Surgical rehabilitation of deafness with partially implantable hearing aid using piezoelectric ceramic bimorpli ossicular vibrator

Abstract

We developed two types of implantable hearing aids, a totally implantable hearing aid (TIHA) and a partially implantable hearing aid (PIHA) in 1983. In both types a piezoelectric ceramic bimorph was used as an ossicular vibrator which was coupled to the stapes to transmit sound signals to the inner ear efficiently. Due to technological immaturities, clinical application of the TIHA has not yet been realized. But the PIHA is available for clinical use at present. In the PIHA only the ossicular vibrator is implanted with inner link coil. The rest of components such as microphone, amplifier, battery, and outer link coil remain in their usual location behind the auricle. Since 1984, we have applied the PIHA to 37 patients with mixed deafness. Careful follow-up studies have been conducted on all of them to assess clinical and audiological results. We have confirmed that the device could function safely for more than 10 years affording natural quality of hearing without howling and wearing discomforts. Our studies suggest that the PIHA can be a choice of rehabilitation for mixed deafness due to middle ear diseases which cannot be rehabilitated satisfactorily by either surgical means or a conventional hearing aid. Functional principle of device, indications and surgical methods of implantation were described. Failures and delayed problems we experienced were also presented together with the preventive measures. We believe that an implantable hearing aid of this type will be an otologic breakthrough if substantial technological difficulties are cleared.