Sophono Alpha

Sophono Alpha

For patients who cannot tolerate the thought of a titanium fixture through the skin, potential skin problems or the appearance of a bone anchored hearing aid, a Sophono Alpha device may be considered.


	A metal plate is surgically implanted beneath the skin and attached to the skull. The external processor is held on by a magnet, and sound energy transmitted across the skin to the plate and hence to the skull and then the cochlea.

Advantages include:

Simple surgery, short healing time.
No percutaneous fixture or the skin problems associated with a percutaneous fixture, and no regular cleaning of the site.
The processor can be attached and removed easily.

Disadvantages include:

Potential pressure problems due to the magnet, although the magnet strength can be reduced.
There will be attenuation of sound energy across the skin, so the gain may be limited compared to a BAHA. In one study the average gain reported was 38 +/- 8 dB.