Monthly Archives: January 2026

Stronger Hearing Backed by Science

Sentio Study Results Published

A newly published clinical study in Otology & Neurotology confirms what many Sentio™ users already know: our newest bone conduction hearing system helps people hear more clearly and more comfortably than ever before. Conducted across six major European hospitals, the research highlights the meaningful impact of the Sentio System over the first six months after implantation. ¹

Key Takeaways

  • The Sentio System can help those with conductive hearing loss (CHL), mixed hearing loss (MHL), and single-sided deafness (SSD) hear more clearly by sending sound vibrations through bone instead of the ear canal.
  • Participants in the study showed major improvements in hearing ability and speech understanding, including in noisy listening conditions.
  • Surgery is fairly quick, with a fast recovery, and most participants reported little to no discomfort.
  • Over 90% of participants were highly satisfied with the Sentio System and most participants reportedly used their processor for the majority of their day on a regular basis.
  • Excellent safety outcomes with no serious device-related complications occurring.

If you’re living with conductive hearing loss (CHL), mixed hearing loss (MHL), or single-sided deafness (SSD), you know how challenging everyday listening can be. Traditional hearing aids aren’t always the best solution, especially when the middle ear isn’t functioning properly. That’s where bone conduction devices (BCDs) come in.

What Are Bone Conduction Devices?

BCDs work differently from traditional hearing aids. Instead of sound passing through the ear canal and middle ear, and then to the cochlea in the inner ear, BCDs capture the sound in the environment,  amplify it, and turn it into vibrations that travel through the bones of the skull directly to the cochlea in the inner ear. This makes BCDs an excellent option for people who don’t benefit from traditional hearing aids.

BCDs come in two primary types: skin-drive systems, where vibrations pass through the skin, and direct-drive systems, where vibrations are delivered directly to the bone, without having to pass through the skin, enabling louder sound. The Sentio System uses an active transcutaneous direct-drive approach, combining the efficient sound transmission of a direct drive system with a discreet, under the skin implant. A small external sound processor attaches magnetically to the internal component, with the sound processor picking up sound and sending it to the implant. The sound processor and implant are the smallest available today.2

Initial Findings from the Sentio Study

In this study, researchers from multiple European hospitals followed 51 adults who received the implant and measured their hearing outcomes over the first six months. These participants will continue to be followed for up to 24 months, and these longer-term findings will also be published.

The results were overwhelmingly positive. The researchers found that the Sentio System provides powerful improvements in hearing ability, with participants experiencing an average of 32.8 dB improvement in hearing, which is a difference that has real-life impacts. The ability to understand speech also improved with the Sentio System. Excitingly, participants scored an average of 98% correct on speech-understanding tests in quiet. Even in the most noisy and challenging environments, the Sentio System was able to help participants understand speech better.

The Sentio System was also reported by participants to be comfortable and easy to use. Most participants wore their device for eight hours or more each day, and many participants reported a natural listening experience in their daily lives.  The recovery after the short surgery was straightforward as well. Incisions healed quickly, discomfort was minimal, and participants were able to begin using their new hearing system shortly after.

In the six months following the surgery, there were no serious device-related complications, and while some minor issues, such as inflammation, occurred after the surgery, most of these occurrences were mild to moderate and most resolved quickly.

Summary

Big improvements in hearing

  • Participants had an average hearing improvement of 32.8 dB, a significant improvement that can have impactful real-life benefits.
  • Speech understanding in quiet listening conditions improved by an average of 52% with participants scoring an average of 98% accuracy on speech understanding when using their Sentio System.
  • When tested with background noise, speech understanding also improved with the Sentio System. On average, the Sentio System enabled participants to understand speech better when there was even more noise in the background (3 dB more noise in fact).

A simple and smooth surgery

  • On average, the surgical procedure took less than one hour.
  • By two weeks, the implant site was completely healed for all participants.
  • Most participants reported little or no pain following the placement of the Sentio implant.
  • There were no serious device-related complications, and adverse events were minor (e.g., temporary skin irritation or mild headaches) and improved over time.

High satisfaction and quality of life improvements

  • 96% of participants reported improvements in their overall quality of life after receiving their Sentio System.
  • The majority of participants reported that the sound quality was natural-sounding.
  • The majority of participants used their sound processor for at least eight hours a day.
  • 92% of participants reported being overall satisfied with their experience with the Sentio System.

The Sentio System: A Powerful Alternative

If traditional hearing aids haven’t worked, or you’ve been told they’re not an option, the Sentio System may offer a powerful alternative.

The results of this study align with what our mission has always been: to give people a clearer, more confident connection to the world around them all with freedom of choice. Backed by peer-reviewed clinical evidence, Sentio combines advanced hearing performance, comfort, and reliability, making it a strong choice for anyone seeking a modern, effective hearing solution.  Now is the perfect time to speak with your audiologist or hearing care provider to see if the Sentio System is right for you.

References

  1. Hol, Myrthe Karianne Sophie,; Aukema, Tjerk Winusa; Ubbink, Sander Wilhelmus Johannesa; Lindholm, Dennis; Holmberg, Marcus; Arndt, Susan; Wolf, Stefanie; Monksfield, Peter; Marwa, Mihalache; Lenarz, Thomase; Busch, Susane; Tysome, James; Asher, Abif; Kok, Hermang; Mylanus Emmanuel Antonius, Maria. A Prospective, Multicenter Clinical Investigation on the Safety and Performance of a New Active Transcutaneous Bone-Anchored Implant System. Otology & Neurotology ():10.1097/MAO.0000000000004706, November 17, 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000004706
  2. Sentio implant and sound processor physical features and comparison to other devices (Doc-00123204)

Danica Loves Her New Sentio System

We would like to thank Casey J., Danica’s mother, for giving us permission to share Danica’s experience with her new Sentio™ System.

Our beautiful, funny, brave, smart as a whip, spunky, and sassy Danica was born with microtia and aural atresia. We later learned her microtia and atresia were part of a craniofacial condition called Hemifacial Microsomia, which for Danica, also affects her skull, right eye, soft palate, jaw, mouth and facial nerves. Due to these conditions, Danica has severe conductive hearing loss in her right ear. She also has mild-moderate loss in her left due to a history of ear infections and a perforated eardrum that never healed.

Danica has worn a bone achored hearing system (BAHS) since she was seven-months-old. First on a soft headband, and then she had surgery at six-years-old so she could wear it on an abutment.  Just recently, she made the decision to be implanted with the new Oticon Medical Sentio System, which allows her to wear her bone conduction device on a magnet.

Danica loves how much lighter the processor is, how there’s little to no feedback at all…especially when her thick hair rubs against it. She loves how she can wear it under her hair and no one knows it’s there. She loves how she can wear her bulky headphones with the device and it doesn’t touch them (all the cool kids are wearing the bulky headphones apparently, LOL) and she loves how clear everything sounds!

Danica recently had an audiology follow-up to assess how well her Sentio is helping her and to make any adjustments. She’s so resilient, I often forget how hard of hearing she really is. Her Sentio is bringing her hearing loss up to a slight-mild loss, which is amazing considering her loss is so severe. The audiologist made a few adjustments, and we were on our way.

She is so happy with her decision to get the Sentio magnet implanted, and it makes my mama heart happy, too. Oh, and report cards came out today; she got five A’s and one B. She really has to work so hard. I told her she must be so proud of herself. We know we are.

Please join us in congratulating Danica on her new Sentio System! We also thank her and Casey for their ongoing support of the hard of hearing and microtia communities.