Selecting a Device

There are 3 cochlear implant companies on the market today:

• Advanced Bionics Corporation
• Cochlear Corporation
• Med-El Corporation

Cochlear implants systems are made up of internal and external components that work together. The design of the internal device and external components may look different, but they function very similarly. There is no definitive evidence that one implant system provides better results than another.

The following information briefly describes important facts about the 3 implant systems. Please consult the websites or the booklets provided by your audiologist for more detailed information.

Device Warranty

Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Corporation, and Med-El offer a 3-year warranty on the external sound processor, microphone and headpiece. Most cables are not covered by the warranty, although some are depending on the device configuration. Warranty policies go into effect from the day of initial activation. A one-time replacement for loss or accidental damage (beyond repair) is available during the user’s initial 3-year warranty period. Warrantied items are replaced due to “normal wear and tear”. For coverage after the 3-year warranty, service contracts can be purchased from the manufacturer. To supplement this, or in place of this, loss and damage insurance policies are available through Ear Service Corporation (ESCO). Some families choose to cover the hardware through homeowner’s insurance policies as well. Proper care and storage will affect the durability of the external hardware. The better the hardware is cared for, the less chance of encountering problems.

Cochlear implants are man-made medical electronics. Although the internal devices are designed to withstand long-term use, it is unlikely that they will last a lifetime. All manufacturers offer a 10-year warranty for the internal portion of the cochlear implant system. This policy goes into effect the day of surgery. Internal devices may fail due to electronic malfunction or due to a direct blow to the head. For this reason, we recommend parents carefully consider allowing their child to participate in “high risk” activities, such as contact sports or bicycling or roller-blading without a helmet.

Cochlear implant manufacturers track the life of their implants as a number called Cumulative Survival Rate (CSR). This percentage is tracked by the device model, number of recipients and years that it remains in use. This information is available to the general public upon request.

Advanced Bionics currently offers two different external sound processors. The internal device is referred to as the 90K.

• Platinum Series Processor, (PSP)
  • Body-worn sound processor for infants and young children, this can be worn in a harness or fanny pack and for older children and teenagers, a fanny pack or belt clip works well.
  • holds 3 maps or programs
  • has separate volume and sensitivity control
  • is FM compatible with audio mixing capabilities (can control the amount of input from the FM signal vs. environmental sound)
  • Microphone is integrated into the coil, therefore nothing is worn on the ear
  • LED indicator and audible alarm to verify device function in troubleshooting
  • Uses rechargeable battery technology
• Harmony
  • Behind-the-ear (BTE) sound processor
  • Holds 3 maps or programs
  • Has a single volume control dial
  • Is FM compatible with audio mixing
  • Utilizes rechargeable batteries worn at ear level.
  • Excellent resistance to moisture.
  • Various earhooks available (standard, I-Connect, direct connect, or T-mic)

Cochlear Corporation offers one sound processor with two different power supply configurations which make it either body-worn or behind-the-ear. The internal device is referred as the Nucleus Freedom Contour Advance.

• Freedom Processor

• Holds 4 maps or programs
• “splash proof” design; all connection points and controls are lined to prevent ingress of moisture (due to sweat, humidity, rain, etc.)
• Wireless FM compatible with audio-mixing capabilities.
• BEAM, ADRO, Whisper – preprocessing strategies for various listening environments

• BTE controller (with Freedom Processor)

• powered by 3 size 675 high-powered cochlear implant batteries
• Cochlear Corporation is currently developing a rechargeable battery for this BTE
• LCD screen display
• Program lock – keeps “curious hands” from changing recommended settings or turning off.
• Can also be worn in a "babyworn" configuration where the controller is clipped to the child's clothing.

• Body-worn controller (with Freedom Processor)

• powered by 2 AAA batteries (regular or rechargeable)
• controller is worn either in a harness, fanny pack or belt clip
• LCD screen display
• Program lock – keeps “curious hands” from changing recommended settings or turning off.

Med-El Corporation has a BTE (Opus I) processor configuration. The Opus I system has a modular design for use of various battery packs. The internal device is referred to as the Sonata.

• Opus I (BTE processor)

• small and lightweight
• has separate volume and sensitivity control
• several different wearing options based on the chosen battery pack
• powered by 3 size 675 high-powered cochlear implant batteries; if the remote battery pack is used, then one regular or rechargeable AA battery is required.
• LED on the front of the processor, used to indicate device function and/or need for troubleshooting.