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FEBRUARY 2010 
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In this issue :
EURO-CIU European Association of Cochlear Implant Users 16, rue Emile Lavandier L - 1924 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 44 22 25 eurociu@implantecoclear.org |
Message from the Editor
(Winter photograph from Joni Pitkänen in Finland) A happy and prosperous New Year to all readers. This Newsletter, coming out not too long after the Christmas festivities, is not quite as large the last bumper issue but, perhaps, a more reasonable length. In addition to some interesting items from manufacturers we are delighted to have our first contributions from Finland and Hungary. There is also news and updates from other organisations whose activities are of great interest to CI users and parents – notably the European Federation of Associations of Teachers of the Deaf (FEAPDA) and the University of Iowa. We look forward to more news from member countries and informative articles and contributions for the spring newsletter. Alison Heath The deadline for the Spring Newsletter is 16th April 2010. Please send all contributions to Alison Heath at alisonheath71@hotmail.co.uk . If you are sending a photograph Brian would like a copy sent to him direct brian.archbold2@btinternet.com to preserve the quality of the photograph. We can only print one good photograph with each article. Please send us your best one as a jpg image. Please feel free to forward this Newsletter to your colleagues, should they not get a copy of their own. If you would like our Newsletter emailed direct to your own email address, just send an email to Brian brian.archbold2@btinternet.com and we can add your name to the list. EURO-CIU - Future Dates
The dates and host countries for future General Assemblies and the next Symposium 2010 General Assembly will be held in Varese, Italy on 10th April. Varese is served by two airports: Varese and Lugano. Full details about this meeting will be sent to members by the Board very soon. 2011 Symposium and General Assembly will be hosted by Cochlea Implantat Austria (CIA) in Innsbruck 2012 General Assembly will be held in Tallinn, Estonia
The proposed event for summer 2010 to bring together groups of teenager cochlear implant users from a wide range of countries is being postponed until July 2011. EURO-CIU has agreed to encourage this event but, because of other unexpected happenings, plans have not moved as quickly as we had hoped. The delay will give us more time to seek funding to support the range of activities we would like to provide to ensure that the young people who attend have a brilliant and worthwhile trip. We have every confidence that the event will happen in 2011 and we will let you know when further information is available. Jackie Salter, The Ear Foundation Rudd van Hardeveld, EURO-CIU FROM BELGIUM - The Listening Cube: a guide to and through auditory training
The Listening Cube is a 3-dimensional cube representing a research-based framework for decision-making in auditory (re)habilitation. The framework takes into account several aspects of therapeutic intervention with hearing-impaired adults and children. The Listening Cube was developed at KIDS (formerly called the Royal Institute for the Deaf and Speech Impaired – Koninklijk Instituut voor Doven en Spraakgestoorden) in Hasselt, Belgium. The three dimensions of the cube are: levels of perception (detection, discrimination, identification and identification), the practice material (phonemes, words, sentences…) and the practice conditions (with/without lip reading, background noise, using different sound sources,…). While planning auditory training exercises, therapists can simply select combinations of items from these three different dimensions of the Listening Cube. The difficulty level of the exercises can be increased by modifying an activity in very simple ways. Just remember that softer, less identifiable or less frequently occurring sounds will obviously be more difficult to detect than clear, loud, or frequently occurring sounds. The Listening Cube package includes a manual, a DVD with examples of how the programme can be used with clients and a poster. In cooperation with the MED-EL company, the Listening Cube package is translated in Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. The price is: € 50 and the package can be ordered through MED-EL. You can look at their online brochure of all their rehab stuff at: http://www.medel.at/english/50_Rehabilitation/product-catalogue/index.html?navid=55) or you can download it as pdf-file at: www.medel.com/english/50_Rehabilitation/product-catalogue/Rehabiliation-Product-Catalogue_MED-EL.pdf . FROM BELGIUM - Reimbursement of bilateral cochlear implants for children in Belgium by Leo De Raeve – ONICI
