The rationale behind this post-market clinical follow-up investigation is to collect data regarding the usability and clinical performance of the Baha Attract System in subjects with hearing impairment that are candidates for Baha surgery: * to evaluate the efficacy of the Baha Attract System in terms of hearing performance compared to the unaided situation and compared to a pre-operative test situation using the sound processor on a Baha Softband; * to evaluate the mid- and long-term safety of the Baha Attract System.
This investigation was designed to collect data regarding the usability and clinical performance of the Baha Attract System in subjects with hearing impairment that were candidates for Baha surgery. The investigation was performed in an open design since it was not possible to perform the investigation in a blinded fashion. The main evaluations of the investigation, i.e. free-field hearing tests, are standard audiological procedures that are routinely used in daily clinical practice at hospitals worldwide for evaluation of hearing performance in hearing impaired patients. The primary efficacy evaluation, audiometric thresholds, renders comparable results across different sites and countries as it is not a language-specific test. Language-specific audiological tests were performed as secondary efficacy evaluations; to enable comparison of data across sites, validated word lists were used at all sites and equivalent speaker configurations (speech from front, noise from behind) and test procedures (same noise and adaptive speech levels, etc) were used. For the primary evaluation in the investigation, the Baha Attract System was compared to the pre-operative unaided situation, as the intended use of the system is to improve hearing performance in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss or single-sided sensorineural deafness. Audiological test results with the Baha Attract System were also compared against results obtained with the same Sound Processor on a Baha Softband. Use of the Sound Processor on a Softband is a standard procedure that is routinely used as a pre-operative test prior to bone conduction hearing implant surgery. The Softband test allows the patient to pre-operatively experience hearing through the Sound Processor to get an indication of the post-operative hearing outcome and to choose a suitable Sound Processor. The generic and hearing-specific quality of life questionnaires used in the investigation (HUI3, APHAB, SSQ) are validated scales that have been frequently used and reported in the literature.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
54
The Cochlear Baha Attract System incorporates both implantable and external parts. The implantable parts include the BI300 Implant and the BIM400 Implant Magnet, which is intended to be fixated to the BI300 Implant. The external parts include the Sound Processor Magnet (SP Magnet), which, together with the Implant Magnet, constitute the transcutaneous coupling. The SP Magnet incorporates a soft material (Soft pad) at the tissue facing surface that is designed to distribute the pressure over the skin. The Baha Sound Processor attaches to the SP Magnet via a snap coupling.
Dr. Doug Backhus
Seattle, Washington, United States
Christina Runge
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Dr. Myrthe Hol
Nijmegen, Netherlands
World Hearing Center Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing
Kajetany, Nadarzyn, Poland
Peter Monksfield
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Kevin Green
Manchester, United Kingdom
Hearing Performance: Threshold Audiometry PTA4: Unaided Versus Baha Attract
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) at 6, 12 and 24 months from the unaided hearing performance before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry PTA4 (mean of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz). The units reported for PTA4 are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline (unaided) before surgery, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Change in Threshold Audiometry: Unaided Versus Baha Attract
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the unaided hearing performance before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry PTA4 (mean of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz). The units reported for PTA4 are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline (unaided) before surgery, 24 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Change in Threshold Audiometry: Unaided Versus Baha Attract
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the unaided hearing performance before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry at frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 6000 Hz). The units reported for threshold audiometry are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline (unaided) before surgery, 12 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Change in Threshold Audiometry: Unaided Versus Baha Attract
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the unaided hearing performance before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry at individual frequencies 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 6000 Hz. The units reported for threshold audiometry are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline (unaided) before surgery, 6 months after surgery
Adaptive Speech Recognition in Noise Ratio: Unaided Versus Baha Attract
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System compared to the pre-operative unaided situation; Adaptive speech recognition in noise measured as signal to noise ratio The adaptive speech test in noise was conducted using validated lists of phonetically balanced sentences, with speech presented from the front (0 degrees azimuth) and noise from the back (180 degrees azimuth). The noise was kept constant at 65 dB SPL, and the speech was adapted in 2 dB steps to establish the speech-to-noise ratio (SNR) providing a 50% level of understanding. A ratio of 1 reflects the ability to correctly hear sentences at 65 dB, in the presence of 65 dB background noise. A lower ratio than 1 reflects the ability to correctly hear sentences below 65 dB. A ratio higher than 1 reflects the ability to correctly hear sentences presented above 65 dB. Manchester and Birmingham are excluded from this analysis due to incorrect set up.
Time frame: Baseline (unaided) before surgery, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery
Speech in Quiet, Baha Attract Versus Unaided
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System at 6, 12 and 24 months compared to the pre-operative unaided situation; Speech in quiet at 50, 65 and 80dB. Speech in Quiet is a measure of percentage of correct words. A higher score reflects a higher percentage of correct words.
