Vibrotactile device in patients with single-channel cochlear implant: a preliminary study

Two patients who had been using 3-M Vienna extracochlear implants were given two-channel KS Sensoraid vibrotactile units to wear for 1 month. At the end of that period, several tests commonly used to assess cochlear implant function were administered to compare the effectiveness of the vibrotactile system with that of the cochlear implants. The results obtained from the vibrotactile devices were encouraging, although the units had some shortcomings. Overall, the subjects' test scores with the vibrotactile units were comparable to, if not slightly better than, those with the extracochlear implants.