(Picture: Lot Van Deun) In 2003, the Belgium Institute for Heath Insurance offered a second (sequential) Cochlear Implant to 42 children, aged between 2 and 12 years. This unique group provided an excellent opportunity to investigate the benefits of bilateral implantation in children. These children were assessed for five years by two PhD-students Fanny Scherf and Lot Van Deun, who looked in more detail at the benefit of bilateral implants on these children’s auditory performance, speech and language development, school placement and at their ability to process binaural cues and spatial hearing tasks. The auditory abilities of these children evolved during the first 18 months of bilateral implant use resulting in more natural communication and better integration in their hearing environment. The difference in performance of the children implanted under age 6 in comparing to those implanted between 6 and 12, was most apparent in situations where background noise was present. All children continued to experience bilateral benefit, especially when hearing sounds and perceiving speech in quiet after 18 months of bilateral implant use. One of the most important findings of this study was the emergence of bilateral benefit in speech recognition in noise tests for the older implanted children (implanted between 6 and 12) after a prolonged period of bilateral implant use. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that the time interval between the onset of deafness and fitting of a hearing aid and the age at which the children received their first CI were factors that had an impact on performance outcomes. Sound localization and speech perception were tested in the sound field while children used both their speech processors (separate and together), to assess hearing abilities in everyday listening conditions. The majority of the children obtained moderate to good scores on the sound localization task but a high inter individual variability was observed. Earlier amplification with hearing aids or cochlear implants was related to better outcomes. Speech perception improved as a result of the second CI, but benefits were limited. Both sound localization and spatial benefits for speech perception were probably realized through head shadow effects. If you want more detailed information concerning the outcomes of these studies, you can look at the publications:
Based on the results of these studies in combination with the outcomes of some international studies on bilateral implants in children, the Belgium government’s Department of Health Care decided on December 18, 2009 to reimburse bilateral implants (simultaneous and sequential) for children up to the age of 12 and, exceptionally in the case of ossification of the cochlea up to 18 years from February 1, 2010. GREETINGS FROM FINLAND
Finland CI Commission (CITO) and the Finnish Federation of the Hard of Hearing (FFHOH) are very glad that they were accepted as new member of EURO-CIU in 2009! CI Commission in Finland – CITO Finland Cochlear Implant Commission (CITO) is working under the FFHOH. At first it started as a club and CI users were part of committee of deafened people. In 2000 FFHOH founded new committee for CI users, on which there were representatives from LapCI association. In 2007 a new CI commission, called CITO, was set up with its own budget and operated a little more independently with an employee of FFHOH. CITO is also co-operating with FFHOH´s Nightingale program. Nightingale is a network, which is cooperating with hospitals, schools, universities, parents and hard of hearing organisations. Its aim is to promote the development of speech and communication in CI children and hard of hearing children. At this moment there are four active CI clubs in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Lahti. They gather together, for example, for discussions about peer support. It is difficult to know how exactly many members CITO has because people are registered by FFHOH but there is no indication that they are CI users. In Finland it is estimated that there are 550 CI users, of which over a half are children. Cochlear implantation is performed at five university hospital centres in Finland. The first CI operations were done in Helsinki University Hospital in 1986. CITO commission board consist of three members: the chairman is Marja Ylikangas, members Sari Hirvonen-Skarbö and Tarja Viljanen. The most important aims of CITO are peer support, provision of information about CI and trusteeship. The board is working with several groups: one organises activities, and the other ones deal with international contacts, information and trusteeship. CITO has websites where CI users can register and have discussions about CI. And for our readers in Finland: VIRKISTYSVIIKONLOPPU sisäkorvaistutetta käyttäville 14 – 16.5.2010 Kopolassa CI – VIIKONLOPPU 27 – 29.8.2010 Jaakkiman Kristillisellä Opistolla, Ruokolahdella www.jaakkima.fi/ Mahdolliset tiedustelut: Marja Ylikangas marja.ylikangas@nic.fi FROM FINLAND - weekend in Kankaanpää
(Photo by Sari Hirvonen-Skarbö - eager discussion at lunch: Niklas Wenman, Milla Päiväniemi, Katja Vis)
