Cochlear Limited, a global provider in implantable hearing solutions, introduced its next-generation Cochlear Osia System with the ability to have an MRI at 3.0 T, designed to improve hearing outcomes for people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD).
The new Osia System offers the benefits as the current version: improved hearing outcomes(1), ease of use, discreetness, and reliability(2). The OSI300 Implant is an active bone conduction system that allows patients to undergo MRI scans at both 1.5 T and 3.0 T without the need for surgery(3). This new patient benefit is made possible by combining the properties of the Osia System’s Piezo Power transducer, which does not contain magnetic material, and the next generation in implant magnet technology, the company says.
The OSI300 Implant is specifically designed to support access to MRI with no performance degradation after MRI exposure(4,5), as there is nothing to be demagnetized as in an electromagnetic transducer. Unlike an axial magnet, which is found in most bone conduction implants today and is unsuitable for a patient undergoing an MRI examination at 3.0 T, the OSI300 uses a diametric magnet that sits within a casing and rotates to align with the magnetic field of the MRI machine.
“Not only does the new design allow for MRI scans at 3.0 T without surgery or the need for a headwrap or splint kit; we have also designed the magnet cassette to be simple to remove if needed,” says Ryan Lopez, head of portfolio strategy & professional marketing at Cochlear. “The easy removal of the implant magnet reduces image artifact, an important consideration for maximum visibility of areas around the implant. Both features mean less MRI preparation time and less time without sound, which is beneficial to both recipients and professionals.”
Further reading: Neuroplasticity Can Improve Cochlear Implant Effect on Hearing
Today, most people can expect to undergo an MRI scan at some point in their lifetime, and having a hearing implant shouldn’t be an obstacle to this important healthcare treatment option, the company says.
“The use of 3.0 T scanners is increasing and becoming more common. 3.0 T scanners help in the proper diagnosis of many neurologic, orthopedic and oncology conditions. It is important that patients don’t face any obstacles to this type of care, and I am glad Cochlear has kept this in mind in their new Osia System,” says Brian Kaplan, MD, SVP, global clinical strategy & innovation at Cochlear, chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology, and director of the Cochlear Implant Program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, said.
Cochlear’s product portfolio is inspired by the belief that technology is only as useful as the benefit it provides, the company says
“An improvement in the ability of patients to undergo high-resolution MRI scans with our technology was the number one request we heard from customers. With the new system, patients with an active bone conduction system can conveniently undergo MRI at 1.5 T and at 3.0 T with no impact to their hearing – MRI should be accessible to everyone” says Dig Howitt, CEO & president of Cochlear.
Launched commercially in 2020, the Osia System is an active osseointegrated bone conduction (OSI), a new category of bone conduction hearing solutions that uses digital piezoelectric stimulation to bypass damaged areas of the natural hearing system to send sound vibrations directly to the inner ear (cochlea), the company says.
Featured image: Osia Sound Processor and OSI300 Implant. Photo: Cochlear Limited
References
- Mylanus EAM, Hua H, Wigren S, et al. Multicenter Clinical Investigation of a New Active Osseointegrated Steady-State Implant System. Otol Neurotol. 2020;41(9):1249-1257. OSI100 Implant and Osia Sound Processor;B P110 Power on Softband.
- Osia Reliability Report Flyer, Cochlear Limited. 2023; D1841762.
- Ellsperman SE, Nairn EM, Stucken EZ. Review of Bone Conduction Hearing Devices. Audiol Res. 2021;11(2):207-219.
- OSI300 1.5 T MRI Verification Summary Report. Cochlear Limited, Australia. 2023; D2084831.
- OSI300 3 T MRI Verification Summary Report. Cochlear Limited, Australia. 2023; D2084832.
