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

CENTENNIAL, Colo., July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, introduces today its latest innovation, the Cochlear^™ 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

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7987851-cochlear-nucleus-7-sound-processor/

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 to download for free from the 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 features with the Nucleus Smart App, exclusively available for iPhone and iPod touch on the App Store. 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 measures the amount of time spent in speech environments in hours, including FM and streaming).⁵ The Find My Processor feature of the Nucleus Smart App 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, Clinical Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at the 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 first Made for iPhone Smart Bimodal Solution (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^™ 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, visit www.cochlear.com/US/Nucleus7.

This media release is only intended for audiences in the United States and Canada. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for more information: www.cochlear.com.

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.***

Please seek advice from your medical practitioner or health professional about treatments for hearing loss. They will be able to advise on a suitable solution for the hearing loss condition. All products should be used only as directed by your medical practitioner or health professional.

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)
Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of more than 3,500 people and invests more than AUD$120 million a year in research and development. Products include hearing systems for 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

References

* 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. 

©2017. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and FaceTime are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

ReSound is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S.

©Cochlear Limited 2017. All rights reserved. Cochlear, Hear now. And always, Nucleus and the elliptical logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Cochlear Limited.

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SOURCE Cochlear Limited