Take a Look Inside Our Surgical Training Lab

Our Innsbruck headquarters is filled with secrets. There are anechoic chambers (echo-free rooms) where we experiment with sound simulations. There are cleanrooms where our electrode arrays are carefully handcrafted. And there are testing rooms where we check that our audio processors can deal with dust and water.

But our favorite room might just be the Training Lab. Hidden behind a door just to the right of reception, it’s filled with state-of-the-art equipment—from surgical robots like HEARO to drilling stations where surgeons can hone their technique.

Around 60 times a year, ENT surgeons around the world come to workshops at the Training Lab where they can get hands-on experience with MED-EL’s vast range of hearing solutions. They use 3D-printed temporal bones—the part of the skull behind the ear—to practice implanting everything from cochlear implants to BONEBRIDGE. All this helps surgeons and hearing professionals stay well-practiced and up-to-date on the best surgical techniques for MED-EL hearing implants.

There are also training opportunities for non-surgeons: professional visitors, MED-EL employees, and even MED-EL recipients visit the lab. Let’s take a closer look at what you can do inside it!

A State-of-the-Art Lab

At first glance, the lab looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Then there’s the equipment itself. There are seven stations, each equipped with high-tech microscopes, plus all the surgical tools needed to practice drilling. Above each one, there’s also a screen so surgeons can see what they’re doing in detail.

Even the sides of the lab are filled with wonders: from the latest MED-EL products to giant screens where you can watch someone else at work.

Up Close With Electrodes

The electrode array is the slim “tail” of the cochlear implant that winds into the cochlea. It acts as a bridge between nature and technology, stimulating the cochlea with electronic signals that the brain interprets as sound. MED-EL has incredibly soft and flexible electrodes. This is so they can reach the very tip of the cochlea for closest to natural hearing, while also preserving the delicate structures of the inner ear.

In the surgical lab, surgeons can practice inserting electrodes into model cochleae. As with so many things, practice makes perfect, so the opportunity to try this over and over in a controlled environment is invaluable.

Surgery the Virtual Way

Another important skill for any ENT surgeon is drilling. Enter our virtual drilling tool, which lets surgeons (and non-surgeons!) practice drilling techniques. The tool consists of a haptic device that lets you feel the force from virtual objects. The motions are reflected on a screen in front of you.

Hands-on Practice

Thanks to 3D-printed temporal bones, visitors to the training lab can also have a go at drilling with real equipment. Surgeons use these realistic models to practice with all sorts of hearing solutions—including BONEBRIDGE, VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE, and cochlear implants.

All in all, the training lab lets us support ENT surgeons and other hearing professionals so we can give our implant recipients the best hearing experience possible.

Want more behind-the-scenes insights from MED-EL? Check out these articles:

• How a MED-EL Cochlear Implant Is Made
• Cochlear Implant Makers Talk About Their Work
• Visiting the Sound Factory