3M/Vienna single-channel cochlear implant
In 1981, the 3M Corporation entered into a licence and support agreement with the Vienna group involving the commercialisation of their cochlear implant system, and the device subsequently became known as the 3M/Vienna cochlear implant.[4] Clinical evaluations demonstrated that some patients could achieve substantial open-set word recognition without visual cues.[6] However, a redesign that replaced the intracochlear electrode with an extracochlear electrode resulted in diminished speech performance, and 3M's commercial involvement ultimately ended.[4] Comparative studies found that, while the Vienna single-channel implant provided meaningful auditory benefit, multi-channel designs from other manufacturers generally allowed users to recognise more environmental sounds and understand speech more effectively in sound-only conditions.[7] The Vienna group subsequently founded MED-EL in order to pursue a multi-channel design incorporating Blake Wilson's CIS-strategy.[4]
In 1989, the Hochmair’s decided to create their own hearing implant company: MED-EL GmbH. As Erwin Hochmair had been awarded a professorship at the University of Innsbruck,[8] they decided to found the company in the city and hired their first three employees in 1990.[9] In 1991, they developed the world’s first behind-the-ear (BTE) audio processor.[10] Instead of being attached to the body, this audio processor was worn behind the ear in the same way as a conventional hearing aid.
In 1995, MED-EL developed the CIS LINK system: an audio processor that allowed users of the Ineraid implant to use the recently developed CIS sound coding strategy, despite the fact that Ineraid had discontinued further development on their implants.[11]
In 2003, the company acquired the Vibrant Soundbridge, a new type of active middle ear implant pioneered by American inventor Geoffrey Ball.[12] It was MED-EL’s first non-cochlear implant product. Further non-cochlear implant products followed with the Bonebridge active bone conduction implant in 2012 and the Adhear non-surgical bone conduction system in 2017.[10]
MED-EL operates in over 100 countries worldwide including Europe, America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.[13] There are around 200,000 MED-EL users around the world.[14]
The company opened its own hearing museum, the Audioversum Science Centre, in 2013. The science centre is located in central Innsbruck.[15]
