Imagine a headset that transmits sound through his teeth. Open your eyes and look at the picture. This new device has already obtained approval from the European Commission. It is situated between the teeth and through bone conduction, is capable of fulfilling the same function as any other hearing aid.
has some very specific indications, cautions Cobeta Ignacio, head of service Otorrinología University Hospital Ramón y Cajal de Madrid. "Basically, for those with a hearing loss of transmission, ie, when the lesion is located in the outer or middle ear, and for some reason can not carry conventional hearing aid (by repeated infections, usually). They are not very frequent cases. The treatment varies depending on the trigger element (some ear infections, perforations of the tympanic membrane ...) and can be corrected with medications or through surgery.
For these patients, there is another option: a technique called Baha (Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid, its acronym in English). "consists of implanting a hearing aid that is anchored in the bone. An incision in the skin behind the ear, place a vibrator on the skull and it will transmit the sound that includes an external microphone to the ear inside, "explains Dr. Cobeta." This procedure is the one who wants to replace the new device (sold by Sonitus Medical), called Soundbite ".
Soundbite The advantage is that it requires surgery." The patient wears a microphone in the external ear canal collects sound and brings it to a transmitter located behind the ear. Using a wireless system (wireless) is transmitted to a vibrator which is located in the upper molars (instead of the bone is placed on the teeth). Then, the sound vibration is transmitted through bone to the inner ear.
Baha as Soundbite Both can be used also in mixed deafness or, is, in people who have hearing problems both transmission (outer and middle ear) and perception (inner ear). The latter is the most common. "It affects virtually 100% of the population, mainly in the elderly by the aging ear," says Cristina Valor, ENT specialist at the Hospital Infanta Sofía (Madrid). In these patients, when hearing aids 'usual' do not work, cochlear implants are the next step.
In fact, the expert said, Spain has set few bays, "about 80-100 per year and are very expensive. The price is around 8,000 euros and probably the new device exceeds the price, because it avoids the operating room. " Some might wonder if this device can replace the traditional hearing aid. As argued by the specialist, although the function and the results are the same," is more expensive and cumbersome. "compensates only those patients with moderate conductive hearing loss or sensorineural (perception) that do not want surgery or can not wear the headset 'usual' (for infections).
And in a matter of aesthetics, experts say consulted by ELMUNDO.es, is not great advance over conventional devices because the ear is still a microphone and a transmitter.
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundosalud/2011/03/25/tecnologiamedica/1301041456.html
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