Braces for the deaf

The California company Sonitus Medical has developed a unique tool - braces for people with hearing loss. The sound will come to them through your teeth!
A device called SoundBite consists of two parts. The first - a miniature earphone locator, which is attached behind the ear. He picks up the signals, processes and sends them to the main part of the device, the strengthening of the mouth.

Here, in the teeth, to install highly sensitive instrument, something resembling Braces . For each patient, the device is called, is adjusted individually. It is mounted on the inner side of the teeth on the left or right, and the energy derives from the special battery which can be recharged. Receiving signals from the earphone, the device transforms them into vibrations so gentle that the patient did not even notice.

Then, these vibrations are transmitted through the teeth in the cheekbones, and then through the cochlea (the front of the ear labyrinth) deep in the ears. Already there is vibration transformed ear nerve, and then perceived by the brain as normal sound.

Director of the Royal Institute of British politics treatment Deafness   Brian Lamb believes that this new invention can actually help some people with hearing loss . Especially those who absolutely do not wish to carry out surgery on the skull.

But Lamb stressed that SoundBite will not be a full replacement of the cochlear (cochlear) implants - devices that in the past 15 years has helped restore hearing thousands of people suffering from deafness. "SoundBite is not suitable for people with congenital deafness, or those who have over the years developed a complete hearing loss - Says Lamb. - But for others it can be a good alternative over invasive methods treatment of deafness ".

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