Whats BAHA

[inmate23]

Hi
What's a BAHA? Would it help with an audio processing disorder?

[rockasanted]

BAHA and CI are almost the same type of system. They both are implanted behind the ear and into the bone. The BAHA is use for people who have constant Ear Infections. This is info is based on reading a couple of articles! I am no expert but I think with my post it will jump start people who have more knowledge.:p
Ted

[bherring1964]

No offense rockasanted but the BAHA is not like a CI and is really a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA is the acronym).

The BAHA works like a traditional HA in that your "normal" hearing mechanisms are used. It is physically secured to the bone behind an ear and transmits an amplified acoustic signal to the inner ear where it is processed by your existing "hair cells" and routed to the auditory nerve.

Google "BAHA" - There's a wealth of information out there and the BAHA has met with success in it's unique market.

[John59]

How much does the baha experience cost?
I am thinking of about trying this approach...


250 70
500 80
1000 80
2000 70
3000 85
4000 85
6000 110
8000 105

[xbulder]

BAHA and CI are almost the same type of system. They both are implanted behind the ear and into the bone. The BAHA is use for people who have constant Ear Infections. This is info is based on reading a couple of articles! I am no expert but I think with my post it will jump start people who have more knowledge.:p
Ted

BAHA and CI are not nearly the same...

they are similar in what they are implants... but that about it

[EnglishDispenser]

How much does the baha experience cost?
I am thinking of about trying this approach...

Several thousand dollars total.

It will be of use to you ONLY if you have a conductive hearing loss.
Use a standard hearing aid if you have nerve hearing loss.

[xbulder]

Several thousand dollars total.

It will be of use to you ONLY if you have a conductive hearing loss.
Use a standard hearing aid if you have nerve hearing loss.

you can use baha for ssd

[xbulder]

Hi
What's a BAHA? Would it help with an audio processing disorder?

for CAPD you need to wear something like an FM, if your hearing level is normal then the edulink is the only choice

[MaxKy62]

My just retired Pastor has a traditional behind ear hearing aid in one ear and a BAHA on the other. He says it is better than nothing at all but has all the same complaints about his BAHA that anyone else may have about a traditional hearing aid. Ya know, background noise, speech understanding issues with small children etc. It snaps into a hole that was drilled into his head. Hope I never have to go that route.

[xbulder]

My just retired Pastor has a traditional behind ear hearing aid in one ear and a BAHA on the other. He says it is better than nothing at all but has all the same complaints about his BAHA that anyone else may have about a traditional hearing aid. Ya know, background noise, speech understanding issues with small children etc. It snaps into a hole that was drilled into his head. Hope I never have to go that route.
chances are if he has BAHA, he has cochlear. If he has cochlear (at least the old BAHA),
it is a analogue circuits. I had been told (someone correct me please) that it has to be
program using trimmers. So we are talking about an analogue instrument that costs
about 9,000 or so? Oticon Medical did anouce that they will launch a new Bone Anchor hearing aid call Pronto and pronto pro, which will use the same chip as The Epoq, Dual (rise chip) which will have all the bells and whistles.
Cochlear had respond with introduction of new products, a new baha and something
like the Maestro from medel.

[CryMeARiver]

Actually, there have been some success with using the BAHA with a mixed hearing loss. It acts like a third ear. Very exciting info and research coming out of Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN

[MaxKy62]

chances are if he has BAHA, he has cochlear. If he has cochlear (at least the old BAHA),
it is a analogue circuits. I had been told (someone correct me please) that it has to be
program using trimmers. So we are talking about an analogue instrument that costs
about 9,000 or so? Oticon Medical did anouce that they will launch a new Bone Anchor hearing aid call Pronto and pronto pro, which will use the same chip as The Epoq, Dual (rise chip) which will have all the bells and whistles.
Cochlear had respond with introduction of new products, a new baha and something
like the Maestro from medel.

I don't know if it was analog or digital, but it did have manual adjustments that were made with a small screw driver. Kinda funny to watch him snap this thing out of his skull, adjust the BAHA and snap it back in.

[xbulder]

I don't know if it was analog or digital, but it did have manual adjustments that were made with a small screw driver. Kinda funny to watch him snap this thing out of his skull, adjust the BAHA and snap it back in.

it is analoge with trimmers... can you believe this?

