by Jamie Schwartz

TECH Talk: Dr. Bill Shapiro discusses why two ears are better than one

September 27, 2018

Dr. Bill Shapiro, Supervising Audiologist at the New York University Cochlear Implant Center, discusses the importance of treating both ears when looking at cochlear implants and/or hearing aids. When both ears are working, it can improve the ability to localize sound in space and provide better hearing in noisy environments.¹ He explains that professionals need to look at each ear individually when treating hearing loss in order to decide what the best type of treatment option is, whether it is bimodal or bilateral.

Dr. Bill Shapiro goes on to explain when counseling patients with hearing loss, it is vital that his expectations of how well a patient will do must align with the patient’s expectations. He says effective counseling could lead to appropriate expectations and higher patient satisfaction.

In summary, Dr. Bill Shapiro emphasizes that we have two ears and you cannot just implant one ear and ignore the other one. Each ear needs to be evaluated independently for treatment. He says, “Patients deserve to hear in both ears. I hear in both ears. They should hear in both ears.”

For more TECH Talk videos from industry experts, please stay up-to-date with the ProNews blog and visit our TECH Talks page.

References:

Ching TY, Incerti P, Hill M. Binaural benefits for adults who use hearing aids and cochlear implants in opposite ears. Ear and hearing. 2004 Feb 1;25(1):9-21.

Author

Jamie Schwartz

Jamie is the Associate Marketing Manager in the Product and Professional Marketing Department at Cochlear Americas. Jamie is responsible for ProNews blog content as well as professional social posts and calendars. If you are interested in being a guest author for the ProNews blog please contact Jamie by email at jschwartz@cochlear.com.

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FDA expedites approval of Cochlear’s Remote Check solution for cochlear implants

April 7, 2020

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, remote healthcare solutions are a priority now more than ever

Centennial, Colo. (April 7, 2020) — Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval on April 2 for its Remote Check solution. This approval is the first step in commercializing the product offering, which is anticipated by the end of 2020. Cochlear will immediately begin a controlled market release of Remote Check in the U.S. and Canada by partnering with hearing healthcare providers and hospitals to quickly reach those most in need of audiological care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which supports social distancing by providing an alternative to in-person appointments.

Remote Check is designed to be a convenient, at-home testing tool that allows Cochlear recipients with a Cochlear^™Nucleus^® 7 Sound Processor to complete a series of hearing tests from their compatible iOS device using the Nucleus Smart App.* Results are then sent remotely to the recipient’s clinic for review by their clinician. The clinician can review the results by logging into their myCochlear Clinic professional portal, where they can access a comprehensive overview of their patient’s hearing health. Remote Check is designed to provide a snapshot of a patient’s hearing health so a clinician can quickly determine whether a patient is progressing well, or whether further clinical intervention is required.**

“The FDA’s expedited approval of our Remote Check offering during the COVID-19 crisis underscores that at-home hearing healthcare support needs to be prioritized, more accessible and convenient for patients now more than ever,” said Patricia Trautwein, Au.D., Vice President, Marketing & Product Management, Cochlear Americas. “When elective surgeries become available again after the COVID-19 crisis, clinicians are going to see a wave of patients coming in to seek hearing implant treatment. Having a solution like Remote Check will help clinicians prioritize their case load, so they can reduce unnecessary visits for patients progressing well, spend more quality time with patients who have complex needs, and help more patients seeking initial cochlear implant candidacy assessment.”

For the Cochlear recipient, Remote Check is designed to reduce unnecessary travel burdens to get into their clinic, provide immediate hearing and patient data to their clinician for troubleshooting requests, and provides a convenient, time-saving option for care that does not require travel to the clinic. Using this technology, clinicians will not only be able to provide a more convenient avenue of care, but they can also free up more appointment times to manage the anticipated growth in the hearing implant market.

