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Bone conduction devices
Bone conduction devices are most commonly used when the outer ear or the middle ear are not able to transmit sound properly into the inner ear.
What is a bone conduction device?
A bone condition device is a hearing implant that converts sounds into vibrations that are sent to the inner ear via the bones in the head. Bone conducted hearing solutions are typically used by people who have a conductive hearing loss or a mixed hearing loss and whose outer ear or middle ear are not able to conduct sound properly into the inner ear. They may also be used in the event of an irritated, damaged or malformed ear canal. E.g. people who have atresia and microtia may benefit from a bone conduction device.
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Single-sided deafness
Bone conduction devices are also used to treat single-sided deafness (unilateral hearing loss) by sending sound from the non-hearing side to the hearing ear on the other side of the head.
How does a bone conduction device work?
Bone conduction devices make the skull behind the ear vibrate and the vibrations send signals through the bones to the inner ear. A bone conduction device does not rely on sound amplification like in the case of conventional hearing aids. Hearing through the bones is a normal way of hearing sounds. You hear approximately half of your own voice through the bone – that is why you feel your voice sounds different when you record it – you miss the part conducted by the bone. The vibrations are so small that you cannot feel them, but you can indeed hear them.
Bone conduction devices normally consist of two parts – an external and an internal one. The external part picks up sound and processes it, then sends it to the internal part which makes the bones vibrate. There are active and passive bone conduction devices. With an active bone conduction device, the skin stays intact.
Candidates for bone conduction devices must have a working cochlea that can send sound signals to the brain. Bone conduction can be considered for patients with hearing loss in one and both ears.
Surgical vs. non-surgical devices
In some bone conduction devices, the external sound processor / audio processor is attached directly to the skull and involves a minor surgery to place a small titanium implant in the bones behind the ear. A direct contact through the skin between the vibrating external part and the bone via an abutment gives efficient transmission and gives a good sound quality. Other systems, also consisting of a sound processor / audio processor and a completely implanted internal part, will provide stimulation leaving the skin intact. These systems also provide excellent sound quality. If you do not or cannot have a surgery (for instance for young children), there are non-surgical devices where the external sound processor is held against the skin either via a soft band or on an adhesive and discrete patch.
Although non-surgical solutions do not give the same hearing as implanted ones (you typically lose 10-20 dB as the sound must travel through hair and skin), it is critical to let young children hear sounds and they should be used as early as possible. Non-surgical solutions are also a way of testing how you will hear after.
Do not restore hearing
Patients with bone conduction devices generally hear very well and report a natural sound quality. This is because the inner ear is either completely healthy (in the case of conductive hearing loss) or only slightly damaged (in the case of mixed hearing loss) and the damaged part is by-passed by bone conduction devices.
Candidate for a bone conduction solution?
If you think that a bone conduction device may be relevant for you, you should contact an ENT-doctor or an audiologist.
Other types of implants:
Cochlear implants
Middle ear implant
Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI)
Hearing aids
advanced digital hearing solutions.
What is a cochlear implant
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https://www.medel.com/hearing-solutions/bonebridge
Bone Conduction Implant
BONEBRIDGE gives you great hearing, but that’s not all. It is the most advanced active bone conduction implant and is fully placed under the skin. In fact, you won’t even realise it’s there! Find out how BONEBRIDGE uses bone conduction to revolutionise your hearing.
Comfortable and Effective
BONEBRIDGE is an implant designed around you, the user. Being fully under your skin, the ergonomic implant doesn’t leave you with open wounds or skincare routines to worry about. The externally-worn SAMBA 2 Audio Processor sits comfortably on your head and its streamlined design makes it easy to hide under your hair.
But most importantly, BONEBRIDGE offers you great sound quality. MED-EL pioneered “under-the-skin” bone conduction implants when we introduced BONEBRIDGE over ten years ago. Thousands of happy users around the world show just how successful BONEBRIDGE is. And we’ve even combined this market experience with feedback from leading surgeons to create a second-generation BONEBRIDGE implant. For you, that means high-quality, comfortable hearing that you can rely on for years to come.
