title: [How middle-ear implants work].
abstract: Middle-ear implants consist of a microphone, an audioprocessor, a battery, a receiver and a transducer. Transducers can be classified in three groups: piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and electromechanical. The middle ear transducer (MET) system (Otologics) is composed of an outer part that uses a multichannel digital acoustic signal processing system that transforms this acoustic signal into an electromagnetic stimulus. This system has fully implantable devices. The Vibrant Med El Soundbrige uses an electromagnetic design in which a floating mass transducer is crimped around the long process of the incus by a titanium strap, transmitting vibration to the ossicular chain.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, España. ccenjor@fjd.es
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cenjor Español
authors.forename: Constantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morera Pérez
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos Macías
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D011474:Prosthesis Design