“Our clinic is eager to provide our patients with more remote servicing opportunities, and we are excited to start using Cochlear’s Remote Check offering,” said Regina Presley, Au.D., FAAA, CCC-A, Senior Cochlear Implant Audiologist, Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence, Greater Baltimore Medical Center. “Many patients travel long distances for in-clinic care, need a caregiver to help get to their appointments, have competing school, personal and professional priorities, so if we can provide at-home service options, we believe they will have a more positive healthcare experience overall. Every patient deserves timely, quality service to get the most from their hearing devices. Remote Check will ensure that patients receive the best care no matter where life and times like this take us.”

A clinician can choose to assign any of the following activities for their patient to complete as part of their Remote Check:

Photographing the implant site and the area behind the ear.
Completing questionnaires to gather information about general health and hearing.
Taking an audiogram test to precisely measure the softest levels heard across a range of frequencies.
Taking a listening-in-noise test to objectively assess hearing ability by identifying three-digit numbers presented in varying levels of background noise.
Impedance Check to assess the performance of the implant.

The full suite of Remote Check activities for patients is designed to be completed in as little as 15 minutes, although it may take longer for some patients and children.¹ Remote Check is designed so that it can be completed at a patient’s own pace. Early pilots of Remote Check in the United Kingdom and New Zealand affirm the need for the service with 87 percent of users stating they were likely to use Remote Check again.²

“Over the last decade, Cochlear has been heavily focused on expanding and improving our digital and remote care services. We’ve brought to market first-of-its-kind solutions, like Remote Check, remote programming, myCochlear Clinic, Cochlear Link and SignHEAR, to help improve clinic efficiency, support a range of clinical practice preferences and provide the best hearing experience for our recipients,” said Tony Manna, President, Cochlear Americas. “During unprecedented times like we’re experiencing right now, we’re proud Cochlear is the leader in providing innovative solutions that allow our clinic partners to continue treating their patients without the need for an in-person appointment, ultimately ensuring our recipients continue to hear and stay connected.”

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of more than 4,000 people and invests more than AUD$180 million each year in research and development. Products include cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implants, which healthcare professionals use to treat a range of moderate to profound types of hearing loss.

Since 1981, Cochlear has provided more than 600,000 implantable devices, helping people of all ages, in more than 180 countries, to hear.

www.cochlear.com/us

###

References

1. Based on internal Cochlear data. Some users may take longer than 15 minutes and 10 minutes, respectively. Data on file.

2. Based on internal Cochlear data. “Remote Check Pilot Evaluation UK & NZ.” Data on file.

* To use Remote Check, a patient requires: latest version of the Nucleus Smart App (Remote Check is part of this App) running on a compatible Apple device (iPhone or iPod Touch); Nucleus 7 Sound Processors with implant models: CI24RE, CI512, CI513, CI522, CI532, CI612, CI622 and CI632; compatible firmware on the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor (4.1.3.3 or later). A clinician requires access to Cochlear’s secure web-based myCochlear.com Professional Portal to access and review patient results. The recommended browser for accessing the Professional Portal is Google Chrome. A clinician also requires Custom Sound 5.1 or later software to upgrade the patient’s firmware to enable access to Remote Check. For sound processor and app compatibility information, visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility.

** Remote Check does not replace clinical care and does not involve remote programming of the sound processor.

Apple, iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Cochlear unveils Kanso™, a first-of-its-kind hearing technology to treat severe to profound hearing loss

September 6, 2016

Cochlear unveils Kanso^™, a first-of-its-kind hearing technology to treat severe to profound hearing loss

Cochlear receives FDA approval on new hearing device that combines best-in-class hearing performance with a simple, discreet design

Centennial, Colo., (September 1, 2016) — Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, announces today it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its newest innovative hearing loss solution, Kanso.

