Implantable bone conduction hearing device: Audiant bone conductor. Update on our experiences.

An implantable hearing device has been developed and has undergone testing by animal experimentation and clinical trials in humans. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of this device in adults who are within the criteria of its utilization, mainly patients with conductive hearing impairments who have good inner ear reception and who are unable to benefit from surgical correction. This update describes observations and experiences we have had during the device's development and defines its limitations as well as its unique thrust into the future relief of hearing impairment. Clinical trials during the investigational period and engineering problems as well as progress are thoroughly discussed.