Med-El has introduced the TICI Unico, which the company describes as the world’s only totally invisible cochlear implant, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of fully implantable hearing technology.
Med-El has officially launched the TICI Unico, the first-to-market totally implantable cochlear implant (TICI) designed to be completely hidden beneath the skin with no externally visible components. The device represents the culmination of a development program that has been closely tracked by the hearing healthcare industry over several years.
Unlike conventional cochlear implants, which require an external sound processor worn behind the ear or on the head, the TICI Unico is designed to function entirely subcutaneously, including the microphone, with no external hardware required during everyday use. The launch addresses a longstanding aspiration within the cochlear implant field: delivering hearing restoration through a device that is imperceptible to others.
The announcement comes after Med-El reported promising feasibility study results for its TICI platform and conducted early surgeries in Europe with the technology. The TICI Unico represents the commercial product resulting from that research and clinical work.
Clinical and Industry Context
The push toward fully and totally implantable cochlear implants has intensified in recent years across the industry, with multiple manufacturers exploring designs that eliminate external components. Med-El‘s TICI Unico now enters the market as the company’s answer to that demand, positioned for patients who prioritize discretion and convenience alongside hearing performance. And who want their cochlear implant to work 24/7, including while sleeping, showering, and swimming.
Med-El co-founder and CEO Ingeborg Hochmair has been central to the company’s cochlear implant innovation for decades. The TICI UNICO launch adds to a period of notable activity for the Innsbruck, Austria-based manufacturer, which recently acquired two gene therapy programs from Rescue Hearing and expanded its device connectivity portfolio through a collaboration with Starkey on bimodal Bluetooth.
“TICI Unico is a new category of an implant. It is totally new and it is the realization of a dream that I have had for a very long time,” says Hochmair. “For the first time, invisible hearing with a cochlear implant is possible. This means a lot for the people who can receive TICI Unico as well as for Med-El and its team. It is a new chapter in the history of hearing, and a very fascinating one. I do indeed hope that it will open the door to hearing for many more people than currently are interested in cochlear implants.”
About Med-El
Med-El is a privately held hearing implant company headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The company develops and manufactures cochlear implants, middle ear implants, bone conduction implants, and auditory brainstem implants. Additional information about the TICI Unico is available at medel.com.
