抄録
In 1978 the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry began a five-year project with the objective of developing an implantable hearing aid, or “artificial middle ear”. The function of the middle ear is to conduct sound to the inner ear, and impairment of this function results in a hearing loss of about 50 dB. The artificial middle ear would replace or even improve upon defective middle ear structures. Signals from a microphone would be amplified and transmitted to the stapes by a vibrator. The criteria for this device are that it be totally implantable including the energy source, and that it be essentially maintanence-free. The incidence of failure must be minimal and irreparable damage to the inner ear is to be avoided. Implantation should not require esoteric technical skills, and repair and reimplantation should be readily accomplished when necessary. Close cooperation among technology, medicine and rehabilitation will be imperative.
