Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aids in Clinical Practice

Abstract

A relatively loud sound is audible when a vibrator is attached to the aural cartilage. This form of conduction is referred to as cartilage conduction (CC). In Japan, a new type of hearing aid has been developed using CC and has been available in clinical practice since 2017. A clinical study conducted prior to its launch demonstrated its benefits, particularly in patients with aural atresia who were unable to use air conduction hearing aids. Several studies have been published on the benefits of CC hearing aids since their introduction into clinical practice. Most of the patients included in these studies had canal stenosis or aural atresia, and the purchase rates of CC hearing aids in these patients were relatively high. However, the number of patients with canal-open ears was small, with overall poor results in the trials, with the exception of patients with continuous otorrhea. CC hearing aids are considered a good option for compensating for hearing loss in ears with canal stenosis or atresia in both bilateral and unilateral cases. However, CC hearing aids are not currently considered the first choice for patients with a canal-open ear.

A Systematic Review of the Audiological Efficacy of Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aids and the Factors Influencing Their Clinical Application

“…This approach facilitates essential adjustments to achieve optimal amplification, and thus maximise speech intelligibility. Moreover, in light of recent advancements within the hearing aid industry, together with new commercially available CC-HA models equipped with feedback suppression functions (i.e., HB-J1CC and HB-A2CC; Rion Co. Ltd., Kokubunji, Japan) [ 33 ], the incorporation of supplementary features into CC-HAs holds the potential to bring substantial benefits to users. For example, advanced signal processing for speech enhancement would improve sound clarity, and thus lead to enhanced speech recognition.…”

Management of Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aids in Pediatric Patients

“…The small and lightweight CC-HA has minimal resistance and excellent effectiveness, thereby reducing psychological resistance [26]. As a result, CC-HAs are being considered as an alternative to conventional bone-anchored HAs, vibrant sound bridges (VSBs), and cochlear implants, and are frequently used during the pre-surgery stage [12].…”

“…Moreover, it does not require compression fixation, which enables the CC-HAs to be attached to the skin to deliver sound vibrations to the ear. Furthermore, using CC-HAs eliminates the necessity of surgery and provides users with cosmetic advantages [12].…”

Pinna hardness and vibrator placement: Their effects on bone conduction through the pinna

“…Despite their differences, both pathways ultimately stimulate the cochlea similarly [1]. In recent developments, notably in healthcare [2][3][4][5] and consumer electronics [6][7][8], a variant of bone conduction known as "cartilage conduction" (CC) has emerged, which involves placing stimuli on the ear's cartilage. While this differs from classical BC locations [9][10][11][12], this approach also effectively transmits sound to the cochlea [13,14], indicating the pinna's unique role, especially in its cartilage, in the transmission and perception of bone-conducted sound.…”