[The Floating Mass Transducer as a microphone. German version]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustics
• Auditory Implants

Context:

• The Vibrant Soundbridge® Floating Mass Transducer (FMT) is typically used for hearing restoration.
• Investigating the FMT's inverse application as a microphone is a novel approach.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the acoustic properties of the FMT when used as a microphone.
• To assess the feasibility of using the FMT in a fully implantable cochlear implant system.

Summary:

• Experimental measurements on an ear canal-eardrum model analyzed the FMT's frequency response and sensitivity as a microphone.
• The FMT demonstrated usable signal-to-noise performance across the tested frequency range, with peak sensitivity between 1500-2000 Hz.

Impact:

• An optimized FMT could serve as a middle ear microphone, enabling new fully implantable hearing device designs.
• This research paves the way for advanced, miniaturized auditory implant solutions.