Non-surgical bone conduction
Being able to hear opens a world of possibilities. Discover how bone conduction solutions may help you or your child.
What you'll find on this page
- How bone conduction hearing works.
- The main components of a Baha® Start solution.
- How a bone conduction solution can improve your or your child’s hearing.
What is bone conduction hearing?
Most people hear in two ways: by air conduction (sound traveling through the air to the ears) and bone conduction (sound passing through the bones in the head). They both work together to help us listen to and perceive sound.
Problems in your outer or middle ear can restrict sound waves from getting to your inner ear through air conduction. Bone conduction can bypass these damaged or blocked parts of the ear and deliver sound vibrations directly to the inner ear, where it can be transformed into sounds your brain can understand.
How non-surgical bone conduction solutions work
Cochlear™ Baha® Start is a non-surgical bone conduction solution that can help you or your child hear until you're ready for an implantable solution. It's designed to deliver sound to support your child's development on par with hearing peers.1,2
It uses a Softband or a SoundArc™ and a Baha sound processor to transmit sound to the inner ear.
Baha Start includes the following main components:
- Sound processor – one or two Baha sound processors that capture sound in the air.
- A Softband or SoundArc – the sound processor is connected to a Softband or a SoundArc to keep it in place and transmit sound vibrations to the inner ear.
Together, these parts bypass the blocked part of the ear, sending vibrations directly through the bone to the inner ear.
Can a bone conduction solution help you or your child?
Bone conduction solutions can help people with single-sided deafness, conductive hearing loss or mixed hearing loss.
With Baha Start, young children are able to gain access to sound using either a Baha Softband or SoundArc with a Baha Sound Processor. These are non-surgical bone conduction solutions that may give children the hearing performance they need to help develop language skills.1
If you are considering an implantable bone conduction solution, you’ll be able to try hearing through bone conduction with Baha Start. When you decide to move on with a hearing implant, you and your hearing health professional will discuss what solution is right for you.
Find a hearing implant specialist near you
More information
Disclaimer
Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always follow the directions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.
For a full list of Cochlear’s trademarks, please visit our Terms of Use page.
References
- Yoshinaga-Itano C. Early Intervention after universal neonatal hearing screening: impact on outcomes. Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2003;9(4):252-66.
- Lieu JC. Speech-Language and Educational Consequences of Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130(5):524-30.