An interventional study of Intra-Ear Canal Cooling Catheter in Cochlear Implants, Cochlear Implantation and Hearing Loss, sponsored by Restorear Devices LLC. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-23.
Sponsored by Restorear Devices LLC · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The goal of this interventional clinical study is to investigate the use of mild therapeutic hypothermia for preservation of residual hearing in cochlear implant surgery. The main questions the trial aims to answer are:
Participants will receive mild therapeutic hypothermia therapy during cochlear implant surgery. Researchers will compare results from those receiving the therapy to those from a control group (individuals receiving no therapy).
Cochlear implants (CI) have dramatically changed the treatment and prognosis for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. With the recent advent of electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS), the combined acoustic amplification at low frequencies with electrical stimulation of high frequency cochlear regions promises to benefit patients with even partial residual hearing by improving difficult listening situations like speech-in-noise and music appreciation. Unfortunately, trauma associated with the implant surgery results in inflammation, mechanical and vascular damage, and loss of remaining sensory hair cells (HC) and neurons. As a result, more than 44% of EAS patients lose residual hearing post-CI surgery and the residual hearing deteriorates by more than 30 dB over time in a majority of patients. This loss of residual hearing post-CI surgery has been the primary barrier for an extended application of CI/EAS.
This clinical trial will evaluate a novel mild therapeutic hypothermia device as an effective therapy to preserve residual hearing post-CI. This system does not require modification of the current surgery or CI devices and will deliver localized, controlled mild hypothermia to the sensitive inner ear structures. With preclinical published results, the investigators have already shown that localized hypothermia during CI surgery is highly effective and safe for residual hearing preservation. Here, the investigators will investigate the implementation of a therapy that benefits patients undergoing CI by improving post-surgical audiological outcomes. Extensive prior commercialization and development experience, intellectual property and engineering expertise coupled with the investigators' collaborators' clinical expertise in Otolaryngology and Audiology will ensure the successful clinical and commercial outcome of this therapy.
Overall, the aim of this clinical trial is:
Validate the clinical applicability, safety and efficacy of the system and device assembly for preservation of residual hearing after CI surgery. The device and hypothermia delivery system will be tested on adult patients undergoing CI surgery at the University of Miami. For clinical translation, the investigators aim to demonstrate that the application of hypothermia combined with the current standard of care for cochlear implantation for residual hearing preservation (steroids) is effective. The investigators hypothesize that the hypothermia application will not negatively impact CI function in patients (safety) and will improve early audiologic outcomes (efficacy) compared to the current standard of care in CI surgeries. The investigators will utilize clinically relevant pre-surgical, intra-operative and post-surgical measures in groups of patients receiving the standard of care and hypothermia therapy.
Preliminary and published preclinical data, and an existing system and device have been constructed for this clinical trial. The proposed therapy and device design for CI surgeries represent a non-pharmaceutical therapeutic strategy to preserve residual hearing.
796 studies on the registry are indexed under Hearing Loss; 193 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 54 is above the median of 44 across 561 interventional studies indexed under Hearing Loss.
Browse Hearing Loss studies →Restorear Devices LLC is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.
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Potential participants for the study are patients who have been diagnosed with severe to profound hearing loss (HL) and plan to undergo cochlear implantation (CI) at the University of Miami. The cochlear implant surgery, pre and post-surgical care, and activation and programming of the implant are part of the participants' standard of care. If the inclusion criteria are met (age 18 years and older, equal number of men and women, profound sensorineural hearing loss (for safety study n=6) and residual hearing (see criteria below) from pre-surgical auditory brainstem response (ABR) (for efficacy study n=48), equal numbers of CI devices from all 3 manufactures and English or Spanish speakers the patient will be approached by the study personnel and will be asked to participate in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects under 18 years of age. Subjects not meeting functional hearing requirements.
Types of CI devices:
The study will enroll patients receiving CI devices from all three manufactures.
Advanced Bionics (FDA indications - severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (greater than or equal to 70 dB HL)
Cochlear Corporation (FDA indications - moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss; sentence recognition less than or equal to 50% in the ear to be implanted AND less than or equal to 60% in the contralateral ear
Med-EL (moderately-severe to severe sensorineural hearing loss (greater than or equal to 65 db HL).
Additional patients receiving devices not listed here may be eligible as the criteria by manufacturer change.
Aim 1: Ascertain the safety of the system and device in patients undergoing cochlear implantation (CI). Mild therapeutic hypothermia will be delivered to the subjects during CI surgery via the ear canal.
Device: Intra-Ear Canal Cooling Catheter
Aim 2: Ascertain the applicability and efficacy of the device and system in patients undergoing cochlear implantation (CI). Half of the candidates will receive mild therapeutic hypothermia via the ear canal during cochlear implant surgery.
Device: Intra-Ear Canal Cooling Catheter
Aim 2: Ascertain the applicability and efficacy of the device and system in patients undergoing cochlear implantation (CI). Half of the candidates will receive standard of care (no cooling) during cochlear implant surgery.
Mild therapeutic hypothermia will be applied via the catheter device installed inside the ear canal by an experienced surgeon during cochlear implantation (CI) surgery.
Pure Tone Audiometry
Pure-tone average (PTA) of 125, 250 and 500 Hz which will be tested post-operatively in the safety and efficacy arms to measure residual hearing. A clinically significant change in hearing is greater than 10 dB HL (decibels hearing level) shift.
Time frame: At initial cochlear implant activation or 1 month post-operatively; 3 and 12 months post-operatively
Electrophysiological Impedance
Per standard of care, electrophysiological impedances will be compared between groups intra- and post-operatively to measure CI device and electrode function. Impedances will be measured in the safety and efficacy arms.
Time frame: Immediately post-operatively/during surgery; at initial cochlear implant activation/1 month post-operatively; 3 and 12 months post-operatively
Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potential (ECAP)
Per standard of care, ECAP will be compared between groups intra- and post-operatively to test CI device function. ECAP will be measured in the safety and efficacy arms.
Time frame: Immediately post-operatively/during surgery; at initial cochlear implant activation/1 month post-operatively
Plan to share: No
Started Sep 2024 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2027, 30 months after the start.
Of 125 industry-sponsored interventional studies with no phase under Hearing Loss, half reached primary completion within 5 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 2 and three quarters within 15. This study's planned 30 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 321 studies reached it within 19 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 42.
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