There was programme for adults and a separate programme for the children. There was swimming, bowling and outdoor activities for the children, while the adults were listening to speech therapist, Ritva Torppa. She spoke of the significance of listening to the music, so that all parents could sing nursery rhymes to their CI children. Children learn, as well adult users, to separate speech from the background noise. In the end we all were singing the famous Finnish POPsong together! There were also presentations by Nokia about the newest Bluetooth loop system for mobile telephones. The manufacturers of the most used CI devices, Nucleus and MED-EL, also had their Finnish representatives there. They gave us up-to date information about their cochlear implant systems. Late in the evenings we gathered for discussions and to decorate our CI processors. These discussions in our meeting room became rather noisy and we were told that people sleeping in the other rooms were being disturbed! The venue for the year of 2010 is at eastern part Finland. The Activities Group has already started to plan and find contacts in this part of country. FROM FINLAND - Gatherings in Kopola at FFHOH Course Centre
(Photo by Joni Pitkänen - Happy CI people enjoying winter weather. In the beige coat our correspondent Sari Hirvonen-Skarbö.) There are also weekends at the Course Centre of EFFHOH such as the weekend for married couples last spring. People who attended this weekend started to plan another weekend inviting other CI-friends. The theme of the weekend was “free from children and housework”, so we could relax and enjoy each other’s company with lots of discussions and karaoke singing. The gathering in Kopola, EFHOH’s Course Centre in middle of Finland was really nice. The Centre is situated close to the little village with its sauna building and beach by the lake. Besides talking we walked outside enjoying the sunny winter landscape but, with a temperature of -17 C, it was a little too cold for cross country skiing. These walks ended in the evening with a hot sauna bath and jumping in the snow! FROM HUNGARY - The Hungarian Association of Cochlear Implant Users
The Association was founded in 2007 by parents of CI users, adult CI users and professionals. The aim of the association is to provide consultancy to deaf people – who are either implant users or are due to be implanted – and stand for their rights and interests. Our association cooperates with Hungarian and international organizations. The association is independent of any cochlear implant manufacturers and treats all cochlear implant users equally regardless of the type and manufacturer of the equipment they use. Our association would like to propagate the cochlear implant and contribute to securing the reputation of cochlear implantation and its acceptance by the professionals, the stakeholders and society. CI centres provide special services for the cochlear implant users and those who are going to be implanted in the future. The mid-term goal of the association is to establish itself and work towards achieving its aims. Results in 2009 In 2009 we successfully built up a forum for CI users and their parents. Today, we have 150 members who form a vivid, helpful network of the CI users. Beside our internet portal, two permanent programs help to foster the association: the Parents Club and the Mentor Programme. The monthly/bi-monthly Parents Club provides a good opportunity for parents and adult CI users to meet each other and share their knowledge and experiences. These gatherings may help interested people to collect practical observations from CI users of our association. The association started the Mentor Programme in 2009. Learning that your child suffers from severe hearing loss can be a difficult experience. Families may find themselves faced with challenging situations and some difficult decision making. The goal of the Mentor Programme is to have trained members, parents and adult CI users who can offer support and provide guidance to the families before and after CI operation. To meet the challenges of helping other families the association worked out a 12-step training for the mentor parents. The main subjects of the training are:
Currently some 20 parents work as mentors in our organization. The Association ended a successful year in 2009 in terms of propagation of Cochlear Implant. We worked out our communication strategy at the beginning of year 2009 and identified three main aims:
The Association participated in several platforms in the media, in the main Hungarian TV channels, in the radio and in several weekly/monthly newspapers. The knowledge of the Hungarian Association of Cochlear Implant Users has increased thanks to our activity on the media front and the cooperation and collaboration with offices from the medical, governmental and civil sectors. In line with our communication strategy the association developed a conceptual plan for the early detection of the hearing loss using the objective diagnosis method and has submitted the plan and the petition to the Health Ministry. We are looking forward to receiving the feedback from the Ministry. At the end of year 2009 we started to formulate the CI protocol. This document aims to describe what kind of support a person with hearing loss needs during his/her entire lifecycle. This work continues in 2010 and extends to find a workable solution toward to the launch of CI Centres in Hungary. Hope that we can report good progress about the projects mentioned in the next newsletter. FROM SWITZERLAND - Hearing Loops
