title: Intraoperative measurement for a new transcutaneous bone conduction hearing implant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possibility of using a modified reverse transfer function (RTF) measurement intraoperatively during surgery of a new transcutaneous bone conduction hearing implant to evaluate the status of the device.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tests were performed on a cadaver skull (preclinically) and two conductive hearing loss patients implanted with a new transcutaneous bone conduction implant. During intraoperative activation, the RTF was measured using a microphone attached perpendicularly and directly to the skin in the middle section of the forehead.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RTF could be measured for all frequencies from 500 to 6, 000 Hz.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The usage of an intraoperative RTF measurement may be a good method to verify the mechanical coupling of the bone conduction floating mass transducer and to test the functional integrity of the implant in an objective way.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Karl Landsteiner University Hospital, St. Pölten, Austria; †Karl Landsteiner Institut für implantierbare Hörsysteme; and ‡Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Systematic Anatomy, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnabl
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolf-Magele
authors.forename: Stefan Marcel
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pok
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schoerg
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hirtler
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schloegel
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sprinzl
mesh_terms: D001299:Audiometry; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019736:Prostheses and Implants