What is the Baha® System?

Unlike air-conduction hearing aids, the Baha® System does not rely on amplification of acoustic sound waves, and unlike cochlear implants, it does not utilize electronic impulses to stimulate the cochlea (inner ear). The Baha® System relies on a process called "direct bone conduction", where the bone acts as a pathway for sound to travel to the inner ear, bypassing the outer and middle ear. The Baha® System consists of three basic parts:

• Sound processor - A microphone picks up sound vibrations.
• External abutment - Transfers sound from the processor to the implant.
• Titanium implant - Placed in the bone behind the ear, where it fuses with living bone in a process called osseointegration. The implant transfers sound vibrations to the functioning inner ear.

Since the signal does not have to travel through the skin, the Baha® System offers significantly better sound quality, clarity, and loudness than a traditional bone conductor.¹ The Baha® System's sound processor also works without pressure on the skin, providing wearing comfort, and has a better aesthetic result.

The Baha Sound Processor snaps on to the abutment. The processor is small, discreet and is available in a variety of colors. The volume controls are conveniently located for easy adjustments.

Image is larger than actual size of device.
1. Baha Sound Processor
2. Abutment
3. Titanium Implant

More about Osseointegration: The foundation of Baha is the Brånemark system. In the early 1960s Professor Brånemark discovered that titanium provides an excellent material for implantable devices. Titanium is accepted by the human body and forms a bond with surrounding bone. This is a process he termed "osseointegration," which takes place as the titanium implant integrates and forms a permanent structure with the living bone.

The process of bone osseointegration is also the foundation for dental implants. This system has been developed not only for Baha hearing implants but also for Cochlear's craniofacial reconstruction system, Vistafix.

1. "Hearing Rehabilitation Using the Baha: Results in 40 Patients" Lustig et al 22:328-334 2001 Otology & Neurotology