To all friends of HEARING LOOPS who missed the conference Hearing Loops, the first international conference on audio frequency induction loop systems for hard-of-hearing people and people with cochlear implants, was successfully held in Winterthur / Switzerland at the end of September 2009. About 100 persons from 15 different countries (including Australia, the USA and Kuwait) participated. Even if you have missed the conference you can still be part of it. All presentations and panel discussions have been recorded and can be downloaded free of charge from the website www.hearingloops.org for 18 months as video streams. Click on Speakers, Panel Discussion or Schedule and start the video (high-speed internet access required). Siegfried Karg FROM THE UK - Cochlear implants – the next 20 yearsExtracts from a summary of a presentation at the Summer Meeting of the National Cochlear Implant Users’ Association by Mr Azhar Shaida, Consultant ENT Surgeon , Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, London After presenting a succinct description of where we are today with cochlear implants Mr Shaida gave a personal view of possible future developments. Hearing preservation and hybrid or electro acoustic devices We know that even with a standard electrode and standard techniques, there are some patients where the residual hearing is preserved and those patients report better than average results for speech perception in the presence of background noise. We think it is because the residual hearing tops up what the cochlear implant is giving. There are many patients with very little hearing in the high frequencies and reasonable residual hearing in the low frequencies. A hybrid implant uses the electrical stimulation from the cochlear implant to restore the high frequency hearing and the acoustic stimulation from a combined integral hearing aid to boost the low frequency hearing and thus should get better results. A shorter electrode is used as we need to preserve the structures during surgery. A variety of soft surgical techniques are employed here. The EAS device from MED-EL is available for commercial use in the UK and a Cochlear device is currently undergoing trials. The results so far suggest that speech is better in the presence of background noise. Patients report a fuller sound so they are picking up cues that a cochlear implant would normally miss and, interestingly, better music perception as well. Now it sounds great in theory but there are caveats to bear in mind. In up to 40% of the patients residual hearing isn’t preserved despite all your efforts to do so. Is a short electrode as good as a standard one? What happens if you preserve hearing but then it drops later on? Despite these caveats hybrid devices are a very exciting development. Implantable cochlear implants The holy grail of cochlear implants has for a long time been the totally implantable cochlear implant. At least one company has now trialled a device – a totally implantable cochlear implant (TIKI) containing a rechargeable battery with the microphone being mounted in the package. This can work in the invisible hearing mode where there is nothing on the outside, but it is also capable of working in a combined mode with an external processor. They have trialled it on 3 patients and found that, when using it in standard mode, the results were equivalent to what we normally see with a standard implant but when they used it in the invisible mode the results were only half as good. So it seems that we still have some issues to sort out with regard to microphone placement, how we get rid of background noise and so on. But their data does suggest that it is possible to produce a safe and totally implantable device. Battery technology, improved electrodes and their use for the delivery of drugs Looking further into the future, we can extrapolate from current trends. Miniaturization will feature strongly due to changes in computer technology and power which will in turn lead to smaller and more powerful devices. The technology for wireless recharging of batteries already exists. Alternative battery technology may feature hydrogen fuel cells. Electrodes will be thinner and there will be more peri-modiolar electrodes which should cause less trauma. They will be able to target the bipolar neurones more specifically because they are closer to the neurone and they will produce less current and leakage. We will be looking at getting more electrodes on to the carrier. Advanced Bionics are developing an electrode array with 50 physical electrodes, the so called bionic hi fi device. More electrodes will theoretically produce better results, but current devices have 12, 16 or 22 channels and the results are similar. It may just be because we haven’t worked out how to get the most from the