Vibrant Soundbridge Middle Ear Implant System is designed for individuals with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss and those with mild to moderate conductive or mixed hearing loss. It bypasses the outer ear and stimulates the middle ear structures directly.
The system consists of an external and an internal component. The external component is a digital audio processor that contains the battery, microphone and a high performance digital signal processor. The implanted part consists of the internal coil, the magnet for the external processor, the conductor link and the Floating Mass Transducer (FMT). The magnet holds the audio processor over the implant and the implant can be worn discreetly underneath the hair.
Sounds are picked up by the microphone of the audio processor. The digitised acoustic signals are processed and transmitted across the skin to the implanted part. The implant relays the signal down to the FMT which convert the signal to mechanical vibrations that directly stimulate the middle ear structure.
Patients with mixed hearing loss can now be considered for both BAHA system and middle ear implant system.
