RestorEar’s clinical and research collaborators are now recruiting for a brand new, first-in-humans clinical trial using RestorEar products. This study, titled “Investigation of a Device to Deliver Intra-Operative Therapeutic Hypothermia for Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implantation”, will examine the safety and efficacy of mild therapeutic hypothermia during cochlear implant surgery to preserve residual hearing. 

You may remember this blog post from May where we talked about the details of the study and our new product, ReSurg. Now, we are one step closer to getting ReSurg into the field.

Cochlear implants (CI) provide life changing benefits to thousands of people who have hearing loss. CI technology has advanced tremendously over the past few decades, combining electrical and acoustic stimulation of the ear in tandem with the ear’s natural low frequency residual hearing. This combined approach leads to better hearing of speech, melodies, and even instruments. 

During cochlear implant surgery, the surgeon threads tiny wires through the patient’s inner ear, or cochlea, which are used to stimulate the nerve, allowing them to hear. However, this implantation can also lead to damage to the delicate hair cells of the inner ear and spiral ganglion neurons– structures that are essential for hearing. 30-50% of individuals with CIs experienced loss of residual hearing after surgery.