electrodes. Changing stimulation patterns and processing strategies may produce better results. There are many studies looking at impregnating the electrodes with drugs, for example adding growth factors to the electrode will encourage the neurones to grow out towards the electrodes, allowing more specific stimulation, less spread of current and energy being wasted. Adding steroids or other anti-inflammatory drugs to the electrodes will reduce trauma from surgery and hopefully be a boost for hearing preservation. No talk on cochlear implants would be complete without a mention of hair cells which are the little sensory cells that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy that is transmitted to the nerves and up to the brain. In most cases of hearing loss it is the hair cell loss rather than nerve cell loss that is the problem. Some creatures, sharks for example, can carry on regenerating or producing hair cells throughout their entire life. We are now getting some evidence that hair cell regeneration may also be possible in mammals, including humans. The mechanisms for hair cell regeneration include mitosis, where the existing cells divide and mature into new hair cells. There may be possibilities for encouraging the cells to divide and then develop into functioning hair cells with the use of various growth factors and gene manipulation. The second mechanism is transdifferentiation where existing cells are encouraged to change their function and develop into hair cells to improve hearing and again this can be achieved by growth factors and genetic manipulation. Early results suggest that there may be a possibility in rats but we are far away from doing it in humans. Thirdly there are embryonic stem cells. There are stem cells throughout your body but usually they only grow into the cells of that organ. Embryonic stem cells can be encouraged to grow into any other cell type and in theory it should be possible to force these pluripotent cells to develop into hair cells. Interestingly we may be able to develop the stem cells not just into new hair cells but into new bipolar neurones as well which may give us more to excite with our cochlear implants. Star Wars technology Recently there have been reports about laser stimulation of nerves in the auditory system which, in theory, allows much more selective stimulation of neurones as opposed to electrical stimulation where there tends to be a degree of current spread which is inaccurate and wastes energy. It has been demonstrated in rat cochlea but research is at a very early stage. Finally we are making some advances in nano technology which is the technology of building and manipulating items of the same size as molecules at the atomic level. Over the next 20 or 30 years we will see significant progress in this field. It may be possible at some stage to have nano robots that carry growth factors into the cochlea or actually carry gene sequences into the genome. It may even be possible to just inject this ‘grey goo’ material into the cochlea for it to self replicate and build the electrode inside you. Mr Shaida concluded by saying: ‘Are we going to cure deafness? I think we may have a little way to go before that yet. I think we are very fortunate to be living in these interesting times.’’ FEAPDA - Statement following the conference in Verona
FEAPDA statement on the need for qualified specialist Teachers of the Deaf across Europe (Photo taken at the FEAPDA conference in Verona) The early identification of deaf children has had a huge impact in recent years on the education of deaf children and young people. Across Europe babies are being fitted with high powered digital hearing aids and cochlear implants within a few days or weeks of birth. Specialist support for language and other development can begin immediately and a realistic aim is for deaf children to start school at a similar level to their normally hearing peers. However this can only happen with the appropriate support – cochlear implants, efficient hearing aids and sign language interpretation do not cure deafness. Remove them and the child is as deaf as before. Place the children in a noisy environment and they need significant support. Specialist support from Teachers of the Deaf is essential to ensure access to the curriculum and linguistic and educational development. Modern technology and changing educational philosophy has led in recent years to a marked move from educating deaf children in special schools to educating them in mainstream schools. Educating deaf children in mainstream schools will only be successful if specialist support is available. New challenges come with inclusive education – class teachers and classmates need to understand the needs of the deaf child. The curriculum will need differentiation – the conditions in the classroom need to be optimal. The complexity of the needs of deaf children, whether or not they have high powered hearing aids or cochlear implants, demands support from a Teacher of the Deaf, trained and qualified at post-graduate level to understand the