Transtympanic Hearing Aid: exploratory study on a new device.

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Audiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional hearing aids (HAs) may not satisfy all patients, and middle-ear implantation is an option for those unsatisfied with standard outcomes.
• A transtympanic hearing aid (THA) offers a novel approach, bypassing the ossicular chain by coupling with a pre-implanted ventilation tube.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the preliminary audiological outcomes of a modified digital, open-fit external hearing aid (THA) designed for acute study.
• To compare the performance of the THA against an equivalent standard hearing aid (Latitude 8 Moxi 13) in patients with pre-implanted ventilation tubes.

Main Methods:

• 12 patients with moderate to severe conductive, sensorineural, or mixed hearing loss and a pre-implanted ventilation tube were assessed.
• Audiological evaluation included warble tone and speech recognition tests comparing the THA and the Latitude 8 Moxi 13 (Moxi).

Main Results:

• The THA demonstrated a significant improvement in warble tone results compared to the Moxi.
• Patients with a pure-tone average (PTA) between 41 and 90 dB HL achieved better speech recognition with the THA than with the Moxi.

Conclusions:

• These preliminary findings suggest potential benefits of the THA over standard open-fit hearing aids.
• Further research is required to confirm these initial outcomes and the long-term efficacy of the THA.