Ear implant aims to silence ringing in the head
NCT ID NCT06641999
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests an experimental device called the Tinnitus Implant System for adults with moderate to severe chronic tinnitus. The implant is placed behind the ear and sends electrical signals to the hearing nerve. Researchers will measure how much tinnitus loudness changes over 6 months in 16 participants. The goal is to see if the implant can help control tinnitus symptoms.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 16 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria * 18 years or older. * Normal hearing to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss defined as a pure tone average (PTA) at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz less than 65 dB HL in both ears (separately) and best-aided phoneme recognition score more than or equal to 80% in both ears (separately). * Unilateral or asymmetric subjective (no pulsatile) tinnitus. In case of asymmetric tinnitus, the worst ear must be implanted. * Tinnitus duration of at least 6 months. * Severe tinnitus loudness determined by a. VAS-L score in the severe range i.e. 50-100/100 b. TFI score in the severe range i.e. 52-90/100 * Tinnitus that is intractable and has not been ameliorated satisfactorily by standard of care such as CBT or hearing aid, when such interventions are potentially clinically indicated. * Clinically significant reduction in VAS-L score (≥ 15/100 points) in response to trans-tympanic promontory stimulation * Willing and able to provide written informed consent. * Medically able to use the device and to undergo general anaesthesia for implantation taking into account their medical condition, contraindications and surgical risks. * Dutch language proficiency Exclusion Criteria: * Pulsatile tinnitus. * Any anatomical or structural abnormalities of the inner ear, cochlear nerve, or brainstem that would negatively impact response to study intervention (determined in a temporal bone CT and if necessary (e.g. possibility of vestibular/acoustic schwannoma) by a MRI scan of the head (of sufficient quality at the discretion of the investigator) not more than five years old at the time of enrolment * Medical contraindications limiting correct placement, activation, or treatment (determined by medical history; contraindications include brain or major ear surgery, brain or temporal bone tumor(s), recurrent ear infections within the last year, otosclerosis, prior major head trauma that results in sudden injury that causes damage to the brain and results in lasting cognitive impairment). * Any medical condition, including mental illness or substance abuse, deemed by the Investigator to likely interfere with a patient's ability to sign informed consent, cooperate and/or participate in the study, or interfere with the interpretation of the results (incl. pregnant or breastfeeding women or patients with unrealistic expectations). * Presence of clinically diagnosed depression or anxiety determined by a psychological state evaluation (if PHQ-9 \> 9 or GAD-7 \> 9). * Active (currently or within two months prior to enrolment) use of medications (taking regularly scheduled antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic or antiepileptic medications, or other neuromodulator agents) or other tinnitus treatments. * It is permissible to include people who use such medications at lower doses as a sleep aid or for people who intermittently use such medications for situational anxiety (e.g., Ativan before airplane travel). A change in medication during the trial should be avoided. * It is permissible to include people who prefer to use a hearing aid to amplify ipsilateral hearing loss. The start of using a hearing aid during the trial should be avoided. * Investigator site personnel directly affiliated with this study and/or their immediate families; immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling. * Cochlear employees or employees of Contract Research Organizations or contractors engaged by Cochlear for the purposes of this investigation. * Current participation, or participation in another interventional clinical study/trial in the past 60 days, involving an investigational drug or device (unless the other investigation was/is a Cochlear sponsored investigation and determined by the investigator or Sponsor to not impact this investigation).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites in 2 countries. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Antwerp University Hospital (UZA)
RECRUITINGEdegem, Belgium, B-2650, Belgium
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University Medical Center Utrecht
RECRUITINGUtrecht, 3508, Netherlands
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Turmeric compound tested against the ringing in millions of ears
- Hearing loss in children may hide a balance problem, and doctors are testing for it
- Could talking it out boost hearing aid success?
- Is hearing loss becoming a bigger cause of disability? a national study digs into the data
- Can an antiviral drug protect hearing in infants with congenital CMV?
- Rewiring the brain to silence Tinnitus's grip?