Middle Ear Implants

Middle ear implants are used to treat people with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss as well as conductive and mixed hearing losses. It is not a hearing aid. A hearing aid makes sound louder. A middle ear implant, in contrast, converts sound into mechanical vibrations. Unlike a cochlear implant no electrical pulses are transmitted to nerve structures, rather mechanical energy is used to stimulate middle ear structures. (e.g. middle ear bones)

The Vibrant Soundbridge is the most successful middle ear implant and has been on the market for more than 12 years. It consists of two major components:

The external audio processor
The audio processor is the external part of the Vibrant Soundbridge and is worn on the head. It converts sound into a signal that is then transferred to the implant. The audio processor is held over the implant by magnetic attraction and is worn comfortably under the hair.

The Implant
The implanted part receives the signal from the audio processor and drives its technologically innovative Floating Mass Transducer (FMT), which mechanically vibrates middle ear structures. These vibrations are then perceived as sound.