This year marks the 5-year anniversary of the Osia® System. As we celebrate this milestone, we spoke with the Global Product Managers at Cochlear’s Bone Conduction Headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, a renowned hub for innovation in medical technology and life sciences, to give provide more insight into its groundbreaking development and evolution.
Meet the Experts
Daniel Rhodin, MEng Phys, Senior Product Manager for the Osia System. Daniel has supported product development, marketing and sales of solutions ranging from electronic medical records, hospital critical alarm and communication solutions, and advanced imaging solutions for MRI and CT.
Ivan Gonzalez, BA, MBA, Global Product Manager for Osia Implants & Surgery. Ivan has a comprehensive background in sales and marketing within pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and hearing implants. Ivan is a Cochlear™ Baha® Attract System user since 2016.
What was the vision behind the Osia System?
Daniel Rhodin: Before the Osia System, abutment-based bone conduction systems were the gold standard, often offered after years of struggling with hearing aids or multiple ear surgeries. However, these systems had drawbacks, including skin infections, poor aesthetics, and high-frequency attenuation. The Osia System was developed to remove these barriers to bone conduction treatment – to tackle the limitations of traditional hearing aids and other bone conduction devices. Our aim was to create a solution that offers superior sound quality, comfort, and reliability – and to provide a solution that does not limit a recipient to live their life as fully as possible.
What are the benefits of piezo technology over traditional electromagnetic technology?
Daniel Rhodin: The Osia System’s unique piezoelectric transducer offer several advantages over the traditional electromagnetic transducers used by all other bone conduction systems. First, it’s more sensitive in the higher frequencies than an electromagnetic transducer. This means it can deliver more output using the same amount of energy as an electromagnetic transducer. This allows for more power to assist with improved speech understanding in noise and in quiet, and it’s why the Osia System is the only active system indicated for up to a 55 dB SNHL. Secondly, unlike electromagnetic transducers, the piezoelectric transducer is not powered by magnets. This means the Osia Implant is not affected by the strong magnetic fields in an MRI. Therefore, recipients with the Osia implant can undergo high-resolution MRI scans at 3.0 T.† Other systems that use an electromagnetic transducer are limited to lower resolution 1.5 T MRI scans.
Why is the Osia System’s MRI compatibility significant?
Ivan Gonzalez: Many people will need to undergo an MRI at some point in their lives. The Osia System is unique because it is the only active system that ensures recipients have the same access to 1.5T and high-resolution 3T MRI as those without implants.1 Additionally, because there is no magnet in the Osia System’s piezo transducer, there is no risk of decreased implant performance after MRI examinations, unlike other active implants that use electromagnetic transducers.2-6 Patients with an Osia OSI300 Implant only need to remove their sound processor before undergoing 1.5 T or 3.0 T MRI – no surgical procedure is required.†
What do patients say they like the most about the Osia System?
Daniel Rhodin: When I meet patients who have upgraded to the Osia System from a Softband or abutment-based solution, they usually say that the sound is clearer and that they no longer worry about feedback. They put on the Osia [System] in the morning and basically can forget that they are wearing it, until they remove it at night.
How have patients and professionals embraced the Osia System?
Ivan Gonzalez: Since its launch 5 years ago at the OSSEO Congress in Miami, Florida, the Osia System has seen significant adoption and positive feedback from both patients and healthcare professionals. Today the Osia System is commercially available in more than 40 countries with more than 25,000 systems worldwide, helping those recipients hear even better than ever.
This year we are honored to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of the Osia System. It’s accelerated adoption by patients and professionals is evidence how this significant and one-of-a-kind leap forward in bone conduction treatment technology has resulted in incredibly meaningful benefits for patients. This is only the start with the Osia System, and we will continue to invest in research and development to enhance the system’s performance and continue to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible in hearing health to provide patients with the best possible hearing outcomes.
We could not have reached this milestone without your partnership and trust. Thank you.
- D1906375-V2 Cochlear Osia Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Guidelines EN-US
- Technical Brief – Reliability: Cochlear™ Osia® OSI300 Implant. D1991745. October, Cochlear Limited 2023.
- OSI300 1.5 T MRI Verification Summary Report. Cochlear Limited, Australia. 2023; D2084831
- OSI300 3.0 T MRI Verification Summary Report. Cochlear Limited, Australia. 2023; D2084832
- https://www.medel.com/important-safety-information
- MRI Checklist for MED-EL Bone Conduction Implant BCI 601. AW52570_1.0. MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geräte GmbH, Austria
- 275017US-en_US-es_CA-en_CA-fr – Version B / 2025.01
† The OSI300 Implant is MR conditional at 1.5 T and 3 .0 T with magnet in place. The OSI200 Implant is MR Conditional at 1.5 T with the Implant magnet in place and the use of the Cochlear MRI Kit or with the magnet surgically removed. Patients can be scanned at 3.0 T with OSI200 Implant magnet removed. Refer to Osia MRI guidelines for further information.
Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your hearing health provider to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology. Outcomes and results may vary.
