Local medical company develops revolutionary device for hearing loss
April 14, 2021
Hearing loss affects more than 48 million U.S. citizens, but one tech developer in White Bear Lake is on the front lines creating innovative solutions.
Envoy Medical started out as St. Croix Medical in the mid-1990s, but it moved into the White Bear Lake area in the early 2000s. Brent Lucas, a resident of North Oaks, is the CEO of the company.
“You don’t hear about medical device companies on the east side of the city; that’s one of the things we love about White Bear Lake,” Lucas said.
In 2010, the company released the Esteem middle ear implant, which was recently the subject of a prominent study in the Journal of Laryngology & Otology. The study was authored by Dr. William McFeely of North Alabama ENT Associates, who followed up with 116 patients who received an Esteem implant between 2011 and 2016. The study showed statistically significant improvements in post-operative hearing and reinforced the safety and efficacy of this surgical hearing loss option.