First patients receive Baha® 5 SuperPower Sound Processor

The Cochlear™ Baha® 5 SuperPower Sound Processor provides those with significant hearing loss the ability to hear better and connect wirelessly to a variety of electronic devices

Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions, the global leader in bone conduction hearing solutions, announced global regulatory approvals of the Cochlear™ Baha^® 5 SuperPower Sound Processor. First approved in the European Union in late 2015, the Baha 5 SuperPower has recently been cleared in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Designed for children and adults with higher degrees of mixed hearing loss, the Baha 5 SuperPower is engineered to make difficult listening situations easier and more enjoyable. It is not only the strongest member of the Baha portfolio, it is the first and only super power bone conduction solution with smart, direct-to-device wireless technology for patients with significant hearing loss. Features like Bluetooth^® Smart and Made for iPhone allow users to stream audio directly from iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. And with access to Cochlear™ True Wireless™ technology, users will also benefit from a range of devices that are designed to further improve their hearing and their overall hearing experience.

First experiences show very positive outcomes and great patient satisfaction

A number of patients have already upgraded to the new Baha 5 SuperPower in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Germany. “Patient response has been extremely positive,” says Mats Dotevall, Director of Design & Development, Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB. “Early results from the first fittings in European clinics show very positive outcomes and great patient satisfaction in terms of loudness, speech understanding and sound quality.”

The Baha 5 SuperPower is the first and only behind-the-ear super power sound processor with a fitting range up to 65 dB SNHL. Patients with this degree of hearing loss often struggle more than most to hear and understand speech, especially in noisy situations. Many of these people currently use a body-worn solution to help improve their hearing experience, but still have difficulty due, in part, to outdated audio processing technology.

“Of those who upgraded from the previous generation body-worn system, 90% successfully transitioned to the new Baha 5 SuperPower ear-level technology and are reporting outstanding results,” said Rom Mendel, General Manager, Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions. “The remaining 10% are still able to enjoy all the benefits of the new technology due to the flexibility of the new product, as it can be set up in a body-worn configuration should users want it.”

Only Cochlear offers more possibilities for a lifetime of better hearing

The Baha 5 SuperPower combines two proven Cochlear technologies in one device, harnessing Baha bone conduction technology with that of the widely-used Nucleus® System (a cochlear implant system).

“Innovation is at the forefront of what we do,” Mendel concluded. “We constantly strive to think differently so we can provide cutting edge technology to help those who need it most. The fact that we are able to leverage our broad range of world-leading hearing solutions to meet the needs of a struggling patient population is very rewarding.”

Although the form-factor is completely new to bone conduction, the surgery is based on the same well-proven implant technology used in more than 125,000 patients over the last 35 years. It is a flexible option that can be used on both an abutment system (Baha Connect System) and a magnetic system (Baha Attract System).

About Bone Conduction Systems

Bone conduction systems are a proven medical option for adults and children with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided sensorineural deafness meeting the candidacy criteria. While a hearing aid tries to push sound through the damaged part of the ear, bone conduction systems bypass the damaged area and send sound directly to the inner ear. They are designed to help those who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids hear and communicate more effectively.

About Cochlear

Cochlear Limited is the global market leader in implantable hearing solutions and is a top 100 global medical device company. Our global product range includes the world’s leading cochlear implant systems and the most advanced bone conduction hearing solutions. Cochlear BAS is a division of Cochlear Ltd and the world leader in bone conduction hearing solutions. Situated in Mölnlycke, outside Gothenburg, Sweden, the head office employs approximately 200 people to develop, manufacture and support Baha® and Vistafix® products.

Media Contact
Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB
Adi Nilson
Head of Communications & Customer Experience
Konstruktionsvägen 14, SE - 435 33 Mölnlycke Sweden
anilson@cochlear.com
Direct: +46 31 792 46 74