Berrettini S, Bruschini L, DE Vito A, Gnocco T, Rosica N C, Pizzoli L, Forli F
ENT Audiology and Phoniatric Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
CRAI S.p.A., Bovolenta, Italy.
Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2018 Jun;38(3):236-241. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-1612.
In this paper, we present the preliminary results achieved with a transtympanic hearing aid (THA). This is a modified digital, open-fit external hearing aid (HA) designed for acute study only, which allows coupling with a pre-implanted ventilation tube. The THA conveys amplified sound directly onto the round window, bypassing the ossicular chain, in contrast with traditional HAs that convey sound onto the second or third portion of the external auditory canal. The THA has been developed as an alternative to standard HAs and active middle ear implants for patients who are unsatisfied with traditional HA outcomes and want to avoid middle-ear implantation. The results achieved using the THA were compared to those obtained with an equivalent device, the Latitude 8 Moxi 13 (Moxi), uncoupled from the ventilation tube, and placed onto the outer ear. For this purpose, 12 patients with conductive (1/12), sensorineural (3/12), or mixed (8/12) hearing loss from moderate to severe, with a pre-implanted ventilation tube, underwent audiological evaluation with both the THA and the Latitude 8 Moxi 13 (Moxi). Our initial results showed that the THA provided significant improvement in the warble tone results in comparison to the Moxi. Moreover, patients with a PTA between 41 and 90 also achieved better results in terms of speech recognition using the THA in comparison to the Moxi. In conclusion, these outcomes provide the first evidence of the potential benefits of the THA over standard open-fit HAs. Nevertheless, these preliminary outcomes require further confirmation.
在本文中，我们展示了经鼓膜助听器（THA）所取得的初步成果。这是一种经过改良的数字式、开放式外置助听器（HA），专为急性研究设计，可与预先植入的通气管相连。与传统助听器将声音传至外耳道的第二或第三部分不同，THA将放大后的声音直接传至圆窗，绕过了听骨链。THA是作为标准助听器和有源中耳植入物的替代方案而开发的，适用于对传统助听器效果不满意且希望避免中耳植入的患者。将使用THA所取得的结果与使用等效设备Latitude 8 Moxi 13（Moxi）所获得的结果进行比较，Moxi不与通气管相连，放置在外耳上。为此，12名患有中度至重度传导性（1/12）、感音神经性（3/12）或混合性（8/12）听力损失且预先植入通气管的患者接受了THA和Latitude 8 Moxi 13（Moxi）的听力学评估。我们的初步结果表明，与Moxi相比，THA在啭音测试结果上有显著改善。此外，纯音平均听阈在41至90之间的患者在使用THA进行言语识别方面也比使用Moxi取得了更好的结果。总之，这些结果首次证明了THA相对于标准开放式助听器的潜在益处。然而，这些初步结果需要进一步证实。
