Influence of Bone Conduction Hearing Device Implantation on Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with and without Tinnitus.

(1) Background: Tinnitus, often related to hearing loss, is an addressable public health concern affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to explore the influence of bone conduction hearing aid (BCHA) implantation on HRQoL and hearing disability in patients with hearing loss suffering from tinnitus. (2) Methods: Data were collected from an international hearing implant registry.

Clinical performance, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of an active osseointegrated bone-conduction hearing implant system at 24-month follow-up.

Purpose: To investigate 2-year post-operative hearing performance, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of hearing-impaired adults treated with the Osia 2 System, an active osseointegrated bone-conduction hearing implant that uses piezoelectric technology.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, within-subject clinical study conducted at three tertiary referral clinical centers located in Melbourne, Sydney and Hong Kong. Twenty adult recipients of the Osia 2 System were enrolled and followed up between 12 and 24 months post-implantation: 17 with mixed or conductive hearing loss and 3 with single-sided sensorineural deafness.

Job satisfaction and quality of life in adult users of bone conduction hearing devices pre-and post-implantation: a 1-year follow-up study.

Objective: Hearing loss is a growing public health issue that significantly impacts both health-related quality of life and working life. This study investigates how hearing rehabilitation with bone conduction hearing implants impacts health-related quality of life and working life in adults of working age with hearing impairment.

Design: This longitudinal study used data from Cochlear's Implant Recipient Observational Study to assess hearing disabilities and job satisfaction in 18-65-year-old recipients of bone conduction hearing implants.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Work Satisfaction in Working-Aged Adults Pre- and Post-Cochlear Implant: A Longitudinal Study.

Hearing loss is a growing public health concern associated with decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and a negative impact on work life. Knowledge about the long-term benefits for patients receiving cochlear implants may provide knowledge imperative for policymakers to promote better HRQoL and working life outcomes for individuals with hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to explore how HRQoL, hearing disabilities, and work satisfaction outcomes changed in working-aged adults with severe to profound hearing loss from pre- to post-receiving a cochlear implant (CI) between the baseline, year one, and year two.

Influence of Bone Conduction Hearing Implantation on Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with Chronic Otitis Media.

Background: Chronic otitis media is a major public health burden that can result in a disabling hearing loss. Bone conduction hearing implants are an accepted form of hearing rehabilitation in these patients, but evidence supporting their usage typically comes from studies investigating mixed indications. The objective of our study was to examine how these devices impact health-related quality of life and hearing-disability in adult patients suffering from chronic otitis media.

Clinical Performance, Safety, and Patient-Reported Outcomes of an Active Osseointegrated Steady-State Implant System.

Objective: To investigate the clinical performance, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of an active osseointegrated steady-state implant system that uses piezoelectric technology.

Study Design: A prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, within-subject clinical investigation.

Setting: Three tertiary referral clinical centers located in Melbourne, Sydney, and Hong Kong.

Healthcare consumption among subjects with otitis media undergoing middle ear surgery-analysis of cost drivers.

Purpose: To map healthcare utilized by subjects with chronic otitis media, with or without cholesteatoma and perform a cost analysis to determine key drivers of healthcare expenditure.

Methods: A registry study of 656 adult subjects with chronic otitis media that underwent a middle ear surgery between 2014 and 2018. Healthcare contacts related to all publicly funded specialist ENT care, audiological care and primary care for a disease of the ear and mastoid process were extracted.

Increased maximum power output may improve speech recognition with bone conduction hearing devices.

Objective: To investigate the influence of maximum power output of bone conduction hearing devices on speech recognition in quiet and in noise in experienced users of bone conduction hearing devices.

Design: Prospective, randomised cross-over investigation comparing speech recognition performance, subjective sound quality, and device preference between two bone conduction hearing devices with different maximum power outputs.

Study Sample: Sixteen adult subjects with conductive or mixed hearing loss.

Developing Raman spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for label-free antigen detection.

For several decades, a multitude of studies have documented the ability of Raman spectroscopy (RS) to differentiate between tissue types and identify pathological changes to tissues in a range of diseases. Furthermore, spectroscopists have illustrated that the technique is capable of detecting disease-specific alterations to tissue before morphological changes become apparent to the pathologist. This study draws comparisons between the information that is obtainable using RS alongside immunohistochemistry (IHC), since histological examination is the current GOLD standard for diagnosing a wide range of diseases.

Mirrored stainless steel substrate provides improved signal for Raman spectroscopy of tissue and cells.

Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a powerful technique that permits the non-destructive chemical analysis of cells and tissues without the need for expensive and complex sample preparation. To date, samples have been routinely mounted onto calcium fluoride (CaF) as this material possesses the desired mechanical and optical properties for analysis, but CaF is both expensive and brittle and this prevents the technique from being routinely adopted. Furthermore, Raman scattering is a weak phenomenon and CaF provides no means of increasing signal.