Learning Objectives: The objective of this presentation is to review the key features of the radiological and surgical planning software for the Bonebridge.
Percutaneous implantable Bone Conduction Hearing Aids have been used for decades to treat certain types of hearing losses. These devices can offer improved sound quality, by stimulating the bone directly. However this class of device has a major drawback: a chronic open wound, as vibratory energy is delivered to the skull through an osseointegrated screw directly attached to an external audio processor. To overcome issues related to wound management and infections, two new classes of bone conduction hearing aids have been recently developed: passive, and active, transcutaneous implants. The passive devices transfer mechanical energy through intact skin to the bone. The BONEBRIDGE system represents the first active bone conduction device that addresses the wound issues of percutaneous devices. The system is implanted in the Temporal Bone or in the retrosigmoidal area.
In order to evaluate the surgical risk of exposure /compression of important structures such as the dura and the sigmoid sinus, the BONEBRIDGE can be “virtually implanted” prior to the actual surgery using dedicated software called BB Fast View. The BB Fast View software utilises conventional CT scans (DICOM) and can assist radiological and surgical planning. Important information about the placement of the BONEBRIDGE can be forwarded to the radiologist and surgeon for evaluation. The software has been proven to be a useful tool as a preliminary assessment of the feasibility of BONEBRIDGE implantation.
