The SoundBite System in Detail
Beyond using bone conduction to transmit sound via the teeth, the SoundBite hearing system is different than a bone anchored implant in important ways.
The Behind the Ear Unit
To take advantage of the natural acoustic benefits provided by the patient's own ear, sound in the environment is picked up by a tiny microphone placed within an open fit dome worn in the canal of the impaired ear and connected to the BTE by a small translucent tube. The BTE uses a digital signal processor to process the sound, a second microphone for noise cancellation, and a wireless chip to transmit the signals to the ITM hearing device, which in turn sends imperceptible vibrations via the teeth near-simultaneously to both cochleae. SoundBite hearing system is intended to deliver sound across a broad frequency range of 250 to more than 12,000 Hz.
The ITM (In the Mouth) Hearing Device
The ITM device is custom made to fit around either the upper left or right back teeth, does not require any alteration of the teeth, and is easily inserted and removed by the wearer. It contains electronics, a sealed, flat, rechargeable battery, wireless capability that picks up sound transmissions from the BTE, and a small actuator that converts those signals into vibratory energy. All of these miniaturized components are hermetically sealed inside a dental grade acrylic that has been safely used for making dentures for many years.
Power Supply
Both components are designed with rechargeable batteries. A charger is also provided to recharge the batteries in the devices. The charger is a standard power outlet base that has docks to simultaneously recharge multiple ITMs as well as a dock to directly charge the BTE.
The SoundBite system is currently for investigational use only. If you would like more details about the components of the system, please contact Sonitus Medical online.
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