- Natural sound quality
- Placed fully under the skin
- Small and stylish audio processor
Awarded 2019 to the BONEBRIDGE BCI 602 Bone Conduction Implant.
How Does BONEBRIDGE Work?
With normal hearing, sound vibrations are sent through the outer and middle parts of the ear, and on to the inner ear. If you have conductive or mixed hearing loss, your outer or middle ear is damaged, and so sounds can’t reach your inner ear effectively.
But BONEBRIDGE can help. BONEBRIDGE picks up the sounds around you, and then sends them to your inner ear through the bones of your skull, bypassing your damaged outer and middle ears. If you have single-sided deafness, BONEBRIDGE can also be used to pick up sound vibrations on your bad side and send them through to the inner ear on your good side.
SAMBA 2
Audio Processor
- Lightest Audio Processor
- Stylish Design Covers
- Intelligent Hearing Technology
BONEBRIDGE
BCI 602 Implant
- Natural Sound Quality
- Placed Fully Under the Skin
- 1.5 Tesla MRI Without Surgery*
SAMBA 2
Audio Processor
SAMBA 2 is the latest generation of audio processor for SOUNDBRIDGE and BONEBRIDGE. With a sleek, intuitive design and intelligent hearing technology. It’s designed to make your hearing experience as simple as possible.
Comfortable to Wear
BONEBRIDGE is an active bone conduction implant that is fully implanted under the skin. For you, that means nothing sticking out through your skin, no open wounds, and therefore no daily skin care routines to worry about. You can simply put on your SAMBA 2 Audio Processor each morning, and forget about it for the rest of the day.
A Stylish Solution
Make BONEBRIDGE invisible. The SAMBA 2 Audio Processor is worn on your head, just behind your ear, and is held comfortably in place by magnets. This makes it easy to hide the compact SAMBA 2 under your hair. Alternatively, make your processor stand out from the crowd with the stylish SAMBA 2 Design Covers.
Made for the Future
A hearing implant is a decision for a lifetime, so it is important to choose a system you can rely on. BONEBRIDGE’s robust design is built to keep you hearing for many years to come and you can easily upgrade to the latest audio processor. The implant can undergo MRI scans at 1.5 Tesla with no surgery,* no discomfort and no hearing downtime, so you’re prepared for whatever the future might bring.** And because of our long and positive experience with MRIs, we even offer a life-long MRI guarantee for your implant.***
Experiences with BONEBRIDGE
BONEBRIDGE users tell us how their bone conduction implant has not only improved their hearing, but also their lives—at work, at home, and with friends and family.
“Today, I still can’t believe what a difference this small device can make!”
Daniela A., BONEBRIDGE user from Austria
User Stories
“It felt so natural, like I had been wearing it for years.”
The Next Steps
What can you expect next? Here’s an outline of the process of receiving a bone conduction implant.
1
Assessment
First, you’ll undergo routine assessments to ensure you’re a candidate for a bone conduction implant, and if there are any additional factors your implant team should consider. Your clinical team will walk you and your family through the specifics of what to expect in the following steps.
2
Implantation
To implant BONEBRIDGE, the surgical procedure is straightforward and usually lasts around 1 hour under general anaesthesia. Recipients are usually back on their feet the next day. Your hospital stay may last one or more days, depending on your individual needs and what’s typical in your area.
3
Activation
Usually, 1-2 weeks after implantation, you’ll have your first fitting. This “activation day” is when your audiologist will turn on your audio processor for the first time and you’ll hear your first new sounds. The audio settings of your processor will be adjusted to fit your hearing preferences.
Technical Data
24.4 mm
⌀ 28.2 mm
4.1 mm
4.5 mm
4.4 mm
64.3 mm
18.2 mm
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The content on this website is for general informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please contact your doctor or hearing specialist to learn what type of hearing solution is suitable for your specific needs. Not all products, features, or indications shown are approved in all countries.
