Bone Conduction
by Jamie Schwartz

Feel the Beat, a dance studio for people with hearing loss, uses state-of-the-art bone conduction technology in their vibrational dancefloor

January 11, 2018
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Feel the Beat is a dance studio for people with hearing loss in Denver, Colorado. As a local nonprofit in Denver, where the Cochlear Americas headquarters is located, we are excited to raise awareness about how they are changing our local community. Feel the Beat’s mission is to bring music and dance to all, whether they are deaf, hard of hearing or special needs, anyone can take class and fit right in.

As a dance studio for people with hearing loss, Feel the Beat is dedicated to making music and dance accessible to all. They accomplished this goal by building a specialized vibrational dancefloor embedded with Bone Conduction technology. This allows students with a conductive or mixed hearing loss to be able to hear the music, and lets all students feel the music as the floor vibrates through their bones. Students at Feel the Beat can feel all aspects of the music, including distinction of instruments, singing, beat, rhythm and bass regardless of the type and degree of hearing loss.

More about the Technology tansducer

Feel the Beat’s specialized flooring combines vibrations from transducers and pliable material that reverberates with the beat. To put it simply, transducers are pieces of equipment that transform sound into vibrations that can be both felt and heard through the body (similarly the way a Baha system works). The TST429 Platinum Professional Transducer provides the ultimate performance and output of full-fidelity, full-frequency sound with a frequency response from 5Hz to 17kHz. With these transducers embedded into Feel the Beat’s specially engineered dance floor–magic happens! Beat, rhythm, bass and all other aspects of music are transformed from auditory signals into vibrations, making music uniquely accessible to all students through physical sensation.

How can this be beneficial to your patients?Feel the Beat

Research shows that there are many ways children benefit from dance and movement. When children are engaged in dance and movement, they experience enhanced physical development, emotional maturity, cognitive development, self-confidence and social awareness. 1 Dancing is a medium through which individuals who have hearing loss can more openly express their thoughts and feelings and enjoy this form of physical communication on a higher level.

 

If your patients live near Denver, Colorado (or are visiting), let them know about Feel the Beat and give them the opportunity to feel the music for themselves.

Learn more about Feel the Beat and their specialized dancefloor in this local news story.

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References:

  1. https://www.ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=893257&module_id=55419
Author

Jamie Schwartz

Jamie is the Associate Marketing Manager in the Product and Professional Marketing Department at Cochlear Americas. Jamie is responsible for ProNews blog content as well as professional social posts and calendars. If you are interested in being a guest author for the ProNews blog please contact Jamie by email at jschwartz@cochlear.com.

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Clinical Quick Tips: Introducing Baha® Active Bilateral Directionality

April 17, 2019

With the recent update of Baha® Fitting Software (BFS), Cochlear is pleased to introduce several new features and improvements to make BFS 5.4 more user-friendly, especially for bilateral fittings.

In a conventional bone conduction system, bilateral sound processors work independently with no exchange of information between the pair and effectively splitting the soundscape into two listening environments. This usually results in symmetrical directionality listening modes.

However, listening environments can be complex and noisy with speech coming from multiple directions and surrounding background noise. In these situations, an asymmetric directionality mode may help the patient’s hearing performance.

Active Bilateral Directionality is switched on by default for bilateral fittings. It can be turned off if desired in the software in each program independently (except in Softband).

If you would like more information about the recent fitting software update, please reach out to your local Cochlear Americas representative or visit the “Software Support” resource section in myCochlear Clinic for the link to register and download the new BFS 5.4 software.

©Cochlear Limited 2019. All rights reserved. Hear now. And always and other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of Cochlear Limited or Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

 

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The Baha® System can help your pediatric patients with mixed or conductive hearing loss

February 8, 2018

Hearyourway

For pediatric patients with mixed or conductive hearing loss (MHL/CHL) a bone conduction hearing solution may be the best treatment option. Through bone conduction, sound is delivered naturally through the bone directly to the cochlea, independent of the outer and middle ear.

