Esteem® Implantable Hearing System - P090018

The Esteem Implantable Hearing System, patented by Envoy Medical Corporation, was approved by the Food and Drug administration, is designed to replace the structures of the middle ear to effectively cure/moderate severe hearing loss. The device consists of three main components that are implanted into the subject (sound processor, sensor, and driver) and external testing/programming instruments. The device converts mechanical vibrations of the tympanic membrane (“ear drum”) into an electrical signal. This signal is sent to the sound processor, is filtered, amplified, and then sent to the driver. The driver converts the modified signals from the processor and converts them back to mechanical vibrations directed towards the inner ear. In order for the device to be implanted, a surgeon has to first remove part of the incus bone. Esteem is designed to help anyone over the age of eighteen that suffers from moderate to severe hearing loss. Moreover, esteem does not have any visible components. The draw backs are that the device must be replaced every 3-9 years (depending on use).

Nearly all of the men on my father’s side (with the exception of one) suffer from hearing loss from middle age and on. Devices such as this provide an alternative to going deaf. My father is partially deaf so I have a higher plausibility of suffering from hearing loss.

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DeviceApprovalsandClearances/Recently-ApprovedDevices/ucm212633.htm