AB announces the worldwide arrival of the T-Mic Saver; a small, removable protective cover for AB’s patented T-Mic microphone! Designed to increase the durability of your T-Mic, the T-Mic Saver is now shipping with all new T-Mic orders and is also available separately in a convenient pack of 6. Place your order with customer service today!
A Chinese startup threatens to upend the $1 billion market for cochlear implants with a low-cost alternative. Read about it on Bloomberg.
Following MED-EL’s lead on longer warranties for external equipment, Cochlear matches the 5-year warranty in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico as part of the 5 for Life program. Read the terms and conditions here.
VALENCIA, Calif., March 25, 2013 – Advanced Bionics (AB) announced today that it received approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for Neptune™, the world’s first and only swimmable, waterproof cochlear implant sound processor in Australia.
Read more here.
Eagle-eyed Bob MacPherson has struck gold again, uncovering Health Canada approvals for both Advanced Bionics‘ and Cochlear‘s new sound processors! Following is a list of specific components licensed:
Advanced Bionics
Cochlear
Bonus points go to Cochlear for providing lots of accessories, such as the bilateral personal audio cable! The portable phone cable is interesting – is this in addition to a wireless means of connecting to cell phones, or instead of one?
Advanced Bionics announces regulatory approval from FDA, Health Canada, and TÜV for HiRes Optima.
HiRes Optima is a modification of the HiRes Fidelity 120 strategy, and is intended to optimize power efficiency. This new strategy improves battery life without compromising the listening benefits of the HiResolution bionic ear system. AB cochlear implant recipients using this new technology enjoy an average improvement of 55% in battery life, giving them considerably more time to hear their world before needing to change a battery.
Thanks to Bob MacPherson for breaking the news of FDA approval of the HiRes Optima sound processing strategy!
HiRes Optima is a modification of the HiRes Fidelity 120 strategy, and is intended to optimize power efficiency. This new strategy improves battery life without compromising the listening benefits of the HiResolution bionic ear system.
With Advanced Bionics, Cochlear, and MED-EL all preparing to announce new processors, a room full of professionals is always a good place to watch. There aren’t many cochlear implant conferences coming up, so the British Cochlear Implant Group conference on March 21st and 22nd bears close scrutiny.
The programme includes time for AB, Cochlear, MED-EL and Neurelec to provide manufacturer’s updates. While CochlearimplantHELP.com has no specific product introduction information, we have been reporting on the upcoming devices.
Advanced Bionics:
AB is readying a new processor with wireless capabilities and features from Phonak. You can stream the phone audio from one ear to the other (another AB implant or a Phonak hearing aid). Connect to phones, music players, etc. via BlueTooth through the ComPilot. More information is available in this brochure.
Cochlear:
The Nucleus 6 processor will be available in two sizes – with or without an accessory port. The processor may offer wireless capabilities using the remote as a gateway device. And it may be possible to program the processor remotely! The Nucleus 6 will also be able to act as a hybrid hearing aid / cochlear implant, using the Acoustic Component.
MED-EL:
MED-EL has been busy as well, preparing the RONDO one-piece processor. This is the world’s first processor to be completely self-contained. The batteries, processor, and headpiece are all one unit. Nothing sits on the ear at all!
Neurelec:
This French cochlear implant manufacturer has a time slot to provide an update at the conference as well. The current system from Neurelec is very creative – one implant has two arrays, one for each cochlea! Externally, the Saphyr processor sits on one ear, and a wired microphone is on the other ear. This system provides true stereo sound.
In the continuing saga of the Irish Happy New Ear campaign, Irish Health Minister James Reilly has said that providing children with bilateral cochlear implants in 2014 is “a high priority” for the government.
Read more here.
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