social, emotional, educational, audiological and linguistic implications of deafness. Deaf children and their families have a right to highly qualified specialist Teachers of the Deaf whether they are educated in special schools or mainstream schools. The fact that they are provided with hearing aids or cochlear implants and/or taught bilingually through sign language does not diminish that in any way. Failure to provide the specialist support they need will discriminate against those children and will preclude them from reaching their potential. High quality specialist training is essential to ensure that Teachers of the Deaf are qualified for this role. FEAPDA strongly supports the role of the qualified specialist Teacher of the Deaf and to this end is working across Europe to develop a set of minimum competencies for all Teachers of the Deaf. Failure to ensure that deaf children are supported by highly qualified specialist Teachers of the Deaf will increase their isolation from society which many deaf children and their families experience when left without support. UK COUNCIL ON DEAFNESS - Conference
Advancing technologies: opening new communication opportunities UK Council on Deafness and The Ear Foundation are working together to organise a conference on this subject in London on Thursday 4 March. The venue is to be The Resource Centre, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA and, with registration from 9:30 am, the day will run from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Palantype and British Sign Language will be available. Price for the day is £95, including lunch and refreshments. A discounted price is available for UKCoD members. Keynote speakers are: Professor Adrian Davis MSc PhD FFPH FSS FRSA OBE – Director of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, Professor of Hearing Communication and Deafness at the University of Manchester and Director of the Medical Research Council’s Hearing and Communications Group. Adrian will be talking about “Changes in Hearing Technologies”. Professor Bencie Woll BA MA PhD – Chair of Sign Language and Deaf Studies; and Director, Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre. Bencie will be talking on the subject “Language and the Deaf Brain”. Other speakers include Sue Archbold, Gordon & Calum Spence (bilateral cochlear implant user), Yvonne James, Chris Durst, Tim Jones, Paula Greenham, Susan Daniels, Graham Hilton, Tabitha Allum Anna Herriman (cochlear implant user) and Lorraine Gailey. This one-day conference will offer the opportunity to gain accessible, up to date information on the latest developments in:
The presentations will be set in the user and family perspective, exploring the use of the modern technologies in promoting effective communication in everyday life. For more information, please contact Clare Long at UK Council on Deafness c.long@deafcouncil.org.uk or Brian Archbold at brian.archbold2@btinternet.com Further details, including the Draft Programme are available for downloading as pdf documents from UKCoD’s website www.deafcouncil.org.uk/home.htm The next conference at The Ear Foundation will be held on 16 April 2010 in conjunction with the Hearing Rehabilitation Foundation (Boston, USA) and their Director, Geoff Plant. It will be a focussed conference, held in Nottingham, entitled “Cochlear Implants for Adults: Current Challenges and Issues”. Information can be found at www.earfoundation.org.uk/education/articles/535 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, USA - Surveys
Cochlear Implant, Hearing Aids, and Tinnitus Web Surveys (Photo: Prof Rich Tyler of the University of Iowa) Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids The University of Iowa has recently added 6 new groups of hearing impaired listeners to their survey where we are asking adult and children listeners about the benefits that they receive from their devices. The following groups of listeners that are invited to take our survey: 1. 1 Hearing Aid The survey is currently translated in English only, but soon we hope to make it available to users with cochlear implants worldwide with translations in different languages (e.g. English, Chinese, French, German, Korean, Spanish, and Swedish). The questions in the survey focus on answering questions in three areas: To complete our survey or to direct hearing impaired listeners to our survey, please go to the following websites: Adult Website - https://survey.uiowa.edu/wsb.dll/127/cochlearimplant.htm Children Website - http://survey.uiowa.edu/wsb.dll/127/childrencochlearimplant.htm Tinnitus Surveys Cochlear Implants and Tinnitus In addition, we are also interested in patients who wear a cochlear implant(s) AND have tinnitus. Many people who are severe to profoundly hearing impaired are now receiving cochlear implant(s) and they are reporting benefits with their tinnitus. By asking cochlear implant users to answer questions on how their tinnitus may have changed with implantation, we can gather a large amount of data that individually one clinic may not have the resources to obtain. Dietary Supplements and Herbal Supplements for the Treatment of Tinnitus One of the web surveys is titled Dietary Supplements and Herbal Supplements for the Treatment of Tinnitus. Many individuals with tinnitus try to relieve it through the use of dietary and alternative supplements or medications. Tinnitus Questionnaire The Tinnitus Questionnaire web survey pertains to any individual who experiences tinnitus. We call this our global tinnitus web survey that asks many questions about experiences with managing and dealing with tinnitus. To complete any of the tinnitus surveys (translated into multiple languages), please go to the following website: https://survey.uiowa.edu/wsb.dll/127/iowatinnitus.htm Sonova Holding AG acquired Advanced Bionics
