MED-EL USA announced that the new SONNET 2 audio processor is now available. Because MED-EL cochlear implants are said to be “engineered for future-readiness,” recipients with any MED-EL internal system can enjoy the benefits of the new SONNET 2. The processors are programmed using the recently FDA-approved MAESTRO 8 software that has been “optimized for audiologists” with guided workflows that show each step in the fitting process, suggesting tasks and tools along the way. The updated software also includes extended data logging functions for hearing health professionals.

SONNET 2 connects to smartphones and tablets using Bluetooth and the new AudioLink device, which is also now available, so that users can stream phone calls and music wirelessly to their ears. Users can choose how they would like to change settings: either from the AudioKey app (available for both iPhones and Android devices) or the FineTuner Echo remote control, both of which were also launched at the time of this announcement.

Both the AudioKey app and the FineTuner Echo enable recipients to adjust the volume and switch between programs on their SONNET 2. AudioKey offers a number of family-friendly tools including a special “find my processor” feature that allows users to locate a missing SONNET 2 processor with a near-field search within one meter. With the “Guardian Role” function, adults can adjust the settings on a child’s audio processor from a phone and keep a record of their hearing statistics. AudioKey is the only app that allows parents to pair more than one audio processor with their phone, which is ideal if they have multiple children with cochlear implants. AudioKey is also the only app where parents and guardians can assign different levels of control to multiple people, so that every caregiver (including teachers, daycare sitters, grandparents, and even the user as they mature) can observe, control, or administrate the recipient’s processors from their own phones.

For recipients who prefer an independent remote control, the new pocket-size FineTuner Echo offers a display screen that helps make it simple to adjust settings, and an e-ink display that helps make the screen easy to read on sunny days. The FineTuner Echo allows users to test the microphones of their or their child’s audio processor to check if a device is working correctly.

“The seamless compatibility between SONNET 2, FineTuner Echo, and AudioKey offers our cochlear implant users the latest in audio processing technology and wireless connectivity,” said Raymond Gamble, President & CEO, MED-EL North America. “We are particularly excited about family-friendly features like ‘Find my Processor’ and ‘Guardian Role’ that can help alleviate some of the more stressful scenarios for parents of children with cochlear implants. We also know that the unique ability to pair AudioKey to more than one audio processor is a real benefit to families with more than one MED-EL recipient.”

For more information about SONNET 2, FineTuner Echo, AudioKey, or any of MED-EL’s products, visit: go.medel.com/sonnet2-us.

Source: MED-EL