Cochlear Implants
by Cochlear Guest Author

Clinical Quick Tips to pave the way to successful CI fittings with the Cochlear™ Wireless Programming Pod

April 17, 2018
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Clinical quick tips

Guest author: Janet Clarke, Au.D.

Janet Clarke

Power to the Pod!

The feedback from the 2017 Hear Your Way workshops was clear: when asked for your key takeaways, the words wireless and programming appeared often, as shown above in the above Word Cloud. We hope you have enjoyed incorporating the Wireless Programming Pods (WPPs) into your programming sessions. If you haven’t yet started using the WPPs, below are some tips to help you get them set up. If you have used the WPPs, you may still find some of these tips useful.

Nucleus 7 WPP

  1. Designate one Cochlear™ Nucleus® Programming Kit to each computer. Do not move WPPs from computer to computer. If absolutelyWPP screen necessary to use a WPP on a different computer, you must first “forget the device” on the first computer to which the WPP was paired.
  2. In the programming kit, you will find rechargeable batteries for the WPP for the Nucleus® 7 sound processor and for the WPP for the Nucleus® 5, 6 or Kanso® sound processor. Charge these two batteries using the USB charger from the programming kit and your clinic’s charger, respectively.
  3. If your computer has built-in Bluetooth®, we recommend disabling it, and using the Cochlear-provided Bluetooth USB 4.0 Adapter (Manufacturer: ORICO®). Plug the ORICO adapter into an available USB port. The ports toward the back of the computer have more power and are a better choice for the adapter. If you are using a USB hub, it must be an AC powered hub.
    • If you use a NOAHLink™, it will pair to the ORICO adapter – you will no longer need the EZURIO or LAIRD™ adapter that came with the NOAHLink. We recommend, therefore, removing the EZURIO or LAIRD and putting it away.
  1. Close all open software applications, especially Custom Sound®.
  2. If you have wired programming pods plugged in to your computer, unplug them, for now.
  3. Find your computer’s Bluetooth icon, right-click on it and choose Add a Device.
  4. Choose one of the pods and its corresponding rechargeable battery. It’s time to put power to the pod! Do NOT attach a sound processor at this time.
    • The blue LED on the WPP will flash slowly for up to three minutes while the device is being detected.
    • Place the WPP and battery on the table (do not hold them in your hand – doing so may interfere with connectivity during the pairing process).
    • Time is on your side! Wait until you see the Cochlear Wireless Pod detected on your screen, then add it.
    • When the blue LED flashes quickly for 10 seconds, pairing is complete.
  1. Follow the steps in item 7 for the other WPP.
  2. If you use a NOAHLink, Pair it using the NOAHLink Pairing Wizard
  3. Open Custom Sound and wait for the WPP icon(s) to appear.

WPP Icon

  1. If you have a sound processor, connect it.
    • Note that when a sound processor firmware update is required, you may notice that the WPP and processor icons momentarily disappear. Do not disconnect and reconnect anything – time is on your side! In a few seconds, the icons will reappear and the connection will complete.
  1. Note that Custom Sound can detect only two pods of any type at any given time. For example, it can detect two WPPs, one WPP and one wired pod, or two wired pods.
  2. When you are finished programming using the WPP, disconnect the sound processor, then remove and recharge the rechargeable battery. Cochlear does not recommend use of the recipient’s rechargeable battery, as it may be insufficiently charged, or become depleted during the programming session.
  3. Please visit myCochlear™ Clinic, Resources section, Software Support for the Wireless Programming Pod User Guides, as well as a plethora of useful Software Support Documents.

About our guest author:

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.

 

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Cochlear Guest Author

In an effort to keep our content fresh and reflective of a diverse industry, Cochlear Americas features a mix of employees and professional partners to contribute to Cochlear ProNews as Guest Authors.

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On the other hand, if a child with severe to profound hearing loss waits to be implanted, he or she can only make three months of progress for every calendar year without a cochlear implant.

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Through partnership together we can reach further to give pediatric patients the progress and possibilities that come with early access to sound.

Why wait? Watch now to learn more about earlier implantation!

To learn more about early implantation visit our TECH Talks page or website.

References:

  1. Leigh, J.R., Dettman, S.J., & Dowell, R.C. (2016). Evidence-based guidelines for recommending cochlear implantation for young children: audiological criteria and optimizing age at implantation. International Journal of Audiology, 55, S9-S18.  

In the US, the cochlear implant system is intended for use in children 9 to 24 months of age who have bilateral profound sensorineural deafness and demonstrate limited benefit from appropriate binaural hearing aids. Children two years of age or older may demonstrate severe to profound hearing loss bilaterally. In Canada, the cochlear implant system is intended for use in children 12 to 24 months of age who have bilateral profound sensorineural deafness and demonstrate limited benefit from appropriate binaural hearing aids. Children two years of age or older may demonstrate severe to profound hearing loss bilaterally.

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Dr. Jace Wolfe, audiologist and Director of Audiology and Research at the Hearts for Hearing Foundation in Oklahoma City, discusses why the Cochlear™ Nucleus® Sound Processor is his choice for pediatric patients.

Wolfe cites durability and reliability as top considerations for external sound processors, especially for kids during play. Many children can’t deliver robust feedback right away, so the sound processor needs to work as promised. In addition, he attributes Nucleus Sound Processors as the smallest sound processor on the market, which is key for infants and wearability.1

Further, Wolfe discusses technological advancements that can aid pediatric progress and care, such as the Nucleus Smart App.* This app allows parents/caregivers to see how long the child spends in various listening environments and can help set virtual goals as well.

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Watch now!

To learn more about early implantation and our new lowered pediatric indication visit our TECH Talks page or website.

References:

  1. Cochlear Limited. D1190805. CP1000 Processor Size Comparison. 2017, Mar; Data on file
  2. Benítez-Barrera CR, Angley GP, Tharpe AM. Remote Microphone System Use at Home: Impact on Caregiver Talk. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2018;61(2):399‐409. doi:10.1044/2017_JSLHR-H-17-0168

In the US, the cochlear implant system is intended for use in children 9 to 24 months of age who have bilateral profound sensorineural deafness and demonstrate limited benefit from appropriate binaural hearing aids. Children two years of age or older may demonstrate severe to profound hearing loss bilaterally. In Canada, the cochlear implant system is intended for use in children 12 to 24 months of age who have bilateral profound sensorineural deafness and demonstrate limited benefit from appropriate binaural hearing aids. Children two years of age or older may demonstrate severe to profound hearing loss bilaterally.

*The Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is compatible with iPhone®, iPad® and iPod® touch. Apple, the Apple logo, FaceTime, Made for iPad logo, Made for iPhone logo, Made for iPod logo, iPhone®, iPad® Pro, iPad® Air, iPad® mini, iPad® and iPod® touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Cochlear Nucleus Smart App is available on App Store and Google Play. For complete smartphone compatibility information, please visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility.

App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Android™ and Google Play are registered trademarks of Google Inc.

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This material is intended for health professionals. If you are a consumer, please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.

 

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