The Cochlear Baha 4 Attract System – design concepts, surgical technique and early clinical results

Abstract

Bone conduction implant systems utilize osseointegrated fixtures to transmit sound through the bones of the skull. They allow patients with hearing loss to receive acoustic signals directly to the inner ear, bypassing the outer and middle ear. The new Cochlear™ Baha^® Attract System (Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, Mölnlycke, Sweden) has been designed as a non-skin penetration hearing implant. The system uses magnetic coupling to hold the external sound processor in place and transmit acoustic energy. An implantable magnet is anchored to the skull via a single osseointegrated fixture, maximizing the efficiency of energy sound transfer. The interposed soft tissue is protected by a SoftWear pad that evenly distributes pressure in order to minimize the risk of pressure necrosis. This article summarizes the design features and early clinical results of the Baha 4 Attract System and provides context as to its place in the broader hearing aid market.

Keywords:

• bone conduction
• hearing aids
• hearing loss
• osseointegration
• prostheses and implants

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no pecuniary interests in the Baha Attract System. P Clamp has received fellowship training bursaries from MED-EL and Cochlear PL. R Briggs is a consultant for Cochlear PL. Additional data and figures courtesy of Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Bone conduction implant systems are an established technology with a proven track record in treating specific types of hearing loss.

• Up to a quarter of patients with percutaneous abutments experience significant soft tissue reactions or infections.

• The Cochlear™ Baha^® Attract system uses magnetic coupling to overcome the need for percutaneous abutments.

• The Baha Attract system incorporates single-point fixation in order to maximize the efficiency of sound transfer.

• An external Softwear pad is designed to evenly distribute force across the interposed scalp tissue.

• Early clinical results are promising, mainly for patients with conductive or single-sided hearing loss.

Notes