Time frame: Baseline before surgery, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Threshold Audiometry PTA4: Sound Processor on Softband Versus Baha Attract
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the aided hearing performance, sound processor on a softband, before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry PTA4 (mean of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz) The units reported for PTA4 are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline before surgery, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Threshold Audiometry Individual Frequencies: Baha Attract Versus Sound Processor on Softband
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the aided hearing performance with Sound processor on a Softband before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry at individual frequencies 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 Hz. The units reported for threshold audiometry are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
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Time frame: Baseline (aided) before surgery, 6 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Threshold Audiometry Individual Frequencies: Baha Attract Versus Sound Processor on Softband
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the aided hearing performance with Sound processor on a Softband before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry at individual frequencies: 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 Hz. The units reported for threshold audiometry are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline (aided) before surgery, 12 months after surgery
Hearing Performance: Threshold Audiometry Individual Frequencies: Baha Attract Versus Sound Processor on Softband
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System (aided) from the aided hearing performance with Sound processor on a Softband before surgery; measured as free-field hearing tests: Threshold audiometry at individual frequencies: 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 Hz. The units reported for threshold audiometry are decibels (dB). As such, a lower or more negative score is more desirable and reflects the ability to hear softer sounds.
Time frame: Baseline (aided) before surgery, 24 months after surgery
Adaptive Speech Recognition in Noise Ratio: Baha Attract Versus Sound Processor on Softband
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System compared to the pre-operative aided situation with Sound Processor on a softband; Adaptive Speech recognition in Noise measured as signal to noise ratio. A ratio of 1 reflects the ability to correctly hear sentences at 65 dB, in the presence of 65 dB background noise. A lower ratio than 1 reflects the ability to correctly hear sentences below 65 dB. A ratio higher than 1 reflects the ability to correctly hear sentences presented above 65 dB.
Time frame: Baseline (aided) before surgery, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery
Speech in Quiet: Baha Attract Versus Sound Processor on Softband
The change of hearing performance with the Baha Attract System at 6 months compared to the pre-operative aided situation with the Sound Processor on a softband; Speech in quiet at 50, 65 and 80dB. Speech in Quiet is a measure of percentage of correct words. A higher score reflects a higher percentage of correct words.
Time frame: Baseline (aided) before surgery, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery
Health Utility Index (HUI)
Change of health status and health related quality of life using the generic quality of life scale Health Utilities Index (HUI3) when wearing Baha Attract System compared to the pre-operative unaided situation. A health utility value of 1.00 indicates perfect health while a score of 0.00 indicates death. The change from unaided to aided hearing is presented. A positive value indicates an improved quality of life, a negative value indicates impaired quality of life. HUI score of 1 (maximum) describes a state of perfect health. HUI score of 0 describes a state of dead. A negative score of Comprehensive Health State describes a state worse than dead.
Time frame: Baseline (unaided) before surgery, 6 and 24 months after surgery
Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB)
Measuring change of Ease of communication, Reverberation, Background noise, Aversiveness and a Global score with the Baha Attract System from the pre-operative unaided situation. The absolute APHAB scale is between 0 and 100%, where 0% indicates no problems and 100% indicates always problem. The change from unaided to aided hearing is presented. A positive value indicates an improvement, a negative value an impairment.
Time frame: Baseline before surgery, 6 and 24 months after surgery
Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ)
Measuring change of speech, spatial and hearing experiences with the Baha Attract System from the pre-operative unaided situation. A scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "can not hear at all", and 10 "hear perfectly". The change from unaided to aided hearing is presented. A positive value indicates improved hearing, a negative value indicates impaired hearing.
Time frame: Baseline before surgery, 6 and 24 months after surgery
Time to Perform Surgery
Time of first incision to time of last suture
Time frame: Visit 2 (Surgery)
Tissue Reduction Performed During Surgery
Surgical thinning of the soft tissue flap was advocated when the soft tissue thickness exceeded 6 mm
Time frame: Visit 2 (surgery)
Implant Stability
Implant Stability Quotient - ISQ, a scale from 1 to 100, where 100 represent the highest stability
Time frame: Visit 2 (surgery)
Magnetic Force
To investigate if the magnetic force required for sound processor magnet retention will change over time
Time frame: 4, 6, 12 weeks, 6, 12 and 24 months
Sound Processor Magnet Choice
To investigate how sound processor magnet choice will change over time. Six different magnetic strength could be chosen; SPM 1 had the lowest strength and SPM 6 the the highest.
Time frame: 4, 6, 12 weeks, 6, 12 and 24 months
Pain & Discomfort
Degree of pain and discomfort.
Time frame: Week 6, Week 12, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Numbness When Tested With a Pin
Degree of numbness when tested with a pin
Time frame: Day 10, Week 4, Week 6, Week 12, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Numbness When Tested With a Cotton Swab
Degree of numbness when tested with a Cotton Swab
Time frame: Day 10, Week 4, Week 6, Week 12, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24