MED-EL, based in Durham, North Carolina, won de novo FDA clearance for the first bone conducting hearing aid system that doesn’t require a connection between the implant and external component to penetrate the skin. The totally wireless connection of the BONEBRIDGE system means that there’s less maintenance required on the patient and a much lower chance of infections occuring.
The implant and the audio processor snap together thanks to magnets and sound captured by the processor is wirelessly transmitted to the implant, which vibrates to produce hearing in people with conductive hearing loss, as well as mixed hearing loss, or single-sided deafness.
The audio processor looks pretty slick and comes in variety of colors to match the patient’s hair color, certainly a nice touch. It can be removed at any time and doesn’t require lengthy cleaning procedures to maintain its and the scalp’s connection port, as with previously available bone conducting hearing systems.
Here’s a video from MED-EL introducing the BONEBRIDGE:
Product page: BONEBRIDGE…
Via: MED-EL…