ABOUT THE THERAPY BONE CONDUCTION HEARING THERAPY
WHAT IS BONE CONDUCTION HEARING THERAPY?
Bone conduction hearing therapy is an innovative hearing solution that uses your body’s natural ability to transfer sound through bone conduction. A magnetic implant secured to your skull beneath your scalp connects to a sound processor that converts sound into vibrations, which are channeled through your skull bone and into your inner ear. This process bypasses any problems in your outer or middle ear, delivering sound straight to your inner ear. Together, the implant and sound processor are called a bone conduction hearing system or bone conduction hearing aid.
HOW DOES BONE CONDUCTION WORK?
In bone conduction hearing therapy, a magnetic titanium hearing implant secured to your scull connects to a sound processor. Together, this system uses our proprietary Transcutaneous Energy Transfer (TETTM) technology to transfer amplified sound through your skin into the bone.1
Here’s how it works:
- The sound processor picks up sound.
- The sound is converted into vibrations.
- Using TET technology, the processor drives the vibrations across the skin, through your skull bone and into your inner ear.1
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM A BONE CONDUCTION HEARING AID?
Whether your hearing loss was sudden, gradual, or you were born with it, it can leave you feeling isolated and frustrated, but you are not alone. One in eight people in the United States (13%, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.2
Traditional hearing aids offer benefits for many people, while others may need more advanced treatment or a combination approach. The Alpha 2 MPO ePlus™ bone conduction hearing aid from Medtronic is suitable for patients with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided sensorineural hearing loss.
Read more about the types of hearing loss that may be helped by bone conduction hearing therapy and consult your physician to see if the Alpha 2 MPO ePlus™ device is right for you.
MEDTRONIC BONE CONDUCTION HEARING AID
The Alpha 2 MPO ePlus™ bone-conduction hearing aid offers more sound amplification (gain) than any other magnetic transcutaneous system,3 accompanied by outstanding sound quality.4 Compared to an abutment system, the Alpha 2 MPO ePlus™ performs better at the higher frequencies that are so important for speech recognition.5,6,7 Alpha 2 MPO ePlus™ can offer patients better speech comprehension and quality of life.8,9
1
Sophono Scientific White Paper: Transcutaneous Energy Transfer by Bone Conductors through the Skin 29 September 2013.
2
Lin FR, Niparko JK, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss prevalence in the United States. [Letter] Arch Intern Med. 2011 Nov 14; 171(20): 1851-1852.
3
Comparing published transcutaneous device specifications of acousto-mechanical gain at 1.6 KHz and 60 dB SPL.
4
Based on data from internal testing with acousto-mechanical gain at 1.6 KHz and 60 dB SPL.
5
Implantable Auditory Devices presentation by Darius Kohan M.D. at Ultimate Colorado Midwinter Meeting, Vail, Colorado, February 3, 2015.
6
Website: How to read an audiogram: Auditory thresholds. FIRST YEARS Professional Development through Distance Education Accessed 26 June 2015.
7
Amos NE, Humes LE. Contribution of high frequencies to speech recognition in quiet and noise in listeners with varying degrees of high frequency sensorineural hearing loss Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (2007) 50, 819-834.
8
Marsella P, Scorpecci A, Vallarino MV, Di Fiore S, Pacifico C, Sophono in Pediatric Patients: The Experience of an Italian Tertiary Care Center. Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery 2014 Apr 8;151(2):328-332.
9
Denoyelle F, Coudert C, Thierry B, Parodi M, Mazzaschi O, Vicaut E, Tessier N, Loundon N, Garabedian EN. Hearing rehabilitation with the closed skin bone-anchored implant Sophono Alpha1: Results of a prospective study in 15 children with ear atresia. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2015 Mar;79(3):382-7.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.