Otologics' MET implant device
It is not cochlear implant device, it's the Middle Ear Transducer implant. Why I put it up with this? There are some features on this implant which is very interesting. If it is successful, it could be applied to cochlear implant technology in the future.
Middle Ear Transducer implants are going under testing with 20 people (as in this article).
What's interesting about this implant. This implant does include battery built in and you can recharge the battery at nights thru your head. Reminds of me Star Trek's Seven of Nine being slept under energy being transitted thru her head. Striking similarity, isn't it? LOL Recharging device which takes one hour for implanted battery to be fully charged, see this photo below.
Also you couldn't change volumes or turn implant on/off directly. You will have to use remote control to adjust the volume or turning implant on/off. Recharger device unit can also adjust volume levels as well as turning on/off the implant. Remote control thru the skin. Wow. Wondering if two implantees messing around with others' implants with their remote control. ("Ouch thats LOUD!" to one another) That's my concern, but it could be coded to unique device. Picture of Remote control is shown below.
About battery built-in, I am very concerned on its battery life. Most rechargable batteries life is about 3 years. Will that mean the patients will have to undergo surgery in explanting and replanting the device every 6 years? I think mechanisms do have wear and tear in MET devices compared to cochlear implant, it only simulates electrical signals. But they say that battery life span is about 6+ years. Also it's length of battery operating power is about 2-4 days. It is impressive compared to Advanced Bionics' large rechargable battery that lasts only about 15 hours and its life span is about 3 years.
Also, built-in microphone makes me wonder how does it work. How does the sound go through the thick skin surface to the microphone? Wow, really.
Implant device:
Very interesting technological advancement.
Here's this link at:
http://www.otologics.com/us/index_us.cfm
Middle Ear Transducer implants are going under testing with 20 people (as in this article).
What's interesting about this implant. This implant does include battery built in and you can recharge the battery at nights thru your head. Reminds of me Star Trek's Seven of Nine being slept under energy being transitted thru her head. Striking similarity, isn't it? LOL Recharging device which takes one hour for implanted battery to be fully charged, see this photo below.
Also you couldn't change volumes or turn implant on/off directly. You will have to use remote control to adjust the volume or turning implant on/off. Recharger device unit can also adjust volume levels as well as turning on/off the implant. Remote control thru the skin. Wow. Wondering if two implantees messing around with others' implants with their remote control. ("Ouch thats LOUD!" to one another) That's my concern, but it could be coded to unique device. Picture of Remote control is shown below.
About battery built-in, I am very concerned on its battery life. Most rechargable batteries life is about 3 years. Will that mean the patients will have to undergo surgery in explanting and replanting the device every 6 years? I think mechanisms do have wear and tear in MET devices compared to cochlear implant, it only simulates electrical signals. But they say that battery life span is about 6+ years. Also it's length of battery operating power is about 2-4 days. It is impressive compared to Advanced Bionics' large rechargable battery that lasts only about 15 hours and its life span is about 3 years.
Also, built-in microphone makes me wonder how does it work. How does the sound go through the thick skin surface to the microphone? Wow, really.
Implant device:
Very interesting technological advancement.
Here's this link at:
http://www.otologics.com/us/index_us.cfm
posted by Mike at 1:09 PM
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