Cochlear & Hearing Implants

01 – Components

Integrated Ceramic Packaging for Implantable Hearing Devices

Cochlear implants have transformed the treatment of severe hearing loss and continue to evolve toward smaller, more connected, and increasingly sophisticated implantable systems.

As manufacturers develop next-generation hearing technologies, ceramic packaging plays an increasingly important role by combining long-term hermeticity, miniaturization, wireless functionality, and mechanical reliability.

SCT partners with leading hearing implant manufacturers to develop integrated ceramic packaging solutions, combining ceramic casings and hermetic feedthroughs to support the next generation of implantable hearing devices.

Medical devices Afnor Certification

02 – Technical challenges

Challenges We Help Solve

Implantable hearing devices require packaging solutions capable of protecting sensitive electronics while supporting wireless communication, miniaturization, and long-term implant reliability.

Long-Term Hermeticity

Protecting implant electronics from body fluids throughout the lifetime of the device.

Miniaturization

Supporting increasingly compact implant architectures without compromising reliability.

Wireless Communication & Power Transfer

Ceramic materials enable RF data transmission and inductive power transfer for increasingly connected implantable systems.

Biocompatibility

Materials selected for long-term implantable medical applications.

Mechanical Reliability

Robust ceramic-to-metal assemblies designed for long-term daily use.

Fully Implantable Systems

Packaging technologies supporting the next generation of fully implantable hearing devices.

02 – Applications

Applications

SCT supports manufacturers developing a wide range of implantable hearing devices.

Implants cochléaires

Cochlear Implants

Integrated ceramic packaging solutions for cochlear implants, including partially and fully implantable systems.

Technologies auditives de nouvelle génération

Next-Generation Hearing Technologies

Advanced packaging solutions compatible with wireless communication, inductive charging, and next-generation implantable architectures.

02 – Products

Products We Develop

SCT develops complete ceramic packaging solutions tailored to the technical requirements of each implant platform.

Boîtiers céramiques

01

Ceramic Casings

Hermetic ceramic enclosures supporting miniaturization, RF transparency, and long-term implant reliability.

Traversées hermétiques

02

Hermetic Feedthroughs

Reliable electrical interfaces connecting internal electronics while maintaining hermeticity.

Traversées CerMet haute densité

03

CerMet Miniaturized Feedthrough Technology

Advanced interconnection technology supporting increasingly compact implant architectures.

Supporting Capabilities

From early-stage development to long-term production, SCT supports customers throughout the product lifecycle.

Research & Innovation

Developing advanced ceramic materials and packaging technologies for future implantable hearing devices.

Product Development

Co-developing robust implantable packaging solutions tailored to each hearing device.

Industrialization

Preparing products for reliable series production while meeting demanding medical quality requirements.

Materials

Selecting biocompatible ceramic, metal, and brazing technologies for long-term implantable applications.

Quality Assurance

Supporting each project according to its specific quality, inspection, documentation, and regulatory requirements.

Our quality approach is built around your requirements.

06 – FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are ceramic casings used in cochlear and hearing implants?

Ceramic casings provide long-term hermeticity while remaining biocompatible and transparent to radio-frequency (RF) signals. Unlike metallic housings, ceramics allow wireless communication without compromising the protection of the implant’s sensitive electronics.

SCT develops customized ceramic casings that combine hermeticity, miniaturization, and RF performance to support the next generation of implantable hearing devices.

Why combine the ceramic casing and hermetic feedthrough?

The ceramic casing and hermetic feedthrough form a single packaging system. Developing both components together helps ensure precise alignment, optimized hermetic sealing, and improved mechanical integration.

By designing and manufacturing both the ceramic casing and the feedthrough, SCT simplifies integration, reduces development risks, and helps optimize the overall performance of the implant.

How do ceramics support wireless communication?

Modern hearing implants rely on wireless communication to exchange data with external devices and clinicians. Ceramic materials are naturally transparent to radio-frequency (RF) signals, allowing reliable data transmission without sacrificing mechanical strength or hermeticity.

SCT develops ceramic packaging solutions that support RF transparency while maintaining the long-term reliability required for implantable medical devices.

What is inductive power transfer?

Inductive power transfer allows energy to be transmitted wirelessly between an external device and an implanted system using electromagnetic fields. This technology is becoming increasingly important as manufacturers develop smaller and more sophisticated implantable hearing devices.

SCT develops ceramic packaging solutions that support inductive power transfer while protecting sensitive electronics through robust hermetic sealing.

Why is hermeticity so important for implantable hearing devices?

Implantable electronics must remain protected from body fluids throughout the lifetime of the device. Even microscopic leaks can compromise the performance and reliability of sensitive electronic components.

SCT has decades of experience developing hermetic ceramic-to-metal assemblies that help manufacturers achieve the long-term reliability expected from implantable medical devices.

How does ceramic packaging support miniaturization?

As hearing implants become smaller, engineers must integrate more functionality into increasingly compact devices while maintaining reliability and wireless performance.

SCT works closely with customers to co-develop compact ceramic casings and hermetic feedthroughs that support miniaturization without compromising manufacturability or long-term performance.