Optical measurements of eardrum vibrations and sound propagation in the ear canal for the fitting of active middle ear implants.

Background: Middle ear implants (MEI) are for the medical rehabilitation of the hearing function in case of sound conduction hearing losses as well as cochlear hearing losses and their combinations.

Objectives: An objective tool to reach the best fitting of the external worn sound processors is essential for patients who do not want or cannot participate in the fitting process.

Methods: In addition to Laser-Doppler-Vibrometry (LDV) measurement, the sound pressure was measured distant to the eardrum to attain additional information for comparison.

A Transcutaneous Active Middle Ear Implant (AMEI) in Children and Adolescents: Long-term, Multicenter Results.

Objective: Evaluation of the long-term safety and performance of an active middle ear implant (AMEI) in the treatment of hearing loss in children and adolescents with a primary focus on improvement in speech discrimination.

Study Design: Prospective, multicentric, single-subject repeated-measures design in which each subject serves as his or her own control.

Subjects: Thirty-one pediatric subjects aged 5 to 17 years.

[New clinical applications for laser Doppler vibrometry in otology].

Background: An instrument to measure vibration in the middle ear needs to be sensitive enough to detect displacement on a nanometer scale, yet not affect the vibration itself. Numerous techniques have been described in the literature, but laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) has nowadays become established as the standard method in hearing research.

Objective: This article aims to present possible clinical applications of an LDV system in otology.