personal preferences. The batteries that run the implanted device can be recharged right through the skin. Battery life is expected to be 10 years when the batteries will have to be replaced by surgery.

The hearing aid is targeted to hearing impaired athletes who are in the water a lot such as competitive swimmers or who sweat a lot through physical exertion in other sports.

If the trials are successful the device could become available as early at the end of 2009. The implantable hearing aids are expected to cost anywhere from $12,000 to $15,000 which includes the surgical procedures to implant the hearing aid.