Pittsburgh Ear Associates has been participating in the Phase II Clinical Trials for the Envoy Totally Implantable hearing aid.  A total of 40 subjects have been implanted nationwide and in Europe (31 total in the U.S. including 5 from Pittsburgh, 9 in Germany). 

 Conventional microphone-based hearing aids are the most common treatment today for sensorineural loss. The most commonly sited limitations of conventional hearing aids include poor understanding in noise, feedback, battery life, fit and discomfort. The Envoy technology is different than any other microphone based hearing devices . The Envoy uses the eardrum to process the incoming sound thereby preserving a natural way of hearing that particularly benefits patients in noisy environments.

To qualify as a candidate for this study hearing must meet strict entrance criteria and fall within the mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss range.  They must also have appropriately fit hearing aids with which they are currently dissatisfied.

The preliminary results from these clinical trials are encouraging and endorse the Envoy system’s capabilities to provide benefit to patients whose life is compromised or debilitated by their hearing loss.