MED-EL Podcast MED-EL Medical Electronics

Alex and Lukas from Product Management provide an overview of MED-EL’s digital care ecosystem. They will talk about how digital tools and services can make the lives of professionals and their patients easier along the entire patient journey. From finding information on hearing solutions all the way to reaching peak performance through individualized hearing rehabilitation. 

 

 

*Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.

Since reliability is an important topic for hearing implant recipients and surgeons, MED-EL publishes reliability reports regularly. But there is more to reliability than high cumulative survival rates. Manfred Pieber and Marcus Schmidt discuss the aspects of design and technology that contribute to implant and audio processor safety and reliability, including structure preservation and independent safety capacitors.
Weblinks:
Reliable Cochlear Implants by Design from MED-EL (medel.com)
Cochlear Implant Safety and Reliability (medel.pro)
 

Hearing implant reliability starts with the design process. Dominik Hammerer and Bernhard Jamnig talk to Manfred Pieber about new device development and steps in the manufacturing process that contribute to reliability, including feasibility, hermeticity, impact, environmental, and vibration testing that ensure all requirements are met. Results from thorough investigations of explanted devices are also considered when designing new implants. 
Weblinks:
Cochlear Implant Safety and Reliability (medel.pro)
Bone Conduction Implant Safety and Reliability (medel.pro)

Comparing manufacturer reliability data can be difficult. Surgeon and researcher Sumit Agrawal and MED-EL reliability expert Manfred Pieber share their professional insights into this topic with Marcus Schmidt. Clinical studies on reliability can also provide valuable insights into implant manufacturers.
Weblinks:
Refer to pages 4-14 and 32 after downloading the report from: Reliable Hearing by Design: MED-EL Cochlear Implants
Reliable Hearing by Design: MED-EL’s BONEBRIDGE
Literature Links:
Cochlear implant failures and reimplantation: A 30-year analysis and literature review (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31112331/)

Evaluating Reasons for Revision Surgery and Device Failure Rates in Patients Who Underwent Cochlear Implantation Surgery (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32134441/)
The reliability of hearing implants: report on the type and incidence of cochlear implant failures (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32156201/)
The French Cochlear Implant Registry (EPIIC): Cochlear implantation complications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32861600/)
The French National Cochlear Implant Registry (EPIIC): Cochlear explantation and reimplantation (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32826202/)

Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Schmerber and Dr. Anandhan Dhanasingh talk to Manfred Pieber about how the design features of MED-EL’s flexible, free-fitting, straight FLEX series electrode arrays contribute to implant safety and reliability by reducing the occurrence of common problems such as tip fold-over, scalar deviation, and migration and also preserve intracochlear structures.  
Weblinks:
Cochlear Implant Safety and Reliability (medel.pro)
Electrode Arrays | MED-EL Pro (medel.pro)
FLEX Series: Most Atraumatic Cochlear Implant Electrode Arrays - MED-EL Professionals Blog (medel.pro)
Download the full Reliability Report at: Reliable Cochlear Implants by Design from MED-EL (medel.com)
Literature Links:
An overview of cochlear implant electrode array designs (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29102129/)
Review on cochlear implant electrode array tip fold-over and scalar deviation (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31467506/)
Scalar localization by cone-beam computed tomography of cochlear implant carriers: a comparative study between straight and periomodiolar precurved electrode arrays (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25575374/)
Correlation Between Cochlear Length, Insertion Angle, and Tonotopic Mismatch for MED-EL FLEX28 Electrode Arrays (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34538852/)
Suitable Electrode Choice for Robotic-Assisted Cochlear Implant Surgery: A Systematic Literature Review of Manual Electrode Insertion Adverse Events (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35402479/)

Speech and language therapist Pedro Brás da Silva and Joanna Shepherd talk to Manfred Pieber about the aspects of reliability that are especially important for children with cochlear implants. Receiving quality sound all day is crucial to children’s learning and development, so having a reliable audio processor and implant is therefore essential.
Weblinks:
Factors Affecting Communication Outcomes in Pediatric Cochlear Implantation - MED-EL Professionals Blog (medel.pro)
Is BONEBRIDGE a Good Hearing Solution for Children? - MED-EL Professionals Blog (medel.pro)