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Cochlear Osia 2 Bone Anchored Hearing Aid

Name: Cochlear Osia® 2
Brand: Cochlear
Rating: 3.3 (4 reviews)

Aktualisiert am Sep 11, 2023·Wie wir testen

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The Cochlear Osia 2 hearing implant system in use. The processor, which magnetically adheres to the internal implant and comes in 5 interchangeable colors, is less than a half-inch in diameter (10.4 mm) and weighs a third of an ounce (9.4 grams).

Who is the Osia bone conduction implant system for?

The Osia System is FDA approved for persons 12 years and older who suffer from outer and/or middle ear issues, a mixed hearing loss, or Single-Sided-Deafness (SSD). For an explanation of the types of hearing loss, as well as how to read an audiogram, see the article How Do I Read a Hearing Test?

The more specific indications for Osia 2 are:

Single-Sided Deafness (SSD)

Air conduction (AC) pure-tone average (PTA at 0.5, 1, 2 & 3 kHz) in better hearing ear ≤ 20 dB

Conductive or Mixed Hearing Loss

Bone-conduction (BC) pure-tone average (PTA at 0.5, 1, 2 & 3 kHz) ≤ 55 dB
Bilateral candidates should have symmetric BC thresholds (< 10 dB difference between the ears on average (0.5, 1, 2 & 3 kHz) or < 15 dB difference at individual frequencies)

The Osia System may also be appropriate for individuals who have already been implanted with another bone conduction hearing solution, such as the Cochlear Baha^® device, but are looking for a different solution. However, the surgical placement of the bone implant is different than that of Baha and a consultation with your surgeon and audiologist is required.

Also note that regarding the 12-year age limit, some surgeons will go “off-label” and implant children younger than 12 years of age who are otherwise candidates for the device. This is dependent on several factors including bone density at the implant site and insurance coverage.

On a practical level, Osia may be preferred over more traditional bone conduction hearing solutions, as the implant is fully under the skin and the transducer drives the implant directly. Some bone-anchored hearing solutions utilize a percutaneous approach, meaning the implant protrudes through the skin and the speech processor/transducer is affixed to an abutment on the implant or magnetically via a surgically placed magnet under the skin. The percutaneous approach allows for the transducer to drive the implant directly but comes with the negative cosmetic consequences and the increased potential for skin complications such as infection.

The magnet approach, as seen with the Baha Attract system and the Osia System, is more cosmetically appealing, as the implant and a magnet are fully under the skin. However, the magnet and the skin are a barrier to driving the implant and can dampen the sound. That is, the overall gain (volume) and frequency (pitch) responses may be reduced compared to a direct-drive system.

Cochear's Baha Attract vs Baha Connect webpage provides a more in-depth explanation of "magnetic" versus "percutaneous/abutment" systems found in bone-conduction implants.

Who makes the Osia bone conduction implant?

Osia 2 is made by Cochlear, a worldwide leader in cochlear implants and bone anchored hearing aids (Baha). Based in Sydney, Australia, but with a worldwide presence, Cochlear currently leads in market share with approximately 60% of the global sales of auditory implant devices. Osia 2 and the Baha 6 are the company’s two newest products in their bone conduction solutions portfolio.

Understanding bone-anchored hearing systems and the Osia System for conductive hearing losses

As a newer approach for bone conduction hearing solutions from Cochlear, Osia 2 was FDA approved in December 2019. Let’s review a bit more background information to help you understand the differences in the company’s bone anchored solutions.

Bone anchored hearing aids do not work like typical hearing aids which pick-up sound, process and amplify it, then deliver an acoustic signal into the ear canal. Instead, they rely on the fact that sound can be transmitted to the inner ear (cochlea) by vibrating bone (skull or teeth). This is done in cases where medical or hearing contraindications exist for a traditional air-conduction hearing aid.

For example, the Osia System is indicated in cases of chronic ear infections, outer- or middle-ear malformations, or significant conductive or mixed hearing losses. It's also indicated for Single-Sided Deafness (SSD) where the device is used on the deaf ear and sound is then transmitted via bone conduction to the better cochlea. Therefore, bone conduction devices work by bypassing the usual conduction of sound through the outer and middle ear and, instead, conduct sound via bone directly to the inner ear.

With Cochlear-brand devices, the bone vibration can be achieved two ways: non-surgically by placing a speech processor with a transducer that vibrates against the head, or surgically via a titanium implant and processor. The non-surgical option is achieved by a cloth headband or malleable headpiece which holds the processor against the skin of the head. There is also the unique Med-El ADHEAR system which consists of an adhesive adapter (a kind of high-tech “sticker”) that contains a place for the audio processor to click on. The vibrations transfer through the skin to the bone and then to the cochlea.

The non-surgical options allow for trialing bone conduction hearing without the need for surgery. This is advantageous, for example, when a child is too young for surgery, there are contraindications for surgery, or for anyone who simply wants to see how effective the device may be for them before committing to surgery.

FAQs on the Osia System

Many people suffer from medical conditions that make wearing a hearing aid difficult or impossible. Conditions like atresia or microtia, where the ear canal is absent or extremely small, will not allow for typical hearing aid use. Others may suffer from chronic ear infections or may have had ear surgery that make the normal use of a hearing aid problematic or impossible. Also, if you have a mixed hearing loss, some studies have suggested that significant air/bone gaps (greater than 30 dB) on your audiogram mean you’ll likely perform better with a bone conduction solution over regular hearing aids. As always, discuss your options with your Hearing Care Provider (HCP).

The internal part of the device, the part that is implanted under the skin, is warranted for 10 years. Although the speech processor has a warranty of only 2 years (the same as most hearing aids), Cochlear has been good at making their new speech processors backward compatible so they work with their previous implants. So, if they come out with a new processor with upgraded features and new technology, it's likely it will be compatible with your internal device.

Yes, if you have a hearing loss that meets the audiological candidacy requirements and both ears meet the surgical conditions for the device, then a bilateral implantation may be recommended. Binaural hearing, whether with hearing aids or bone conduction devices, has definite advantages over hearing only from one ear. These include better sound localization and better speech understanding, among others.

Yes, you and your audiologist can choose one accessory at the time of ordering. That is, you can choose from any of the 4 wireless accessories such as a TV streamer or a Phone Clip. Another choice is the Aqua+ kit. Osia 2 also includes free accessories such as retention options, a cleaning cloth, and soft pads.