Optimizing the placement of Med-El’s BoneBridge implant: image-guided positioning and biomechanical efficiency – Year two

Med-El’s BoneBridge implant provides the sensation of sound to hearing-impaired persons. The device’s transducer is surgically implanted in the skull. Key surgical problems are to find a location on the individual patient’s skull that is thick enough to house the transducer and to place and configure the transducer to maximize sound energy transfer to the cochlea, the organ of hearing. This project will (1) develop software for patient-specific, image-based BoneBridge placement planning and (2) investigate how BoneBridge placement and configuration affect energy transfer. The software will allow surgical planning by identifying the best position(s) for the implant from clinical images taken preoperatively. Our biomechanical investigations provide guidelines to surgeons on optimizing device performance by providing information on sound energy transfer patterns in various implantation scenarios. Med-El, surgeons and patients will benefit because the software and guidelines we develop will make implantation easier, safer, and optimal.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hanif Ladak

Student:

Seyed Alireza Rohani

Partner:

MED-EL Canada Corporation

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Western University