Hearing impaired mobile device users now can hear
audio directly from the Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod touch thanks to a new Sound
Processor that will soon be offered by Cochlear Ltd. The Nucleus 7, available
in the U.S. this September, will be able to stream the audio from an iOS device
directly to the microchips in the company's hearing implants without requiring
another device to act as an intermediary. Currently, those with a cochlear
implant have to use a Bluetooth device with the sound processor and the phone
in order to allow the audio to run through the implants.
While the Bluetooth device would usually be worn
around the neck like a pendant, the new technology means that this will no
longer be necessary. The company's sound processors turn sound from the
environment into electrical signals, which are transmitted to an implanted
electrode that sits in the inner ears of those who are hard of hearing. Because
the processor sits outside the ear, it can be updated to carry the new feature
without requiring a new implant. Users will be able to customize the sounds
they hear by using the free Nucleus Smart App from the App Store. In addition,
a feature on the app will allow users to find a lost Nucleus 7 processor.
The Nucleus 7 sound processor will be available as
an update in October for the following Cochlear implanted devices: Nucleus
CI24RE, CI500 and Profile Series Implants.
