Category Archives: News

Advanced Bionics (up to) Half-Off Sale on Wireless Accessories

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Gateway bundle

Wireless Gateway Bundle – 20% off

The North America Advanced Bionics webstore is offering discount prices on the Communication Bundle, the Media Bundle, and the Wireless Gateway Bundle for a limited time.  Each bundle comes with two of these three items – the ComPilot, the Remote Mic, and the TVLink II. These two bundles, containing the big-ticket ComPilot, are 50% off for a limited time.

If you already have the ComPilot, the Gateway Bundle completes the set, with a Remote Mic and a TVLink II!

Super secret tip – you don’t need to be an AB recipient to order from the store! So if you know somebody who uses a compatible Phonak hearing aid, feel free to share this post.

communication bundle

Communication Bundle – 50% off

media bundle

Media Bundle – 50% off

Mi Band – Inexpensive Vibrating Alarm and More

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By Howard Samuels

mi-bandThe new Mi Band by Xiaomi, manufacturers of ridiculously inexpensive smart phones in China, makes a great vibrating wristband alarm clock. While its main function is as a fitness band similar to a Fitbit Flex or a Nike+ FuelBand SE, the Mi Band barely makes a dent in your wallet at $15 complete with charging cable.  In comparison, other fitness bands start at about $100.

The Mi Band requires an iOS or Android phone.  Install the free Mi Band app, and set up an account with Xiaomi.  Several steps of the setup involve receiving a confirmation code text from Xiaomi, apparently to enforce super security on how many footsteps you take each day.

You can set an alarm to wake you up with a firm vibration once, or on any combination of days of the week.  Everyday and Weekday options are quick presets, and a customize option allows you to choose which particular days you would like the alarm to wake you. If you prefer to be awoken gently, you can set the alarm to start vibrating gently 30 minutes before your wakeup time, slowly increasing in strength.

To turn off the alarm when the band is vibrating, just tap on the metal part of the band with your finger.

Xiaomi step counter

The app can show you how many steps you’ve taken for the day. While I initially had no interest in that function, it quickly became addictive, and I’ve found myself walking a bit more each day to rack up the step count.  If you believe the marketing photos, the Mi Band is very effective at encouraging you to lose more of your body fat than is necessary.

anorexia

The battery life is listed at 30 days – much longer than any of the other fitness bands.  I’ve been wearing one for two weeks, and it’s still at 72%, so I expect to get closer to two months per charge.  Charging is simple – pop the module out of the replaceable silicone wrist band, and insert it into the USB charging cable.

Mi band battery life

You can set the Mi Band to vibrate if you receive a phone call and don’t answer after a programmable amount of time.  If you don’t hear the phone ring, or if you don’t feel the vibration, the band will certainly get your attention.

With a rating of IP67, you can wear the Mi Band in the shower. The Mi Band is available now in China and a few select nearby countries.  It will be available in a country near you in the coming weeks.

Raising Ryland

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RylandRyland Whittington is our star cochlear implant user! His parents thought that having a deaf child would be a challenge. Today, Ryland’s hearing is a ‘non-issue.’

His story up to getting his implants is featured here on CochlearImplantHELP.com. But take a look at the amazing events that have happened in his life, and at the incredible love, understanding, and support he is receiving from his parents and his community. Watch it now on CNN.

Cochlear CI512 Officially Returns to Market

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Profile implantCochlear announces the return to market of the CI512 implant. With a new name, ‘Profile,’ the implant is the thinnest implant available today. As always, full specifications are available on our Cochlear Implant Comparison Chart.

Read the press release here!

Advanced Bionics offers 5-Year Warranty and Processor Upgrade

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Advanced Bionics now offers a 5-year warranty on processors for new candidates. The warranty includes coverage for the ‘core-system,’ comprising the processor, T-mic 2, headpiece, and cable.

In addition, if you choose AB now, you can exchange one Naída CI Q70 for the next evolution of the Naída CI platform when it becomes available.

This offer is valid in the United States and Canada only.  Please contact your cochlear implant clinic or Advanced Bionics directly for details.

Now all three cochlear implant manufacturers available in the United States offer 5-year warranties for new candidates.

Cochlear CI512 (Nucleus 5) Implant May Be Back!

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CI512+Cochlear+ImplantThe Cochlear CI512 implant, which has been on recall since 2011, appears to be available in the United States.  Unconfirmed reports from candidates speaking with representatives of Cochlear Americas and surgeons at some American cochlear implant centers have indicated that the device may be available.

Compared to the CI24RE, which has been offered in the interim, the CI512 ‘bump height’ is only 1.7mm, versus 4.6mm for the CI24RE. In addition, the impact resistance of the CI512 is 2.5J, compared to 1J for the CI24RE.  More details on the two implants are available on the Comparison Chart.

Some percentage of the CI512 implants would cease to function due to a hermeticity failure, so the company issued a voluntary recall on October 3rd, 2011.  The failure rate of devices implanted before the recall appears to have dropped to the point where they are no longer significant compared to any other sources.

cochlear

If you are considering a cochlear implant from Cochlear Corporation, you may want to discuss with your surgeon which implant model you would receive.

Cochlear Announces Availability of Nucleus 6 Wireless Features

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Cochlear announces that the wireless accessories for the Nucleus 6 processors are finally available! These include the Mini Microphone, the Phone Clip, and the TV Streamer.

wireless-mini-mic

Mini Microphone

Hear no matter where you go.

The Mini Microphone gives you the freedom to hear more clearly no matter where you are. From lecture halls to one-on-one conversations, use the portable wireless clip-on microphone to transmit speech and sound directly to your sound processor.

