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Benefit of a new hearing device utilizing cartilage conduction
Tadashi Nishimura1, Hiroshi Hosoi, Osamu Saito
1Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 shijo-cho Kashihara, Nara, Japan. t-nishim@naramed-u.ac.jp
Auris, Nasus, Larynx
|February 12, 2013
Summary
Cartilage conduction (CC) hearing aids offer a promising alternative for individuals with hearing loss, particularly those unable to use traditional aids. While effective for some, further development is needed to address severe hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Otorhinolaryngology
Background:
- Cartilage conduction (CC) is a novel sound transmission method using a transducer attached to the aural cartilage.
- CC offers a potential solution for hearing-impaired individuals who cannot use conventional air-conduction hearing aids due to conditions like continuous otorrhea or aural atresia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of a prototype hearing aid utilizing cartilage conduction (CC).
- To assess the benefits of CC hearing aids in patients with specific hearing conditions.
Main Methods:
- A prototype CC hearing aid was fitted to four patients with conditions including continuous otorrhea and acquired aural atresia.
- Benefits were evaluated through audiometric tests and patient interviews.
Main Results:
- All subjects demonstrated improvements in hearing thresholds and speech recognition scores.
- Unexpectedly large gains below 2kHz were observed in a patient with acquired aural atresia, possibly due to soft tissue.
- No pain was reported with the CC transducer attachment, unlike with bone-conduction (BC) hearing aids.
Conclusions:
- The CC hearing aid shows potential as a valuable amplification device for hearing disabilities.
- Current CC devices are insufficient for severe hearing loss without soft tissue involvement.
- Improving output levels could establish CC hearing aids as a viable alternative to BC or bone-anchored hearing aids.
Related Concept Videos
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
01:16Anatomy of the Ear
Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
01:31Hearing
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
01:22Hair Cells
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
01:11The Auditory Ossicles
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...