Russian scientists have come up with a way to make hearing implants significantly more accurate. The new design allows reducing sound distortion by approximately 17%, making speech and ambient noises much more distinguishable.
The development was presented by specialists from Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) together with colleagues from Perm State Medical University named after Academician E. A. Wagner (PSMU) and the Russian University of Medicine.
We are talking about the so-called bone conduction devices. Unlike conventional hearing aids, they transmit sound through the skull bones directly into the inner ear, bypassing the damaged parts of the auditory system. Such devices are used by people with congenital ear anomalies, consequences of injuries, or diseases of the middle ear.
The main problem with such implants is the loss of signal distortion. Standard metal fasteners do not always provide tight contact between the device elements, so part of the vibrations is simply lost.
Russian engineers solved the problem quite elegantly. In the new design, the adapter between the vibrating element and the titanium implant is made in the form of a flat platform. This allows the parts to fit more tightly and transmit vibrations more efficiently.
In addition, a polymer ring was added to the system, which dampens unnecessary vibrations and reduces interference. Tests have shown that this scheme transmits sound better at all frequencies.
But the most interesting thing is personalization. Scientists have also developed a special program that allows creating an implant for a specific patient. The doctor enters the parameters of the skull and bone tissue, and the system automatically builds a 3D model of the adapter that is ideally suited to the person.
According to the developers, this technology could become the basis for a new generation of hearing implants that will transmit sound cleaner and more accurately than existing analogues.
