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The ENVOY
This is a very clever little device.
It is totally implantable so everything is under the skin and nothing is visible.
Getting a good microphone under the skin is one of the big challenges of totally implantable devices. The Envoy overcomes this by using the patients own ear drum as the microphone. A sensor is attached to the first hearing bone which picks up the vibrations of the ear drum. This information goes to a processor box under the skin which amplifies the sound. Another lead carries the amplified signal from the box to a tiny vibrator attached to the inner most bone which then sends the information into the inner ear. One disadvantage of the system is that you have to separate the the middle bone and the innermost bone.
It is claimed that the battery will last from 4.5 – 9 years before needing to be changed, depending on the number of hours a day it is used. It does not need to be charged during that time.