Deaf babies in Ireland enjoy a head start, frequently getting a cochlear implant at 7 months. However, the Health Services Executive does not provide funding for bilateral implants. Read about the struggle in the Irish Examiner.
Category Archives: Events
Patent Application Filed for Hearing Instrument Controller
Our own Howard Samuels has filed a patent application for an inertial sensor-based hearing instrument controller.
A sensor in the processor or hearing aid replaces some or all of the typical controls, such as power switch, volume, and program selection. By sensing motion, finger taps, or presses on the device, the power can turn on and off automatically, and the user can make adjustments without using any switches or knobs.
By eliminating the usual mechanical controls, the device can be made smaller, more reliable, and more waterproof.
Read about it on NewsRX.com!
Dr. William House Obituary
The cochlear implant world lost a giant today.
Read the press release from the House Research Institute.
Early Pediatric Cochlear Implants in the US
1980 marked the first pediatric cochlear implant in the US. Dr. William House and his team performed the surgery with a single-channel device. He first implanted two patients for a short term clinical trial in 1961!
Read more of the early history of pediatric cochlear implants!
Keep Practicing with Music!
The Hearing Journal reports that music perception with cochlear implants improves with practice and experience. Excerpts below.
“Higher speech perception scores and increased amount of focused music listening have also been positively associated with melody recognition abilities. (Ear Hear 2005;26[3]:237.)”
… and …
“One group, for example, found that CI users who participated in only a one-week to two-month training program demonstrated significantly improved abilities to recognize semitone distances, identify melodic contours, and recognize familiar melodies compared with baseline performance. (Ear Hear 2007;28[3]:302; Ann N Y Acad Sci 2009; 1169:518.)
Improvements in performance increased as the training period continued in duration. Follow-up testing one month after training revealed that performance was still significantly higher than baseline, suggesting possible long-term benefits of music rehabilitation.”
Read the whole article here.
Free Aqua Accessory 5-Pack (Australia and New Zealand)
Contact Cochlear today to get your free 5-pack of the Aqua Accessory!
Read a review of the Aqua Accessory, and watch a video demo of how to put it on.
Advanced Bionics Holiday Sale Harmony/Auria Color Caps/Covers
Need a gift idea for a loved one? Just in time for the holidays! From now until Dec 31, 2012, buy 1 set of Harmony or Auria Caps/Covers, get a 2nd FREE. #NorthAmerica
http://www.advancedbionics.com/us/en/support.html
Cochlear Cyber Monday Sale
Cochlear is offering 15% off at the web store!
Claim the offer on Cochlear’s Facebook page.
Advanced Bionics Cyber Monday Offer
Today only, purchase one T-mic and get a second one for half price!
Claim the offer on AB’s Facebook page.
Cochlear Receives PMA for Intra-Operative Remote
Cochlear implants are checked for NRI measurements and impedance checks in the operating room. Normally this involves the same computer and software that the audiologist uses when you go in for a tune-up. This newly-approved device is a small remote control that just performs the functions required in the operating room – no computer needed!
Read the PMA here.
cochlear implant HELP 