Symphonix gets European approval for hearing device:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
US firm Symphonix Devices has CE-marked a new semi-implantable hearing device which can be used on people unsuitable for conventional hearing aids. The Vibrant soundbridge and a second-generation programmable version are designed to treat sensorineural hearing loss. They use a floating mass transducer, the size of a grain of rice, which when implanted in the middle ear converts sound from the externally worn receiver into mechanical energy in the form of vibrations. These vibrations stimulate the inner ear and the auditory nerve. Sales of the devices will begin in the second quarter of 1998.