Envoy Medical Corporation, a hearing health company focused on providing innovative technologies across the hearing loss spectrum, today announced the first patient has been enrolled and implanted in the Acclaim® Cochlear Implant early feasibility study at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
This surgery marks a key milestone for Envoy Medical on the road toward bringing the Acclaim Cochlear Implant to market. If approved by the FDA, the Acclaim would be the first-of-its-kind cochlear implant designed to be fully implanted and use the ear, rather than a microphone, to pick up sound.
The implantation surgery was conducted by Colin Driscoll, MD, practicing neurotologist, professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at Mayo Clinic, and principal investigator for this study. After a healing period, the Acclaim Cochlear Implant will be activated by Aniket Saoji, PhD, associate professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at Mayo Clinic and co-investigator of the study. Both investigators serve on Envoy Medical’s Cochlear Implant Advisory Board.
“We at Envoy Medical are extremely proud that our Acclaim early feasibility study is taking place at Mayo Clinic. There is a strong medical device history and culture here in Minnesota, and we are honored to add to that legacy,” said Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical. “This study is an important step towards demonstrating whether the fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant works as it was designed, turning the page to a new chapter in cochlear implants. We hope to change the status quo within the hearing industry, and I am so proud of our team for bringing this breakthrough technology to fruition—implantable medical devices are not for the faint of heart.”
Based on an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the early feasibility study for the Acclaim is expected to last 18 months and will be followed by a pivotal trial to support a Premarket Approval (PMA) application to the FDA.
Of the estimated 1.4-4 million adults with significant hearing loss in the U.S. who could benefit from cochlear implants, only roughly 5 percent of eligible adult candidates use cochlear implants.[1] Potential adult recipients often wait longer than they should to get existing partially implanted cochlear implants, and a reason often cited is the amount of external hardware.[2]
Patients interested in learning more about the study should contact Amy Pajula, customer experience manager, at apajula@envoymedical.com for more information.