The Kanso Sound Processor provides a distinct new way for cochlear implant users to hear. Unlike most hearing aids and current cochlear implant sound processors that are worn on the ear, Kanso is a small, off-the-ear hearing device that provides a more discreet hearing solution and delivers the same hearing experience as a behind-the-ear sound processor.¹

The name Kanso is a Japanese word for ‘simplicity,’ and it was selected in recognition of Kanso’s all-in-one design. The Kanso Sound Processor features a single on/off button with no cables so it is easy to use. It is worn on the user’s head with nothing behind the ear, adding greater comfort for those with glasses, and it can be easily hidden under or blended within a user’s hair.

“Our recipients are at the heart of everything we do at Cochlear, and delivering Kanso to the market is in direct response to us listening to our customers,” said Tony Manna, President of Cochlear North America. “Through customer feedback, we identified the need for a new solution that provides the advanced technology and hearing performance of our latest cochlear implant sound processor, which is worn behind the ear, in an

easy and discreet design with access to wireless and water accessories, all without losing the high-quality hearing experience our customers expect from our products. Kanso offers all that and much more.”

Kanso is discreet, smart and simple. As the smallest, lightest off-the-ear sound processor on the market and the only one featuring dual microphones, Kanso provides the user discretion, enhanced comfort as well as the most advanced hearing technology.^{2, 3}

The Kanso Sound Processor has the same proven technology as the Cochlear^™ Nucleus^® 6 Sound Processor. It features dual microphones and SmartSound^® iQ with SCAN*, which allows the sound processor to automatically adjust to different listening environments, providing a seamless experience to the user.

The Kanso Sound Processor includes Cochlear True Wireless^™ technology and provides access to the True Wireless range of accessories, allowing users to stream conversation, phone calls, music and television programs directly to their sound processor. Customers can also swim with their Kanso Sound Processor using the waterproof Aqua+ for Kanso accessory.**

The Kanso Sound Processor will be available in eight colors, allowing the device to blend in with a wide range of hair colors.

In clinical trials, 88 percent of cochlear implant users rated their overall hearing performance with Kanso to be the same or better than with their current behind-the-ear sound processor.¹ Study participants liked or preferred Kanso over their behind-the-ear sound processor on measures of comfort, look and feel and ease of use, with 93 percent of users rating listening to music with Kanso to be the same or better as with their behind-the-ear processor.¹

Commercial availability for Kanso is expected this fall in the United States and Canada for those who are looking to receive a cochlear implant. In March 2017, the Kanso Sound Processor will be available as an upgrade for current recipients with the following internal cochlear implants: CI512, CI522, CI532, CI24(RE)CA, CI422, CI24RE(ST), N24 and Hybrid L24.

About Kanso

Kanso is the newest sound processor from Cochlear, the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. Kanso works by detecting sounds which are then turned into electrical signals by the receiver-stimulator and sent to the brain by the electrodes placed in the inner ear (cochlea). The Kanso Sound Processor is worn on the head and offers the same industry-leading technology as the Cochlear Nucleus 6 Sound Processor.

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of 2,800 people and invests more than AUS$100 million a year in research and development. Products include cochlear implants, bone conduction and acoustic implants, which are designed to treat a range of moderate to profound types of hearing loss.

Over 450,000 people of all ages, across more than 100 countries, now hear because of Cochlear.

www.cochlear.com/us

Jones, Marian, Mauger, Stefan. Cochlear® Clinical Investigation Report. Acceptance of the CP950/KANSO sound processor with experienced CP810/CP900 series BTE sound processor participants. Version 1.0. Clinical Investigation Plan Number CLTD5591 v.5. Windchill No. 582225. CIR D1072418. Aug 12, 2016.
Cochlear Limited. CP950 Kanso Sound Processor User Guide. Data on file, July 2016.
MED-EL Medical Electronics. RONDO User Manual. Last accessed July 2016. Available at: https://www.medel.com/int/rondo.

* 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 Kanso Sound Processor is water resistant to level IP54 of the International Standard IEC60529. The Kanso Sound Processor with the Aqua+ is water resistant to level IP68 of the International Standard when used with LR44 alkaline or nickel metal hydride disposable batteries.