February 5, 2008
MED-EL Corporation has conducted the first US implantation in the clinical trial of the Vibrant Soundbridge® (VSB) as a treatment for conductive and mixed hearing loss using direct round window cochlear stimulation. The Vibrant Soundbridge is the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved implantable middle-ear hearing device to treat sensorineural hearing loss. Adults with conductive or mixed hearing loss who have been unsuccessful with traditional amplification may be candidates for the trial.
The implantation was performed by Jennifer Maw, MD, founder of Ear and Rehabilitative Services (EARS) Inc in San Jose, Calif.
“I am extremely enthusiastic about this new study,” says Dr. Maw. “This procedure has the potential to revolutionize how ear surgeons treat chronic ear disease and hearing loss. Eustachian tube dysfunction limits the hearing results that patients can achieve with reconstructive ear surgery, and there are no well-established treatments for this problem. As this device can mimic the function of the middle ear, we can potentially help a large category of patients who could not be previously considered as suitable surgical candidates.”
Source: Med-El Corporation
