2015 Update:
Cochlear Americas Bone Anchored Hearing Aids:
Cochlear has added a new product line called Baha 4. Within the Baha 4 product line there is the Attract System and the Connect system. In addition to the newer product line they have added a wireless phone clip and control app available with Bluetooth enabled smart phones.
Baha Attract:
Offer the patient an alternative to the external abutment. A small implant made of titanium is inserted in the bone behind the ear. An internal magnet is attached and hidden beneath the skin. A sound processor is then attached to an external magnet and sound is transmitted as vibrations from the processor via the magnets to the implant.
Baha Connect:
For the more traditional Baha connection, the Baha Connect changes the abutment style to the new DermaLock technology. The DermaLock abutment was specifically designed and FDA cleared for a less invasive surgery and soft tissue preservation.
Baha Wireless Phone Clip and Control App:
The Phone Clip gives Baha 4 users the option to stream phone calls and music from their Bluetooth enabled smartphones. When used in conjunction with the phone clip and the new Baha Control App, on compatible smartphones, users can discreetly control their sound processors and wireless accessories.
The individual can change programs, activate streaming devices and adjust the volume of their Baha 4 Processors.
The Baha 4 is compatible with the following smartphones:
Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 5/5S/5C, iPhone 4/4S, and iPhone 3GS running iOS 7 or later.
Android smartphones running version 2.3.5 or later (not all Android smartphones are compatible).
The first company to offer a bone anchored option. Cochlear was cleared by the FDA to offer the Baha system in USA in 1996. Candidacy for this hearing aid is restricted to individuals with mixed hearing loss, single sided deafness and malformations of the ear (external or middle).
How the Baha Hearing Aid Works
Baha (bone anchored hearing aid) is a semi-implantable percutaneous (meaning by way of the skin) bone conduction hearing device coupled to the skull through an implanted titanium fixture. The system transfers sound to the inner ear via the bone, bypassing the outer or middle ear.
Current processors include the Baha 3 and Baha 3 Power.
