Bone conduction hearing: device auditory capability to aid in device selection.

OBJECTIVE

To obtain identical laboratory measures of 8 (surgical and nonsurgical) bone conduction devices and relate them to clinical function.

STUDY DESIGN

Each device was measured with a single laboratory system and characterized with descriptive statistics.

SETTING

Laboratory.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Seven surgical devices (Intenso, BP110, BP100, and Cordelle [Cochlear, Denver, Colorado]; Ponto Pro and Ponto Pro Power [Oticon Medical, Somerset, New Jersey]; and Alpha 2 [Sophono, Inc, Boulder, Colorado]) and 1 nonsurgical dental device (SoundBite; Sonitus Medical, Inc, San Mateo, California) constituted the independent variables. Measured maximum output and gain parameters were the dependent variables.

RESULTS

Maximum output varied across devices in the pure-tone average (PTA; 500-3000 Hz) frequency range (mean, 109.7 dB re 1 µN; range, 98.8-119.2 dB) and in the above-PTA (4000-8000 Hz) frequency range (mean, 102.6 dB re 1 µN; range, 88.99-119.6 dB). Maximum gain varied in the PTA frequency range (mean, 40 dB; range, 29.1-49.1 dB) and was higher in the frequency range above the PTA (mean, 32.0 dB; range, 20.8-46.0 dB).

CONCLUSION

All devices have sufficient maximum output and gain for the PTA frequency range for single-sided deafness (SSD). The devices differed in maximum output and gain for the frequency range above the PTA, a consideration for accommodating presbycusis and optimizing auditory function for SSD. The surgical devices have less maximum output and gain in the above-PTA range than in the PTA range. The nonsurgical dental device had the highest output (up to 30 dB higher) and gain (up to 26 dB higher) in the above-PTA range.