by Michi Diller, AuD

Quick Tips: Cochlear Nucleus Depth Gauges

September 21, 2023

Welcome to Cochlear™ Quick Tips. The purpose behind Quick Tips is to give you “bite-sized” information that you can use when working with our products. In this first edition, we will discuss Cochlear™ Nucleus® Depth Gauges.

What is a depth gauge?

Depth gauges are surgical components that utilize the same materials and have the same handling characteristics as “live” electrode arrays

When should a Depth Gauge be considered?

To aid in assessing the patency of the cochlea lumen if pre-operative imaging is inconclusive or unavailable
To assess if insertion depth is adequate
To assist in determining the most appropriate implant model
During explant/re-implant procedures

What Depth Gauges are available?

Cochlear has two types of depth gauges: the Contour Advance Depth Gauge and Straight Depth Gauge

The Contour Advance Depth Gauge is more commonly used of the two depth gauge options. This is due to its benefits in obstruction/fibrosis/ossification, common cavity, incomplete partition, and cochlear hypoplasia cases

Can I see an example of how this can be used?

Anything else I should know?

Depth gauges are not approved for use as an implant or stent.
Monopolar electrocautery should not be performed with a depth gauge in position.
The Straight Depth Gauge DOES NOT have the same the same dimensions or handling characteristics as the Slim Straight electrode and does not have a smooth lateral surface or basal support. Size differential between slim straight and straight electrode arrays may create false-positive or false-negative feedback with use.
For more information, please reach out to your local Cochlear representative or call Cochlear’s Surgical-on-Call at (877) 279-5411.

To learn more about Cochlear™ Nucleus® Implants, visit our website.

Introducing the Cochlear Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor

July 26, 2017

Cochlear introduces the world’s first Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor

The Nucleus^® 7 Sound Processor is the world’s first Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor to allow users to stream sound from iPhone^®, iPad^® and iPod touch^® directly to their sound processor, offering greater accessibility, connectivity and wireless solutions

Centennial, Colo. (July 26, 2017) – Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, introduces today its latest innovation, the Cochlear^TM Nucleus^® 7 Sound Processor. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June, the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is the world’s first Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor and the smallest and lightest behind-the-ear cochlear implant sound processor available on the market.^1-3

With the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, people with a Cochlear Nucleus Implant can now stream sound directly from a compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch directly to their sound processor.^4,5* They will also be able to control, monitor and customize their hearing on their iPhone or iPod touch through the Nucleus^® Smart App available from the Apple^®App Store^®.

There are 360 million people living with disabling hearing loss worldwide, and this figure is set to more than triple to 1.2 billion by 2050.^6,7 According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 72 million people who could potentially benefit from the use of a hearing device including a cochlear implant or hearing aid.⁸

Chris Smith, Cochlear Chief Executive Officer and President, welcomes the FDA approval of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, explaining that Cochlear is proud to give people with moderate to profound hearing loss access to mobile technology like never before.

“The approval of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a turning point for people with hearing loss, opening the door for them to make phone calls, listen to music in high-quality stereo sound, watch videos and have FaceTime^® calls streamed directly to their cochlear implant,” explains Smith. “This new sound processor builds on our long-standing commitment to help more people with hearing loss connect with others and live a full life.”

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor offers a range of first-of-its-kind features with the Nucleus Smart App. The new Hearing Tracker feature records coil-offs time (each time the sound processor coil does not detect the implant coil, such as if it has fallen off a child’s head) and time in speech (which optimizes the sound processor for different types of noise environments).⁵ The Nucleus Smart App Find My Processor feature helps locate a lost sound processor by using Location Services to determine the last place the sound processor was connected to the paired iPhone or iPod touch, whether it has been lost on the playground, in the house or in the car.

“Technology that offers greater connectivity seeks to make life easier for people with hearing loss,” said Laurel Mahoney, cochlear implant audiologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at NYU Langone Health. “The advancements provided by the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor give parents more control and allow them to better monitor their child’s hearing while adults and teenagers will be able to stream music and make FaceTime calls just like their hearing friends and family.”