The Cochlear™ Baha® System leverages this natural process by amplifying sound signals, converting them into vibrations and transmitting them to the cochlea. Many hearing care professionals agree that for MHL and CHL the Baha System is a more effective solution than air conduction devices.1 The Baha System offers a trio of powerful sound processors to meet individual needs. With access to Made for iPhone, Android compatibility and True Wireless™ accessories, patients are always connected to the sounds of life. The Baha System is unique in that it allows patients to demonstrate the benefits of the system prior to implantation. For pediatric patients under the age of five, non-surgical options are available until they are ready for implantation. The brand new SoundArc, and the similar Softband, are great options for children. The SoundArc and Softband give children the opportunity for early and consistent access to sound in order to promote speech and language development.

Candidacy and Evaluation

Candidacy evaluation for an implantable bone conduction system includes audiological testing as well as a personal trial with the Baha System. The patient’s air-bone gap can be a guide to the benefits that can be expected from choosing a Baha System. There may also be medical indications, which show that a bone conduction implant system will be the best solution. If possible, compare the results of the functional gain measurements in the sound field booth, with and without the sound processor.

MHL CHL in peds

Implantation can be achieved once the surgeon determines sufficient bone thickness and quality, which can vary among individuals. In the United States and Canada, labeling states that a bone-anchored implant can be placed at 5 years of age and older.

For infants or children who are not ready for implantation, Cochlear recommends the Baha Softband or the new Baha SoundArc. Both are nonsurgical options for children under age 5. This can be a good indication of the possible benefits the Baha System may provide for a child. It can also help make the decision easier to implant the child, once benefits have been observed.

It is critical to give pediatric patients early access to sound in order to promote speech and language development. Children who receive hearing rehabilitation before the age of six months perform significantly better in language tests at the age of 3 to 4 years than children who are treated later2. Studies conclude that delay in intervention may lead to permanent language deficit.2

Treatment and Fitting

When treating a pediatric Baha patient with MHL/CHL, it is important to choose the correct sound processor to ensure adequate power/gain. The benefit of a more powerful sound processor is most obvious at higher frequencies because these are weakened to a greater extent than low frequencies when passing through the skin.3 When using the SoundArc, Softband or Baha Attract System skin attenuation should be kept in mind.

Research suggests that pediatric patients with binaural MHL/CHL should be fitted with bilateral sound processors using the Baha Softband or SoundArc. 2, 4 Since early access to sound is crucial, it is best that a pediatric patient is fitted with Baha Sound Processors before the age of six months.2, 4

In conclusion, the Baha System offers a powerful portfolio of solutions for adults and pediatrics with MHL and CHL. The Baha portfolio includes different surgical and non-surgical options and a trio of powerful sound processors to meet individual needs.

If you are interested in bringing the Baha system into your clinical practice, please reach out to your Cochlear Field Team today. Don’t know who your Field Team members are?  Call: 1-800-523-5798 or 303-790-9010 and we can connect you today!

If you are already a Baha provider, please right-click and save the infographic below to use during counseling.

MHL CHL Baha

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* Play audiometry can be carried out with warble tones, speech or animal sounds.
References:
  1. Snik AF, Mylannus EA, Proops DW, et al. Consensus statements on the BAHA system where do we stand at present? The Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 2005; 195:1-12.
  2. Yoshinaga-Itano C. Early Intervention after universal neo-natal hearing screening: impact on outcomes. Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2003;9(4):252-66.
  3. Håkansson B, Tjellström A., Rosenhall U. Hearing thresholds with direct bone conduction versus conventional bone conduction. Scand Audiol. 1984; 13(1):3-13.
  4. Dun CA, de Wolf MJ, Mylanus EA, Snik AF, Hol MK, Cremers CW. Bilateral bone-anchored hearing aid application in children: The Nijmegen experience from 1996 to 2008. Otol Neurotol. 2010; 31(4):615-23.
  5. Mylanus EAM, van der Pouw KCTM, Snik AFM, Cremers CWRJ. Intraindividual Comparison of the Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid and Air-Conduction Hearing Aids. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1998; 124(3):271–276. doi:10.1001/archotol.124.3.268
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