Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services First in Southwest Michigan to Provide SoundBite™ Hearing System for Patients with Single-Sided Deafness
Novel bone conduction technology now available in non-invasive device
Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services now offers SoundBite™ Hearing System, an innovative approach to treating patients with single-sided deafness (SSD), a loss of hearing in one ear. SoundBite is the world’s first removable and non-surgical hearing solution to use the well-established principle of bone conduction to imperceptibly transmit sound via the teeth to the inner ear. It is designed to help people regain their spatial hearing ability and rejoin the conversation of life.
Sound waves travel through either air or bone to arrive at our inner ears. Positively different, SoundBite takes advantage of a person’s natural teeth structures as the bone conductor to transfer sound vibrations to the cochlea of the inner ear where they are perceived as clear, high quality sound. In this way, the sensation of quality, directional hearing is restored to the impaired ear. Many familiar sounds are heard through bone conduction, such as chattering your teeth, crunching on potato chips, or scratching your scalp.
“Bone conduction has long been recognized as one of the most effective methods for bringing sound to patients with single-sided deafness. Using the SoundBite System, we can custom-fit patients with a non-invasive, high-tech solution that does not require surgery, a permanent implant, or lengthy delay for the implant to take hold,” said Dr. Kasewurm. “A significant improvement over existing technology, SoundBite treatment process takes only a few weeks -- from start to finish. This represents a new, elegant option to offer our patients who suffer from this debilitating condition,” added Dr. Terry McIlvaine, Audiologist at Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services.
In the United States, an estimated 50,000 people per year experience unilateral hearing loss, typically caused by viral infections, Menieres disease, head or ear trauma, or through surgical intervention to remove acoustic neuromas or other brain tumor removal procedures. About 160,000 people worldwide per year acquire SSD.
Unlike bone-anchored hearing aids that use a surgical implant in the skull, SoundBite Hearing System consists of two user-friendly components. One piece is an easy to insert and remove In-The-Mouth (ITM) hearing device, which is custom made to fit around the upper, left or right back molar teeth. The other component is a small Behind-The-Ear (BTE) microphone unit that tucks behind and inside the impaired ear. SoundBite is nearly invisible when worn. No dental work or modifications to the teeth are required. Both components have rechargeable batteries, and a system charger is also provided.
Merging the well-known principles of bone conduction together with advanced wireless and sound processing technology, SoundBite delivers several important advantages:
· No surgery required. SoundBite requires no invasive surgery, drilling into the skull or the risk of surgical complications. No dental alterations to teeth are required.
· Simple and easy. Treatment is simple and easy. There is no downtime, healing or waiting until the titanium screw and skull tissue to integrate before the device can be worn.
· Completely removable. SoundBite is removable, and because is it non-invasive, there are no permanent components implanted in the head.
· Virtually invisible.SoundBite is aesthetically discreet, effortless to wear and compatible with active lifestyles. There is no visible box worn on the outside of the head.
· Clinically proven efficacy. Numerous scientific studies demonstrating the superior benefits of SoundBite technology have been published in peer-reviewed professional journals
· Comfort and ease of use. SoundBite is custom made for each patient, ensuring a proper and comfortable fit. Patients can continue to eat, drink and bite down safely.
· Recommended by patients. In a clinical trial, 95% of SoundBite patients would recommend it to a friend who had single-sided deafness.
Clinical Validation
A multi-center clinical study conducted in 2011 validated that the device is safe, effective, and provides a substantial benefit for single-sided deafness patients. In particular, study results demonstrated that SoundBite improved hearing and the ability to understand speech, even in noisy environments. The device is currently cleared by the FDA to treat single-sided deafness.
SoundBite is appropriate for patients 18 years or older who suffer from moderately severe, severe, or profound sensorineural hearing loss in one ear and have normal hearing in the other ear. The system is intended for patients with sound oral health and tooth structures.
You are invited to learn more about SoundBite at afree educational seminar. At the seminar you will have the opportunity to experience the sound quality of the SoundBite device. Join us for an informational event, Thursday, October 16th at 3:30 PM at Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services, 511 Renaissance Drive, St. Joseph, MI.
Please RSVP to infodesk@prohear.net or call (269) 982-3444 now as space is limited.
Dr. Kasewurm is an audiologist and owner of Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services in St. Joseph, Michigan. Her practice has been serving the residents of Michigan’s Great Southwest for over 30 years and is a benchmark for practices across the country.