The Swiss based Sonova AG announced the acquisition of Advanced Bionics in November 2009. Sonova brings together Advanced Bionics, a global leader in cochlear implant technology, and Phonak a global provider in micro hearing systems. Both pioneers in their field, Advanced Bionics and Phonak have 75 years of combined experience in engineering innovative hearing solutions with endless possibilities for the future of sound. Joining Phonak as an independent division of the Sonova Group, AB will now be poised to build the smallest and easiest-to-use sound processor in the cochlear implant industry. Phonak and Sonova bring significant experience in front-end processing that will give our patients additional opportunities to improve their hearing performance, including access to wireless technologies. We are excited about the opportunities this acquisition will provide for our candidates and recipients to hear their best. For further information please contact Advanced Bionics Europe Tel: +33 (0)3 89 65 98 00, e-mail: europe@advancedbionics.com or visit www.BionicEar.eu Advanced Bionics teams up with Skinit to bring out your personality!!
Advanced Bionics is pleased to announced that the world's best performing cochlear implant system can now receive a style makeover. AB has partnered with Skinit, the leading company in consumer electronics personalisation, to offer you custom-made Skinit designs for your Harmony or Auria sound processors . Customise your sound processor to match your mood or wardrobe or to simply make a fashion statement. Dress your processor up with your favourite colours, sports teams, holiday themes, or works of art. You can choose from hundreds of designs or upload your own graphics for a completely unique look. Skinit skins are made from a durable, premium glossy vinyl that won't add any weight or bulk to your external equipment. They are easy to apply and won't interfere with any of your processor controls. Customise only one part or all of your processor system – the choice is yours! Skinit is a great new addition to the 20 colourful caps and covers that are already available to choose from, making your Harmony system versatile enough to fit your life and your style. To purchase Skinit designs for your sound processor or as a gift for that special AB recipient in your life, please visit our website www.BionicEar.eu and try it out. Cochlear is launching a new cochlear implant system
People with impaired hearing want to lead active lives just like everyone else – to communicate in groups without being distracted by background noise and talk comfortably on the telephone. Parents want their deaf children to develop speech and participate as fully as possible in the school curriculum. The Cochlear Nucleus® 5 System not only meets these needs, it exceeds them, setting a new standard in the field of cochlear implant technology with a unique combination of breakthrough technologies:
The Nucleus CP810 Sound Processor The Nucleus CP810 is Cochlear’s smallest and slimmest sound processor, ergonomically designed to be more secure and comfortable to wear. Its modular design means it can easily be adjusted to fit children and adapted to withstand the bumps and knocks that are a part of every child’s life. The new Auto Telecoil, a unique and patented feature, is available only on the CP810 Sound Processor. Instead of manually activating a Telecoil, the user simply picks up the phone and puts it to his or her ear. The Nucleus CP810 Sound Processor is built on a titanium foundation and is tested for performance and reliability. It is more water resistant than ever before (see Note 1), allowing users to enjoy good hearing in more situations, both indoors and out. Furthermore, two state-of-the art omni-directional microphones capture more detailed sound and provide enhanced directional hearing. (Note 1: When using a rechargeable battery module, the CP810 Sound Processor has a dust and ingress protection rating of IP57. When using a standard battery module (with Zinc Air batteries), the CP810 Sound Processor has a dust and ingress protection of IP44. IP44 and IP57 are rated according to International Standard IEC 60529.) Cochlear - the Nucleus CR110 Remote Assistant
