Patent ID: 7922647

Claim:
A method for implanting a hearing aid in a patient so as to extend percutaneously into the patient's outer ear canal, said method comprising: providing an elongate shaft having an outer wall surrounding at least one elongate lumen extending through said shaft to a distal end; tunneling said shaft from a location behind the patient's pinna to a position said shaft distal end in subcutaneous tissue proximate to said patient's ear canal; inserting an elongate tool through said lumen so as to position a tool cutting edge proximate to said shaft distal end; advancing said tool cutting edge past said shaft distal end to form a percutaneous hole opening into said ear canal; providing a hearing aid housing having a stud projecting therefrom; and transporting said housing through said lumen to said shaft distal end to position said stud in said percutaneous hole opening into said ear canal.