  • Clearer speech delivered straight to your sound processor
  • Lightweight and portable so you can use it anywhere
  • Do more with plug-and-play audio streaming

wireless-phone-clipPhone Clip

Disconnect. Then connect.

Bluetooth-enabled wireless gives you control over your smartphone device. The Phone Clip gives you a hands-free connection to friends and family using your smartphone. Make calls and carry conversations without having to take your phone out of your pocket. With Bluetooth technology, place and receive calls and adjust volume at the touch of a button.

  • Hands-free streaming directly from the phone to you
  • Block out surrounding noise so you can enjoy comfortable conversations even in noisy places
  • True Bluetooth control

wireless-tv-streamerTV Streamer

Expand your TV experience.

Enjoy stereo sound directly from your TV. With the TV Streamer, you don’t have to choose between your favorite TV show and taking part in conversation. You get a balanced experience with sound from the TV streamed directly to your sound processor while you’re still switched on to what’s going on around you.

  • Don’t disturb others while watching your favorite show
  • Watch TV without overpowering or cutting sounds from the microphone on your sound processor
  • Easy connection and automatic reconnection

FDA Approves MED-EL’s SYNCHRONY Cochlear Implant

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SYNCHRONY is the first and only cochlear implant approved for 3.0T MRI without magnet removal

Synchrony

January 23, 2015 – (DURHAM, NC) – MED-EL USA announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the new SYNCHRONY cochlear implant. For the first time, a cochlear implant has been approved for use with 3.0 Tesla (T) MRI without the surgical removal of the internal magnet; it is the only implant available with this indication in the USA. SYNCHRONY will be available in spring 2015.

“MED-EL has continued its unprecedented advancement in the area of cochlear implant and MRI safety,” said Raymond Gamble, President & CEO, MED-EL North America. “We are thrilled to be able to offer SYNCHRONY, which has revolutionized the cochlear implant landscape around the world, here in the United States.”

SYNCHRONY is compatible with all current MED-EL audio processors, including the recently approved SONNET. Like all MED-EL implants, it is designed to be future ready for the latest technology as it becomes available. It is the smallest and lightest titanium cochlear implant on the market, making it the ideal choice for even the youngest candidates.

Revolutionary Magnet Design

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within the body. During an MRI, SYNCHRONY’s magnet freely rotates and self-aligns within its titanium housing, greatly reducing implant torque and the risk of demagnetization during MRI scans. This design enables high-resolution 3.0T MRI scans without the need for magnet removal.

The revolutionary conical design of the removable magnet housing greatly reduces the risk of magnet dislocation or migration. The implant features a polymer stiffening ring within the silicone implant body to further secure the magnet housing. Additionally, the magnet can only be removed from the bottom side of the implant, making dislocation of the magnet due to trauma almost impossible.

The implant is MR Conditional allowing MRI scans at 3.0T with the magnet in place. SYNCHRONY’s magnet housing can also be substituted with a non-magnetic spacer for MRI head scans with minimal image distortion in the implant area. The removable magnet housing features a protective coating to prevent unwanted cellular adhesion, simplifying the removal and replacement of the implant magnet. The incision for magnet exchange is made beside the implant, rather than directly over the implant, allowing uninterrupted hearing.

The SYNCHRONY PIN implant option also features titanium fixation pins proven to secure the placement of the implant for outstanding stability. SYNCHRONY incorporates MED-EL’s FLEX electrode arrays, which provide complete coverage of the cochlea for superior hearing performance and are engineered to preserve delicate cochlear structures for future advancements.

Cochlear Implant Engineers Receive 2015 Russ Prize

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Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize

Areas of Interest: Honoring Engineers
Project Type: NAE Program, Contest/Award
Latest Update: January 7, 2015

description for russ medal revised 2010The Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize, established in October 1999, is named after Fritz Russ, an esteemed engineer and founder of Systems Research Laboratories, and his wife Dolores Russ, a long-time supporter and benefactor of the engineering industry.

The NAE established the prize at the request of Ohio University to honor the Russes for their dedication to education and the field of engineering. Fritz Russ graduated from Ohio University in 1942 with a B.S. in electrical engineering.

The Russ Prize recognizes an outstanding bioengineering achievement in widespread use that improves the human condition. This achievement should help the public better understand and appreciate the contributions of engineers to our health, well-being and quality of life.  An auxiliary purpose of the Russ Prize is to encourage collaboration between the engineering and medical/biological professions to work closely together.

Awarded biennially (odd number years), the recipient receives a $500,000 cash award and a commemorative medallion. NAE members and non-members worldwide are eligible to receive the Russ Prize.

Professor Graeme M. Clark AC

Professor Graeme M. Clarke
Laureate Professor Emeritus, University of Melbourne; Otolaryngologist Emeritus, Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital; Founder & Director Emeritus, Bionic Ear Institute;
Honorary Professor Centre for Neural Engineering, University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne; Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital
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Erwin Hochmair

Dr. Erwin Hochmair
Professor Emeritus and Co-Founder of MED-EL
MED-EL Medical Electronics GmbH
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Dr. Ingeborg J. Hochmair-Desoyer

Dr. Ingeborg J. Hochmair
CEO and CTO
MED-EL Medical Electronics GmbH
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Dr. Michael M. Merzenich
Dr. Michael M. Merzenich
Francis Sooy Professor Emeritus
University of California, San Francisco
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Professor Blake S. WilsonProfessor Blake S. Wilson
Adjunct Professor of Surgery, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Duke University

Advanced Bionics Naída Warranty Restart – Recipient Letter

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Last week Cochlear Implant HELP reported that Naída users in the US and Canada will enjoy a restart of the warranty for the processor and accessories to January 1st, 2015.  Every eligible recipient will receive a copy of this letter with details on the program.