Definition
Any amplification device (“hearing aid”) that conducts sound directly to the cochlea (auditory or “hearing” nerve) via mechanical vibrations through the skull.
There are several surgically implanted and non-surgically implanted types of bone conduction devices, however they all transmit sound through bone conduction and not air conduction (which is how traditional hearing aids work when sound travels through the ear canal to eardrum).
These types of devices are made for people with conductive hearing loss, where the hearing is affected by the outer and/or middle ear, and the inner ear (cochlea and auditory nerve) are normal.
A patient needs to commit to the required time and training to become an effective bone conduction hearing aid user.
Results vary from person to person, but most successful candidates find that bone anchored hearing aids affect the following:
- Improved ability to recognize common environmental sounds
- Improved ability to hear speech without reliance on visual cues
- Improved speech reading ability
- The ability to detect soft sounds
- The ability to locate where sounds are coming from