With the commercial availability of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, Cochlear is also offering the world’s only Smart Bimodal Solution that’s Made for iPhone (the combination of a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other), enabling both hearing solutions to provide synchronized streaming to both ears from a compatible iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.⁴ The Nucleus 7 Bimodal Solution is delivered by using a Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, a compatible ReSound^TM hearing aid and a paired iPhone or iPod touch to control functionality for both hearing devices.⁴

“The ability to control both hearing solutions through an iPhone or iPod touch and provide a seamless hearing experience between them is a remarkable technological step forward,” said Jan Janssen, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Cochlear. “At Cochlear, we design devices to give recipients greater flexibility to personalize their settings and manage their hearing loss on a daily basis, and these new solutions offer that experience like never before.”

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is 25 percent smaller and 24 percent lighter than the previous generation Nucleus 6 Sound Processor.³ It also features Cochlear’s industry-leading SmartSound^® iQ with SCAN** and dual microphone technology, helping people to hear more clearly in any environment.⁹ From a busy restaurant to outdoors in blustering wind, the technology prioritizes voices over background sounds in a noisy environment. A new processing chip also delivers more efficient processing without compromising battery life, meaning users may enjoy up to 50 percent longer battery life than the previous generation behind-the-ear sound processor.¹⁰

Commercial availability for the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is expected in September 2017 in the United States and Canada for those who are looking to receive a cochlear implant. The Nucleus 7 Bimodal Solution is expected in September 2017 only in the United States for those who are looking to receive a cochlear implant. In the United States and Canada, the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor will be available as an upgrade in October 2017 for current recipients with the following internal cochlear implants: Nucleus CI24RE, CI500 and Profile Series Implants.

Today more than 450,000 people around the world can hear thanks to Cochlear’s technology.¹¹ The company’s cochlear implants are the most reliable in the industry, which is one of many reasons why more people choose a Cochlear hearing solution than any other brand.¹²

For more information about the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, click here.

About the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor works by detecting sounds which are then turned into electrical signals by the receiver-stimulator and sent to the brain by the electrode placed in the inner ear (cochlea).

A study of cochlear implant recipients participating in a trial of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor found:

100 percent of users reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor and its components¹³
94 percent reported the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor as comfortable or very comfortable to wear¹³
87 percent reported they found it easier to control/monitor the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor with the Nucleus Smart App than with a remote control¹³
85 percent reported listening to music to be enjoyable or very enjoyable with the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor¹³

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor will include the Cochlear True Wireless™ technology, providing access to the range of wireless accessories currently available. Customers can also swim with their Nucleus 7 Sound Processor using the waterproof Nucleus Aqua+ accessory.***

www.cochlear.com/us

References

S. Food and Drug Administration. P970051-S151 and P130016-S022 and P000015-S016_Supplement Approval Order – APPR2017. 13 June; Data on file.
Apple Inc. ‘Compatible hearing devices’ [Internet]. Apple support. 2017 [cited April 2017]. Available from: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201466#compatible
Cochlear Limited. D1190805. CP1000 Processor Size Comparison. 2017, Mar; Data on file.
Cochlear Limited. 592753. Nucleus 7 Sound Processor User Guide 2017. Data on file.
Cochlear Limited. D719021. Nucleus Smart App User Guide 2017. Data on file.
World Health Organization. Deafness and Hearing Loss Factsheet [Internet]. Updated February 2017 [cited June 2017]. Available from: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/ .
Lin FR and Kramer SE. Hearing Well to train your brain. The Amplifon Centre for Research & Studies (CRS), Milan, Italy Available from: https://www.crsamplifon.com/documents/76453/79343/Consensus+Paper+2013+HEARING+WELL+TO+TRAIN+YOUR+BRAIN.pdf/5ad3e484-7e23-4d29-a0d8-961b1ace4f9b
World Health Organization. 10 Facts on Deafness [Internet]. Updated April 2017 [cited June 2017]. Available from: https://www.who.int/features/factfiles/deafness/en/
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].
Cochlear Limited. D1140877. Battery Life and Power Consumption Comparison between CP1000, CP900 Series and CP810 Sound Processors. 2017, Mar; Data on file.
Cochlear Limited 2016. Cochlear 2016 Annual Report Innovation for Life. Available at: https://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/intl/about/investor/annual-reports
Cochlear Limited. Cochlear Nucleus Implant Reliability Report, Volume 15, January 2017. 2017, Mar. [Latest generation of cochlear implants commercially available as at 30 January 2017.] Available at: https://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/intl/home/discover/cochlear-implants/nucleus-6/nucleus-implant-portfolio/reliability-report
Cochlear Limited. D1182081. CLTD 5620 Clinical Evaluation of Nucleus 7 Cochlear Implant System. 2017, Mar; Data on file.