More than a remote control, the CR110 Remote Assistant is the only bi-directional remote assistant on the market that gives complete, wireless control of the CP810 Sound Processor. This enables patients to manage their sound processor functions easily. Parents also have additional confidence that the system is working properly and the opportunity to adjust or monitor their child’s processor without having to interrupt concentration or play. The in-built troubleshooting guide makes it easy for users to check that all is working well, without the need to visit a clinic. Patients with two CP810 Sound Processors only need one remote assistant as this can control both the left and right sound processor simultaneously. Like all Cochlear solutions, this system is also designed to accommodate future technological advances. MED-EL - Now Online: Kids’ Corner for Preschool Children and School ChildrenMED-EL is pleased to announce the launch of the new Kids’ Corner – a new section on the MED-EL website designed for preschool and school children. The first section, a new Kids’ Corner for preschool children, offers simple explanations about hearing, hearing loss and cochlear implantation and is targeted for children aged 3-6 years. The content is written in an easy-to-understand way, with mascot Mellie acting as tour guide. The second section, the updated Kids’ Corner for school children, is an informative and fun section for children aged 6 years and older. It provides similar information in a more comprehensive way. The site also includes personal stories about children with hearing implants as well as online games and activities. Please visit www.medel.com/kidscorner for more information! For more information, please contact: MED-EL Worldwide Headquarters An update from Otologics
Total Device Implantability - The Day Gets Closer Article submitted by Rory Kehoe Everyone involved in Hearing Implant technology knows that nothing stands still for very long and the virtual ink was hardly dry on the last e-report concerning Total Implantable Devices, when some exciting news broke that is likely to have great significance to CI candidates and users in the future. In the last issue, the Carina, a Totally Implantable Middle Ear Implant made by Otologics, was featured and mention was made of the special microphone that sits just under the user’s skin. In September, a joint statement was released by Otologics and Cochlear, announcing that Cochlear had purchased the right to use this ground-breaking technology in future designs of their Nucleus CI systems. Although a lot of R&D work will now need to be undertaken in order to transfer the microphone benefits from a Middle Ear system to a Cochlear Implant, it is clear that the days of externally worn microphones and sound processors are now going to be numbered. Total CI Implantability has made a very important step forward; watch this space! Since describing Carina in the autumn issue, a number of questions have cropped up and it may be a good idea to clarify a few things. Apart from the microphone, the other special feature of the Carina is its battery. This is a Lithium/Ion cell (similar to those used in pacemakers) which needs to be re-charged every 24-48 hours, using a coil which is linked by cable to a battery charger. It takes about 45-60 minutes to re-charge the Li/Ion battery and you can be listening to music, driving a car, working at your desk, or even lying in a bath whilst this happens! After about 15 years the battery will probably only offer 20-24 hours of use between charges and it can then either be left in situ, or be replaced during a minor surgical procedure. Apart from the battery charger/coil and an optional remote control (power on/off or volume +/-) unit, Carina has absolutely no external components! Carina is designed to help candidates with Moderate to Severe Sensorineural, Conductive, or Mixed Hearing Loss, especially those who cannot easily use Hearing Aids, or whose outcome with other implantable devices has not been successful. This might include HA users who suffer from persistent Otitis Externa, occlusion effect, as well as those with ear canals too small to fit HAs/ear moulds comfortably. Clinical outcomes data (which are freely available as published, peer-reviewed papers) demonstrate that Carina typically delivers functional gain of around 35-45dB over unaided thresholds The advantages that Carina offers over conventional Middle Ear Implants, BAHAs and Digital HAs are clear, since users can now really take control of their lifestyle options, rather than be restricted by delicate, or vulnerable external components. A good example of this lifestyle freedom lies within a question asked recently about using Carina and the very simple answer it prompted. Question: “Can I really jump off a board into a swimming pool, then go snorkelling and SCUBA dive?” Answer – YES! For more details about Carina, the world’s only Totally Implantable Hearing System, please visit www.otologics.com or e-mail infoenglish@otologics.com UK/Ireland and Nordic enquiries may be sent to rorykehoe@hotmail.com Rory Kehoe is an independent consultant, currently retained by Otologics LLC, Boulder. |
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