Contact lens for the ear comes onto the market

The Mannheim-based start-up Vibrosonic is launching its "hearing contact lens" on the market. The device is invisible and is said to be better than normal hearing aids.

Medtech Vibrosonic has launched its hearing contact lens on the market. The device, which is no bigger than a button, is inserted into the ear and is not visible. The behind-the-ear module with the battery can be flexibly removed, while the hearing contact lens remains in the ear. The contact lens for the ear is suitable for patients with mild to moderate hearing problems.

Unlike competitor products, the device sits directly on the eardrum and amplifies vibrations directly to the auditory ossicles. This mimics natural hearing as closely as possible and particularly low and very high tones are heard better and without feedback. "The low tones are crucial when listening to music, for example, because they make the sound richer," says CEO Dominik Kaltenbacher. "Being able to hear high tones well is important for understanding speech, because the coded overtones are what give a voice its character." The hearing system is suitable for people aged 18 and over and must be custom-made.

Vibrosonic was spun off from the Fraunhofer Project Group for Automation in Medicine and Biotechnology in 2016. The Tübingen University ENT Clinic was also involved. Vibrosonic now employs 27 people.