* The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor 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) and iPod touch (6th generation) using iOS 10.0 or later. The Nucleus Smart App is compatible with iPhone 5 (or later) and iPod 6th generation devices (or later) running iOS 10.0 or later.

** 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.

*** The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor 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 Rechargeable Battery Module or Cochlear Compact Rechargeable Battery Module.

ReSound is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S.

Cochlear expands treatment options for individuals with single-sided deafness

March 24, 2022

By Ryan Lopez, Director, Nucleus Product Management & Marketing

In January 2022, Cochlear received FDA approval to treat patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) with the Cochlear™ Nucleus® System. This approval expands treatment options to include both bone conduction solutions and cochlear implants for these patients.

“This indication allows patients experiencing UHL/SSD to get as close to the normal condition as possible as a cochlear implant restores hearing ability to the ear that has hearing loss. This allows me to provide for my patients so they can get back to the condition that they had been used to before their hearing loss.”

-Eric Lupo, MD Rocky Mountain Ear Center

While this is an extremely important landmark, we want to ensure that professionals have the resources they need to provide the best treatment option for each individual’s unique hearing loss and needs. The first step in the counseling process is to help candidates understand the potential impact of single-sided deafness within their daily lives. While individuals with SSD can function well in relatively easy listening situations, bringing awareness to the disruption in their ability to understand speech in adverse listening situations, their ability to localize sound, and the mental fatigue associated with daily listening efforts, is vital.

Age and duration of hearing loss is a key consideration and starting point for determining the best solution for individuals with single-sided deafness. For children under five years of age, Cochlear offers Softbands and SoundArcs™, non-surgical bone conduction solutions. This is important because early access to improving speech understanding is of highest priority. For children ages five to twelve, Cochlear expands the bone conduction offering with the Baha® Connect and Attract Systems, as well as a portfolio of Nucleus cochlear implant solutions. Finally, for individuals twelve and older, in addition to cochlear implants, the Cochlear Osia® System combines the best high frequency amplification with unique piezoelectric stimulation without a percutaneous abutment.

With regard to cochlear implants, one of the core advantages is the restoration of binaural hearing and improved ability to localize. Candidacy is dependent on the presence of a functioning nerve in the impacted ear and a duration of less than 10 years since the onset of the hearing loss. With acoustic neuroma being one of the leading causes of unilateral hearing loss, the FDA has approved Cochlear to remove the acoustic neuroma contraindication from its labeling.

This ensures that individuals with a functioning nerve, pre- or post-acoustic neuroma removal, can still have a cochlear implant option.

With more options come more decision points. This is why we’re committed to partnering with leading professionals in the industry and developing clinical guidance tools to support you and your patients throughout the journey to better hearing

Quick Tips: Cochlear Nucleus Depth Gauges

Introducing the Cochlear Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor

Cochlear expands treatment options for individuals with single-sided deafness

Please reach out to your local Cochlear Representative to learn more about these solutions and clinical guidance resources.

Read more about the treatment pathway for SSD patients here.

Quick Tips: Cochlear Nucleus Depth Gauges

Related Posts

Please reach out to your local Cochlear Representative to learn more about these solutions and clinical guidance resources.

Read more about the treatment pathway for SSD patients here.