Education & Events
by Wade Colburn

Webinar: Understanding the Design and Rationale of Cochlear Nucleus Electrode Portfolio

August 18, 2020
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By Wade Colburn, Biomedical Engineer and Product Manager – Implants, Cochlear America

Cochlear is proud to offer a broad range of electrodes designed with three principles in mind: preservation, performance and preference.  The portfolio has been tailored to allow for options for a range of patient anatomies and types of hearing loss.

While perimodiolar electrodes make up over 70% of Cochlear’s electrode sales due to data showing superior performance over lateral wall electrodes for traditional recipients, we are continuing to add to our portfolio.1-2 The Slim 20 Electrode is the newest addition to Cochlear’s electrode portfolio, designed for surgeons who prefer lateral wall electrodes and seek a 20 mm insertion to preserve apical structures.

Join us for a new 30-minute webinar, Understanding the Design and Rationale of Cochlear Nucleus Electrode Portfolio, to learn more about our electrode portfolio:

Course Details

Tuesday, August 25th at 12pm and 5pm ET

Webinar Host: Wade Colburn

Topics include:

  • New Data on Slim Modiolar Electrode
  • Introduction of the new Slim 20 Electrode
  • Considerations for electrode selection

Preservation, performance, preference

The webinar will address the rationale behind our expanding portfolio and its objectives while highlighting common use cases for our unique electrode offerings.

Here is a snapshot:

Slim Modiolar electrode

The Slim Modiolar’s thin, atraumatic design is constructed to fit the natural shape of the ear. This electrode is designed for consistent placement within scala tympani with close proximity to the modiolus to maximize performance.  All three surgical approaches can be used to get closer to the hearing nerve.3

 Slim Straight electrode

The Slim Straight Electrode if the thinnest lateral wall electrode on the market designed for easy insertions with variable full-length insertions up to 25 mm and atraumatic insertion.4

Contour Advance electrode

The Contour Advance Electrode is a robust, stylet-based perimodiolar array designed for focused stimulation close to the modiolus.

Watch the electrode portfolio webinar recording now!

About the author: Wade Colburn

Wade Colburn

Biomedical Engineer and Product Manager – Implants, Cochlear Americas

Wade Colburn is the Product Manager, Cochlear Implants at Cochlear Americas. Wade is responsible for managing product lifecycle and providing technical support to customers.  Wade is a biomedical engineer from North Carolina State University with extensive experience within otology prior to joining Cochlear.

References:

  1. Clinical Evaluation of the Cochlear Nucleus CI532 Cochlear Implants in Adults Investigator Meeting. 2019 Apr.
  2. Holder J, Yawn R, Nassiri A, Dwyer R, Rivas A, Labadie R, Gifford R. Matched Cohort Comparison Indicates Superiority of Precurved Electrode Arrays. Otology & Neurotology 2019; 40(():1160-1166. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31469799
  3. D1144282: Slim Modiolar (CI632) Physician’s Guide.
  4. FUN1142: Electrode Comparison.
Related Posts
HHE

Healthy Hearing Ears: Second online seminar recap

December 6, 2021

By Tine Goossens, AuD PhD, Clinical Marketing Manager – Cochlear CLTD

Background

Chronic otitis media (COM) is one of the most common causes of hearing deprivation globally.1 The Healthy Hearing Ears Initiative was started in 2019 by a global group of ENT surgeons with an expertise in treating COM-related hearing loss. Their mission is to gather clinical evidence to raise awareness, improve patient outcomes and shorten the time to obtaining good hearing outcomes. Given the key role of bone conduction devices in the treatment of COM-related hearing loss, Cochlear strongly supports this initiative.

On October 14th, 2021 the second Healthy Hearing Ears seminar was held online. More than 300 people from across the globe registered for the event, indicating that the topic of COM-related hearing loss is of high interest worldwide. We are pleased to provide you with a short overview of the seminar and to share the recordings.

Seminar Part I – COM research presentations

In the first part of the seminar, Dr. Xabier Altuna (Spain) and Prof. Fazil Necdet Ardiç (Turkey) were invited as guest speakers. Dr. Altuna presented the results from a recently completed multi-center study on quality of life in patients with COM-related hearing loss. Through the COMOT-15 questionnaire, patients reported that hearing loss impacted their quality of life significantly, even more than the chronic infection itself, which highlights the importance of hearing rehabilitation in this patient group.

