5 valuable reads on Cochlear’s latest innovations

Flexibility in the Classroom: the Cochlear™ Mini Microphone 2+

By guest author: Janet Clarke, Au.D.

The Cochlear™ Nucleus® 6 (CP910, CP920), Kanso®(CP950), and Nucleus 7 (CP1000) Sound Processors, the Cochlear Baha® 5 series Sound Processors, ReSound hearing technology, and the Cochlear Mini Microphone 2+ (MM2+) are all great friends in the classroom! Direct streaming from the MM2+ to the processor(s), or processor and hearing instrument, offers a discreet option for enhanced listening to classroom instruction. No additional hardware is attached to the sound processor and/or hearing instrument. The MM2+ can be either worn by the teacher, used as a tabletop conference microphone, used to receive audio from a room loop via the Telecoil setting, or used with another audio input via the Line-in Direct Audio Input.

Cochlear™ Baha® with Mini Microphone 2+ (MM2+) and school

By guest author: Amy Donaldson, Au.D.

Children in schools today often find themselves in dynamic learning environments, especially where listening is concerned. The “typical” classroom, where the teacher stands in the front of the room to lecture while the student spends all day listening, is truly becoming a relic of the past. Today’s students may find themselves working on projects in pairs or small groups, participating in large group discussions or listening to videos or computer-based training or assessments.

With the shift in learning methods, more and more flexibility is required in remote microphone technology. Anyone who has spent time in a classroom where small group work is taking place will know that the need for an improved signal-to-noise ratio is still real. The MM2+ offers a flexible and affordable remote microphone solution for recipients of Baha® users. Consider the following classroom uses for the

MM2+: 

• Traditional: Give the MM2+ to the teacher for an effortless and direct connection between the teacher’s voice and the student’s Cochlear™ Baha 5 Sound Processor.
• Conference mode: Switch the MM2+ into conference mode by laying it horizontally on the table during small group activities.
  Direct audio input: Plug the MM2+ into any external audio source (i.e., smart board, computer or tablet) for a direct connection to classroom technology.
• Telecoil: Switch the MM2+ into T-coil mode to easily pick up room loops during field trips or assemblies.
• Europin connection: Attach a universal remote microphone receiver to connect the student to any FM or DM system that is utilized in the classroom.

The best thing about the MM2+ is the ease of use – students can switch modes easily using the button on the back of the device and 2.4 GHz wireless technology means the MM2+ connects directly to the processor without the need for external neck loops or dongles.

Share these videos with your patients to help them connect to the MM2+ on their own:

• How to Use the Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor with the Mini Microphone 2+: https://youtu.be/L0QabL0JtLg
• How to Use the Cochlear Nucleus 6 Sound Processor with the Mini Microphone 2+: https://youtu.be/ap4K9xHvxLM
• How to Use the Kanso Sound Processor with the Mini Microphone 2+: https://youtu.be/7IhG0-2GnuU
• How to Use the Baha 5 series processors with the Mini Microphone 2+: https://youtu.be/PguQRovbGJQ

Visit our website for more information on the Mini Microphone and Mini Microphone 2+.

About our guest authors:

Dr. Clarke is a Professional Education Manager for Cochlear Americas.  She joined Cochlear in 1998 and has been in various Clinical or Learning roles throughout her career at Cochlear. She has been an audiologist since 1992, working with cochlear implants since 1993 and Baha since Cochlear’s acquisition of Entific in 2005. Prior to joining Cochlear, Janet worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Janet has her AuD from the University of Florida, and did her undergraduate & graduate degrees at Purdue University.

Amy Donaldson is an Audiologist and Professional Education Manager for Cochlear Americas.  She received her Master’s Degree in Audiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and her AuD from the University of Florida.  She was privileged to begin her career as a pediatric audiologist and gain extensive clinical experience in implantable hearing devices at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and at the Manchester Cochlear Implant Programme in the United Kingdom.  After working for several years as an Educational Audiologist and Technical Support Audiologist in the hearing aid industry, she returned to hearing implants and Cochlear in 2011.

Hearing Tracker is a feature on the Cochlear™ Nucleus® Smart App that allows audiologists and parents to collect data regarding a child’s “Time in Speech” and “Coil Offs”. This information can be important for pediatric patients in order to set and reach particular hearing goals. It also gives parents real-time data to make sure their child is wearing their Cochlear™ Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor in situations when parents may not be around; like at school or other activities.

Consistent access to sound is important for speech and language development in pediatric patients. For this reason, Hearing Tracker can be a useful tool for parents and audiologists to be able to track “Time in Speech”. The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor monitors the user’s environment to determine when speech is present. Hearing Tracker takes this a step further and measures the time spent in environments with speech sounds (this includes use of accessory devices) and compiles into one easy view summary chart. Parents and clinicians can use this summary chart to set daily goals for time in speech within hearing tracker.

Another key feature with Hearing Tracker is the “Coil Offs”. “Coil Offs” is the measurement for the number of times in a given day in which the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor coil is disconnected from the cochlear implant. This number will vary between individuals depending on their lifestyle. The data comes from the number of instances where the coil is taken off over a week’s time in order to establish a baseline. Once the parent establishes a baseline of “Coil Offs” for their child, they can then set goals to improve that number.

In order to optimize the Hearing Tracker feature on your patient’s Nucleus Smart App, they must enable their Bluetooth® and keep the Nucleus Smart App is running on their compatible Apple device.

Visit the Cochlear website for more information on Hearing Tracker and the Nucleus Smart App.

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