[Photo/Shanghai Observer]
China’s first fully internal cochlear implant has recently been developed in Shanghai. This innovative device eliminates the need for any external devices.
Co-created by Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital and MicroPort—a medical device manufacturer based in Shanghai, the cochlear implant utilizes advanced high-sensitive subcutaneous acoustic sensor technology, offering a wide frequency response and a large dynamic range.
Incorporating the SmartSonics AI algorithm, the device excels in noise reduction capabilities and improves music perception. It is also compatible with 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging scanning.
The development of independently patented subcutaneous acoustic sensors and experimental trials using animals marks a significant milestone in the clinical validation phase of this domestically produced cochlear implant.
Statistics indicate a substantial disparity in China’s cochlear implant landscape. While over 10 million patients require these devices, only 130,000 implantations have been performed. The vast majority of hearing-impaired individuals in the country remain without necessary intervention.
A cochlear implant is a high-tech implanted medical device designed to restore hearing for patients with severe to profound hearing loss. Traditional cochlear implants consist of an external sound processor and an internal implant. The processor converts sound signals into electrical signals and transmits them to nerves that then send signals to the brain.
However, external processors carry certain limitations such as being easily misplaced, along with stigmatization due to their visible nature, hindering their widespread use.
Fully-internal cochlear implants integrate traditional external devices within the body, rendering wearers visually indistinguishable from others.
Given its high technological barriers, this product has received classification as a “breakthrough medical device” by the US Food and Drug Administration. To date, there are no comparable products available in global markets.
Source: thepaper.cn, Shanghai Observer
,https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Latest-WhatsNew/20241119/50c92295f6244c9cacd0e78f3efad60f.html