Prof. Ardiç shared the exciting first outcomes from an ongoing study on the cost-effectiveness of bone conduction hearing devices in patients with COM-related hearing loss. By means of the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI), patients with COM indicated that they had to make multiple visits to different healthcare providers – ENT specialist, audiologist and GP’s – over the follow up period of six months, due to ear infections and/or hearing difficulties. This demonstrates the high health care utilization of patients with COM.

Watch the COM research presentations now!

Seminar Part II – COM case discussions

In the second part of the seminar, the Healthy Hearing Ears Advisory Board joined Dr. Altuna and Prof. Ardiç to discuss treatment options in six COM cases from their clinical practice. The cases covered a wide range of indications, providing the foundation for an interesting, lively discussion and thought-provoking quotes:

“I can do my best ossiculoplasty and I’m going to come up short of a bone conduction hearing device, because you still get a small amount of boost in the sensorineural levels in a lot of patients, even with a Baha 5.”

Dr. Douglas Backous, US

“I think one of the problems that we have is a lack of clear guidelines of ‘when not to do so many surgeries’ and to do just surgeries for the infection and then hearing rehabilitation with bone conduction systems.”

Dr. Rafael Jaramillo, Colombia

“Our experience in the last years is that more and more patients vote for bone conduction hearing devices, especially the transcutaneous solutions because it gives them a very high chance of hearing improvement and you have no problems with the ear canal which you might have with conventional hearing aids.”

Prof. Thomas Lenarz, Germany

During the case discussions, the lack of awareness surrounding bone conduction hearing devices among primary care practitioners and ENT specialists was raised and the topic of reimbursement*, which both hamper the uptake of bone conduction hearing devices in hearing rehabilitation. This, in turn, motivated the panel members to highlight the need for clinical evidence on bone conduction hearing devices in patients with COM-related hearing loss.

Watch the COM case discussions!

Visit the HHE website to read more about the initiative, sign up to be notified of upcoming seminars, clinical studies and new publications.

Reference:

  1. Acuin J. Chronic suppurative otitis media: burden of illness and management options. Geneva (CH): World Healthy Organization; 2004.

*Otologic Management Services (OMS) is a no-charge service available from Cochlear. OMS helps patients and providers obtain necessary insurance coverage and assistance in appealing denied coverage for Nucleus ® cochlear implant systems and Baha® bone conduction systems. Contact OMS@cochlear.com for more information.

AudiologyOnline: The Changing Landscape of Treating Patients with SSD

November 15, 2021

Two new AudiologyOnline courses are open for registration, Considerations in Treating Adults with UHL/SSD and Considerations in Treating Children with UHL/SSD. These 30-minute live courses will provide clinicians with an overview of Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL)/ Single Sided Deafness (SSD) in adults/pediatrics and provide an introduction to counseling and treatment. Recordings will be available after the course.

Course 1: Considerations in Treating Adults with UHL/SSD

When: Tuesday, January 18th @ 5pm ET

Presenter: Kevin Brown, PhD

Dr. Brown is the Chief of the Division of Otology/Neurotology and Skull Based Surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the Medical Director of the Children’s Cochlear Implant Center at UNC. His specialties are otology, neurotology, lateral skull based surgery, acoustic tumors, cochlear implants, and hearing preservation.

Register now!

 Course 2: Considerations in Treating Children with UHL/SSD

When: Monday, December 13th at 12pm ET

Presenter: Samantha Anne, MD

Dr. Anne is a Pediatric Otolaryngologist at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital Head and Neck Institute and is board certified in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, as well as fellowship-trained in pediatric otolaryngology. Dr. Anne is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as well as the Society of Ear Nose Throat Disorders Affecting Children and the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology. Her specialty interests include cholesteatoma, chronic ear disease, Cochlear Implants, general pediatric otolaryngology, pediatric ear disease, general pediatric otolaryngology, airway stenosis, complex airway management and reconstruction, salivary gland masses and pediatric neck masses, velopharyngeal insufficiency, congenital and malignant head and neck disease, surgical management of chronic sinus disease, larynx and tracheal reconstruction.

Register now!

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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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