Clinical Quick Tips: Getting ready for splashing into summer with the Aqua+

Dr. Brian Kaplan, cochlear implant surgeon and Senior Vice President of Clinical Strategy & Innovation at Cochlear, reviews the challenges clinicians have faced over the years to obtain consistent reliability data from manufacturers. As a result, this affected their ability to answer patients’ questions regarding implant safety and reliability.

The lack of a standard definition for an implant failure magnified  the differences in manufacturers’ reporting methods and the need for consistency. Traumas, life stages and legacy products were also classified differently within these reliability reports.

As explained by Dr. Kaplan, a new AAMI standard calculates overall failure rates of the implant, regardless of the cause, and an assessment for external sound processors for the first time¹. The report also covers the life cycle of the entire product portfolio and legacy products.

This AAMI standard can provide clinicians with the tools to confidently make decisions and to provide patients with an honest assessment of overall failure rates within the entire cochlear implant system through a standardized method for manufacturers to report reliability data¹.

Watch now to learn more about reliability reporting and how the new standard can impact you.

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References:

1. AAMI:2017 CI86 Cochlear Implant Systems: Requirements for safety, functional verification, labeling and reliability reporting.

 Welcome to the future of hearing.

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is the first Made for iPhone sound processor.¹ This gives recipients access to connect with their technology as well as their loved ones as they stream phone calls, videos, music and entertainment directly to their sound processor(s). 

The Nucleus 7 is also the world’s smallest, lightest behind-the-ear sound processor; at 25 percent smaller and 24 percent lighter than the Nucleus 6 Sound Processor.² Thanks to new chip technology, designed for more efficient power transfer, battery life has increased by up to 50 percent when compared to the Nucleus 6.³ The Cochlear Slimline™ Coil of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a new ultra-compact all-in-one coil and cable. This coil is lighter and lower profile than previous sound processors, which provides greater comfort – even when wearing a hat or helmet. The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is the most water resistant sound processor⁴ and with the addition of the Aqua+, it becomes waterproof.⁵

The Nucleus Smart App, designed specifically for the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, allows your patients to control their own settings. The Nucleus Smart App contains new and exciting features like, adjusting their own volume, treble, bass and sensitivity, automatic data logging and Find my Sound Processor for locating missing or lost devices. The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is compatible with a simple Remote Assistant, however with the introduction of the Nucleus Smart App your patient no longer has to carry around an extra device.⁶ For the first time, patients can take control and stream sound directly to their sound processor(s) from their Apple devices. True Wireless™ accessories are also compatible with Nucleus 7 Sound Processor in order to help patients watch TV, talk on the phone and listen clearly in noisy situations. For added convenience, patients can switch between streaming to different True Wireless accessories all on their iPhone®.

From noisy or windy conditions to quiet conversations, you can be confident your patients are hearing their best. Equipped with Cochlear’s proven SmartSound® iQ with SCAN sound management system,⁷ the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor constantly optimizes listening in different environments. SmartSound iQ with SCAN automatically analyses and adjusts settings without the need for multiple programs or patient interaction. For patients who may have residual hearing, the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor comes Hybrid™ ready so that they can use Hybrid Hearing. By using an acoustic component to amplify low frequency sounds, your patients can access the benefits of combined acoustic and electric hearing in a single device.⁸

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is commercially available now! Click here to see what your patients are learning on our website about the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor.

References:

1 Apple Inc. Use Made for iPhone hearing aids [Internet]. Apple support. 2017 [cited 24 February 2017]. Available from: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201466 (Subject to change at time of launch).

2 Cochlear Limited. D1190805. CP1000 Processor Size Comparison. 2017, Mar; Data on file.

3 Cochlear Limited. D1140877. Battery Life and Power Consumption Comparison between CP1000, CP900 Series and CP810 Sound Processors. 2017, Mar; Data on file.

4 Cochlear Limited. Nucleus 7 Sound Processor User Guide. 2017, Jan; Data on file.

5 Cochlear Limited. Nucleus 7 Aqua+ User Guide. 2016, Oct; Data on file

6 D1182081. CLTD 5620 Clinical Evaluation of Nucleus 7 Cochlear Implant System. 2017, Mar; Data on file.

7 Mauger SJ, Warren C, Knight M, Goorevich M, Nel E. Clinical evaluation of the Nucleus 6 cochlear implant system: performance improvements with SmartSound iQ. International Journey Of Audiology. 2014, Aug; 53(8): 564-576. [Sponsored by Cochlear].

8 Cochlear Limited. P130016: Nucleus® Hybrid™ L24 Implant System. 2013, Sep; Available from: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/MedicalDevices/MedicalDevicesAdvisoryCommittee/EarNoseandThroatDevicesPanel/UCM373793.pdf

© Cochlear Limited 2017. All rights reserved. Hear Now And Always and other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of Cochlear Limited.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone,and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

Nucleus 7 is compatible with iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Pro (12.9-inch), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPad mini, iPad (4th generation), iPod touch (6th generation) and iPod touch (5th generation) using iOS 10.X or later. Apple, the Apple logo, Made for iPhone, iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

SNR-WR, WNR and SCAN are approved for use with any recipient ages 6 years and older, who is able to: 1) complete objective speech perception testing in quiet and in noise in order to determine and document performance: and 2) report a preference for different program settings.

Nucleus 7 with Aqua+ is water resistant to level IP68 of the International Standard IEC60529. This water protection rating means that the sound processor with the Aqua+ can be continuously submerged under water to a depth of 3 meters (9 feet and 9 inches) for up to 2 hours. This water protection only applies when you use a Cochlear Standard Rechargable Battery Module or Cochlear Compact Rechargable Battery Module.

The Nucleus® Hybrid™ Implant System is approved in the US for adults 18 and older.

The acoustic component should only be used when behavioral audiometric thresholds can be obtained and the recipient can provide feedback regarding sound quality.