Cochlear Americas, Centennial, Colo, reports that the FDA has approved its Nucleus 5 System for adults and children with severe-to-profound hearing loss. 

Cochlear developed the advanced technology, including a smaller and thinner device, says a statement released by the company. The system offers a small, water-resistant sound processor, thin titanium cochlear implant, two-way remote assistant, SmartSound 2 technology, and AutoPhone capability, says the statement.

Cochlear implants have the ability to restore hearing for individuals who are severely hard of hearing or profoundly deaf and who receive limited to no benefit from hearing aids, according to the company. The new system includes features designed to restore hearing in deaf children so that they may develop the spoken language skills necessary for school, says the statement. Features for adults deliver listening options for phone use, communication in noisy environments, and music enjoyment, says the statement.

The system’s hearing performance record is achieved through a combination of exclusive features that have been perfected over the last 25 years, such as a patented electrode array design that delivers a true-to life sound; SmartSound 2 technology with the new Set It and Go program for everyday listening; fully-integrated dual microphones for directionality and better sound quality in noisy situations; and AutoPhone, automatic phone detection through an automatic telecoil for optimized phone use, says the company.

Cochlear implants are a proven medical option for children as young as 12 months old with profound hearing loss in both ears and for individuals who are 2 years or older with severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears whom obtain little or no benefit from hearing aids, says the statement. They are electronic devices, which bypass damaged hair cells in the inner ear, or cochlea, and stimulate the hearing nerve directly. Cochlear implants are designed to restore hearing, giving users the best possible hearing experience possible and are becoming the standard of care with approximately 400 institutions in the United States providing this technology, according to the statement.

[Source: Cochlear Americas]