Partially implantable hearing aid using piezoelectric ceramic ossicular vibrator. Results of the implant operation and assessment of the hearing afforded by the device.

The aim of designing an implantable hearing aid (IHA) is to compensate for some of the disadvantages of conventional hearing aids. The IHA described in this article is a direct oscillation type in which the piezoelectric ceramic ossicular vibrator coupled directly to the stapes transmits sound signals to the perilymph effectively. This type of IHA can give a better fidelity of sound perception than a conventional hearing aid.