Cochlear Ltd. Reveals Next-Gen, 3T MRI-Conditional Osia Implant

Cochlear Limited introduced its next-gen Cochlear Osia implantable hearing system, which can undergo a 3T MRI, for improved hearing outcomes for patients with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD).

The OSI300 implant, according to the company, is the first to enable MRI scans at both 1.5T and 3T without needing surgery. The benefit was made possible via Osia’s Piezo Power transducer not having magnetic material, and the next generation in implant magnet tech.

Cochlear said OSI300 was designed to support MRI access without performance degradation after MRI exposure, since there’s nothing to be demagnetized in an electromagnetic transducer. Axial magnets found in most bone conduction implants are unsuitable for a 3T MRI scan, so OSI300 uses a diametric magnet in a casing that rotates to align with the MRI machine’s magnetic field.

“Not only does the new design allow for MRI scans at 3.0 T without surgery or the need for a headwrap or splint kit; we have also designed the magnet cassette to be simple to remove if needed. The easy removal of the implant magnet reduces image artifact, an important consideration for maximum visibility of areas around the implant. Both features mean less MRI preparation time and less time without sound, which is beneficial to both recipients and professionals,” Ryan Lopez, Head of Portfolio Strategy & Professional Marketing at Cochlear, told the press.

“The use of 3.0 T scanners is increasing and becoming more common. 3.0 T scanners help in the proper diagnosis of many neurologic, orthopedic and oncology conditions. It is important that patients don’t face any obstacles to this type of care, and I am glad Cochlear has kept this in mind in their new Osia System,” added Dr. Brian Kaplan, SVP, Global Clinical Strategy and Innovation at Cochlear, Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology, and Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, said.

Osia was launched in 2020 and according to Cochlear is the world’s first active osseointegrated bone conduction (OSI), a new category of bone conduction hearing solutions that uses digital piezoelectric stimulation to bypass damaged areas of the natural hearing system to send sound vibrations directly to the cochlea.

“An improvement in the ability of patients to undergo high-resolution MRI scans with our technology was the number one request we heard from customers. With the new system, patients with an active bone conduction system can conveniently undergo MRI at 1.5 T and at 3.0 T with no impact to their hearing—MRI should be accessible to everyone,” said Dig Howitt, president and CEO of Cochlear.