We can’t argue that cochlear implants have transformed the lives of thousands of people affected by deafness. However, like many medical devices at some point in their existence, the limitations of current technology don’t put cochlear implants at the top of the list in terms of convenience. The primary issues stem from the fact that a good deal of the implant’s circuitry, such as the microphone, processor, and transmitter, are external.

For kids, it makes things inconvenient when doing physical activities, such as swimming (although this fortunately is changing). For adults, having wires coming out of their head isn’t in style (yet), and the implant can give off the perception of being handicapped. On the engineering end of things, the delicate wires that connect the microphone to the transmitter coil are not always designed to withstand the rigors that our heads endure.

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OmniGuide out of Cambridge, MA is releasing its new FELS-25A Intelliguide surgical laser for minimally invasive surgery.  The CO2 laser system has a relatively small footprint, a touchscreen for controlling various parameters like the cooling gas supply, and the ability to supply continuous, single pulse, and repeated pulse energy for cutting, cauterization, or ablation.

The device already has FDA approval.

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Oral cancers in developing countries can be a major public health issue if left unchecked. In some areas the lack of dentists or dental nurses can make routine dental check-ups impossible. To overcome this problem, researchers from Stanford have developed a new smart-phone-based diagnostic device to enable earlier diagnosis of these oral lesions.

Manu Prakash, PhD, an assistant professor of bioengineering has engineered a device called the OScan which works with a smartphone to create detailed images of the oral cavity and screens the mouths for suspicious oral lesions. The OScan, is approximately the size of a packet of gum and clips to the camera of any smartphone. It contains two rows of fluorescent light emitting diodes which illuminate the mouth and highlight lesions and dark spots. Naturally the presence of the smartphone allows for the transmission of images to a remote site for diagnosis if necessary.

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Siemens released a new hearing aid at the AudiologyNOW! conference of the American Academy of Audiology being held in Boston these days. The new device can be placed discretely deep in the ear canal. A replaceable foam cylinder makes it possible to position the aid directly in front of the eardrum. Two different performance levels are available, for light and mild hearing loss.

The hearing aid is equipped with XCEL technology which manages the balance between speech amplification and background noise. The algorithms in the technology facilitate easy listening even for inexperienced hearing-aid wearers without overwhelming their ears with new unfamiliar sounds. Speech remains clear and comprehensible, while the sound quality can be adjusted to the individual wants and needs of the wearer. The XCEL technology is also available in the following hearing aids upon market launch: Motion SX, Motion P, Pure and Pure Carat.

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Oticon has unveiled a new hearing aid designed for first time hearing aid users that’s effectively invisible when inserted into the ear.

The Intigai, a custom built device, is being introduced at the American Academy of Audiology AudiologyNOW! conference in Boston.

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ImThera of San Diego, CA received the CE Mark to bring its aura6000 system for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to Europe.  The system includes an implantable neurostimulator with electrode leads going to the hypoglossal nerve that controls the movement of the tongue.  Using a paired remote control, patients can turn the device on and off, as well as wirelessly recharge it as necessary.

The aura6000 acts like a pacemaker for the tongue, cycling through stimulating different muscles of the organ to open the upper airway during sleep.

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Bovie Medical received FDA clearance for its J-Plasma handpiece with retractable cutting feature for coagulating soft tissue during surgeries. It is available for both open and laparoscopic procedures.

The device is powered by a previously approved Bovie GS electrosurgical generator.

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Via an FCC filing we learn of a new device from Shenzhen, China-based Sensixa that can measure and record the movement and orientation of one’s head. The ear-worn device, called e-AR, is actually designed to mimic the human vestibular system that keeps you walking straight and tells you if you’ve ridden too many roller coasters. Besides the three-dimensional accelerometer, the e-AR also contains a microcontroller, battery, flash memory for storing data, and a radio for transmitting the data to a receiving unit.

The e-AR is currently being investigated for use by athletes for such applications as monitoring the effects of painful football hits, but Sensixa is also looking into the device being worn by senior citizens for those times when you’ve fallen and you can’t get up.

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The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas kicks off today, but the recipients of this year’s annual CES Innovations Awards have already been announced.

As in past years, one of the award categories includes innovations in health and wellness. Like last year, hearing aids were notable in the list of award recipients. Both Able Planet Incorporated and Starkey Laboratories, Inc. won the award again for their technologically advanced and nearly invisible hearing devices.

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Panasonic has released the new R1-W Series Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) hearing aids.  The devices feature Bluetooth connectivity and can interface with Bluetooth enabled phones, computers, and anything else comporting to the standard.

The Hearing Hub that facilitates this can also be used to record voice memos such as reminders in files up to 2 minutes 40 seconds long.

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