Otologics has announced the introduction of Carina, a fully implantable hearing system that picks up sounds using a microphone implanted under the skin that the company says  transmits amplified signals directly into the middle ear.

Sounds are amplified according to the wearer’s needs and converted into an electrical signal. The signal is sent down the lead and into the transducer. The tip of the Carina transducer is in contact with the middle ear anatomy. The transducer translates the electrical signals into a mechanical motion that directly stimulates the middle ear and enables the wearer to perceive sound.

The implant component consists of three primary parts: a capsule that houses the electronics, a microphone system, and the middle ear transducer. It consists of four primary components: the implant, the programming system, the charger, and the remote control.

The  implant is programmed according to the wearer’s specific amplification needs. The programming system consists of: fitting and diagnostic software, a radio-frequency coil that communicates to the implant, and a NOAH link wireless programming interface. Using OtoFit fitting software, the NOAHlink interface receives signals from the computer through the wireless connection and sends the signals to the implant via the radio frequency coil. Programming the implant is done in the same manner as programming traditional digital hearing aids. The system provides for extensive testing and diagnostics of the device.

The charger system consists of the base station, charging coil, and charger body. To charge the implant, the wearer removes the charger body from the base station and places the coil on the skin, over the implant site. The charger body contains a clip that allows the charger to be attached to the belt of the wearer during charging. Typically, charging time will be about 1 hour and must be performed daily. While recharging the implant, the wearer can perform normal daily activities, turn the implant on and off, and adjust the volume.

A remote is used for controlling the device when it is not being charged. The remote allows the wearer to turn the implant on and off, and to adjust the volume. To use the remote control, the wearer holds the remote against the skin over the implant. The device can be used in all normal environments and activities: while showering, swimming, and playing sports.

They have a video (without captions) showing how it works here. And a FAQ section here.

Hearing aids come in lots of cool colours and shapes these days but I’ve never seen a pure white one.

White hearing aids would look quite a bit like iPod earphones and would maybe help to give them that cool factor? Everywhere you look these days someone has a pair of white buds in so it’s not unusual to see people with things in their ears.

Possibly manufacturers are worried about a lawsuit from Apple?

If someone did make a white hearing aid then how about taking it a step further and doing some kind of joint branding with Apple? That would be cool, especially if you could stream music from your iPod wirelessly straight to your aids.

Could we build a hearing aid? By we I mean me, you, the guy studying audiology at university, the hard of hearing electrical engineer and all the other people.

In computer software there’s a thing called open source. What it means is that someone, or some people, build something and they don’t just release the finished product they also give the source code away too. Source code is the programming language statements that were used to make the software.

Basically, they give anyone the means to build the software themselves for free. Do you use the Firefox web browser? That’s open source, anyone is free to download it’s source code and change it, improve it, package it in different ways and sell it as something else.

Could a whole bunch of people do this with a hearing aid? Could we get together the right skills and build an aid and make the details of how to do it free for anyone to see so that other people can take it and improve it?

Of course, I’m not suggesting building a hearing aid is easy – years of research has already gone into making the products we buy today. But there are clever people out there who would get into a project like this – it works with computer software and has been working for years.

No one person could do this, but a group could and that’s the power of open source.

I don’t think that UK hospitals and GP surgeries are doing enough to make themselves accessible to their deaf and hard of hearing patients.

Take my local GP surgery as an example: They have a largish waiting room. They have a single speaker at one end of the room that most doctors use to call their patients – other doctors will walk to the top end of the room and call someone in. The room is often filled with patient’s chatter and kids playing. If I can’t get a seat right under the speaker then I can’t hear when I am called.

That puts me off going.

If people are reluctant to go to see their doctor then that puts their health at risk.

Our local NHS hospital has the same problem. We recently had to take our daughter to an outpatient’s clinic and again there was a large waiting area and doctors would stand in the doorway at one end of the room and call their next patient in. I had to watch the door to even realise someone was being called. This is not good enough.

Worst of all, the last time I went for a hearing test at a hospital there was no visual clue as to who was being called. This is unforgivable considering this was a room full of people waiting for hearing tests! Admittedly it is a few years since I’ve been for a hearing test at an NHS hospital so they may have sorted it out by now.

It is too easy to say that people with hearing difficulties should make it known when they arrive in a waiting room so that the doctor can make sure they hear/see. Most people don’t want to make a spectacle of themselves in a room full of strangers.

I’d like to see an electronic notice board displaying the next patient in all hospitals and GP surgeries.