[equinoxe]

For those interested in the innards of the brand new Ponto Pro, I took this one apart in my own lab (so you don't have to do it yourself):

The Ponto Pro with and without coupling:
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=118&stc=1&d=1268779912

The opened PP (overview):
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=121&stc=1&d=1268779912


Close-up of Volume, both microphones, programming connector and the mainboard*
* Mainboard is the Pyralux FCB just behind the serial programming adapter, it's very small and contains only a few parts.
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=119&stc=1&d=1268779912


I took this device further apart but due to the fragile nature of the leads I had to use both hands and was unable to photograph more details with macro-shots.
All Images posted have been resized & cropped to fit in to this post.
[I]Do NOT open hearing aids or other devices if you aren't a trained professional

[xbulder]

For those interested in the innards of the brand new Ponto Pro, I took this one apart in my own lab (so you don't have to do it yourself):

The Ponto Pro with and without coupling:
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=118&stc=1&d=1268779912

The opened PP (overview):
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=121&stc=1&d=1268779912


Close-up of Volume, both microphones, programming connector and the mainboard*
* Mainboard is the Pyralux FCB just behind the serial programming adapter, it's very small and contains only a few parts.
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=119&stc=1&d=1268779912


I took this device further apart but due to the fragile nature of the leads I had to use both hands and was unable to photograph more details with macro-shots.
All Images posted have been resized & cropped to fit in to this post.
[I]Do NOT open hearing aids or other devices if you aren't a trained professional

This is very pricey to just open it up right?

[equinoxe]

This is very pricey to just open it up right?

I live by the rule:
"If you never opened it, you never owned it.."

I will post pictures of the Divino now.
(Which is actually a DIGITAL device, despite of what people here have been saying)


The Cochlear BAHA Divino uses the same speaker as the Ponto Pro, only has a different Abutment attribute.
Beneath the Conductor you can see the main board with the analog adjustments (which are translated into a digital value by the controller).
As you can see there is a third undocumented setting.
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=123&stc=1&d=1268811042

Again the main board; left are the microphones, next to that the digital programming adapter, and next to that the program switch.
The three potentiometers are read out by the controller and translated to a digital setting. The whole device can also be programmed with a Noah/HiPro.
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=122&stc=1&d=1268811042

Again, pictures have been resized to be able to upload, next to that I have removed the serial number..

[dr.amy]

Several thousand dollars total.

It will be of use to you ONLY if you have a conductive hearing loss.
Use a standard hearing aid if you have nerve hearing loss.

Xbulder is right - it is not only for conductive losses. It can be used for single sided deafness (ssd). By using the bones of your skull as the conductor, the cochlea of the better hearing ear will pick up the sound coming from BOTH sides (like a CROS aid). And they do make them programmable now.

dr. amy
www.montgomeryent.com (http://www.montgomeryent.com)

[xbulder]

Xbulder is right - it is not only for conductive losses. It can be used for single sided deafness (ssd). By using the bones of your skull as the conductor, the cochlea of the better hearing ear will pick up the sound coming from BOTH sides (like a CROS aid). And they do make them programmable now.

dr. amy
www.montgomeryent.com (http://www.montgomeryent.com)

Cool thing about Pronto is that there is a headband so you can really put a headband
on the customer and ask him to try the instrument. It uses genie so you can make
a live demostration of the features...

[equinoxe]

Cool thing about Pronto is that there is a headband so you can really put a headband
on the customer and ask him to try the instrument. It uses genie so you can make
a live demostration of the features...

The Cochlear devices (Divino, BP100) can also be used with the softband.

Re Ponto, is the Ponto already included in Genie (2009.2 SP1)*?
I thought that programming options are only available in "Genie Medical".

(Genie 2010.1 will be released soon)

EqX

[diamonddan]

I am having the surgery on May 17 for the Ponto Pro. Do you know if is Bluetooth compatible? It looks like a good unit. Thanks for any info.
Dan

[jocker]

I live by the rule:
"If you never opened it, you never owned it.."

I will post pictures of the Divino now.
[/edit]

You have pretty good hand . Look like not a lots of parts inside & clear view
but need to know so many thing. :D
Not knowing person like me is scare to touch it.
Anyway I'm new person here & I will have one soon too .:)

[equinoxe]

I am having the surgery on May 17 for the Ponto Pro. Do you know if is Bluetooth compatible? It looks like a good unit. Thanks for any info.
Dan

So how did the surgery went for you?
Did they already place the abutment or do you have to wait for another 2 weeks?

The Ponto isn't directly bluetooth compatible, however you can attach a free-spirit or other DAI bluetooth adaptor.

@jocker
Having an electronics lab in your own house makes quite a difference.. ;)
Always nice to have a decent stereo-zoom microscope handy..
The lead to the coil of the divino once broke after a fall.
I was glad I had all the equipment in-house for the repair otherwise the device would have been gone for days/weeks..
I would not recommend soldering such delicate leads to anyone without proper training & years of experience!

[jocker]

@jocker
Having an electronics lab in your own house makes quite a difference.. ;)
Always nice to have a decent stereo-zoom microscope handy..
The lead to the coil of the divino once broke after a fall.
I was glad I had all the equipment in-house for the repair otherwise the device would have been gone for days/weeks..
I would not recommend soldering such delicate leads to anyone without proper training & years of experience!

Sorry for late reply ... also I didn't expect you would reply my post :)
I do have long time experience in hearing aids industry but other department.
Anyway I'm going to get my Baha tomorrow . ( waiting for long time )
I'm hoping it will help me to find for my new job. :(