Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device Phase II Results

Objective The efficacy of the Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device (MET) was assessed in adult patients with bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Methods Surgical insertion of this totally implanted system was identical to the Phase I study. A repeated‐measures within‐subjects design assessed aided sound field thresholds and speech performances with the subject's own, appropriately fit, walk‐in hearing aid(s) and the Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device. Results Six‐ and 12‐month Phase II data will be presented. Ten patients were implanted and activated as part Phase II clinical trial. Three patients were lost to long term follow‐up due to two coil failures and one ossicular abnormality preventing proper device placement. No significant differences between preoperative (AC = 59 dB, BC = 55 dB) and postoperative (AC = 61 dB, BC = 54 dB) unaided pure tone averages were noted (p < 0.05). Pure tone average implant aided thresholds (41 dB) were equivalent to that of walk‐in‐aided (37 dB) condition with no significant difference (p < 0.05) between patients’ walk‐in‐aided individual frequency thresholds and implant‐aided thresholds. Word recognition scores and hearing in noise scores were similar between the walk‐in‐aided and for the implant‐aided condition. Patient benefit scales will be presented at all end points. Conclusions Results of the Otologics MET Fully Implantable Hearing Device Phase II trial provide evidence that this fully implantable device is a viable alternative to currently available hearing aids in patients with sensorineural hearing loss.