Cochlear launches iOS-connectable Nucleus 7 cochlear implant

Cochlear Ltd. (ASX:COH) today launched its Nucleus 7 sound processor cochlear implant, touting it as the smallest and lightest behind-the-ear implant sound processor available.

The Sydney-based company said that the newly launched Nucleus 7, which won FDA clearance last month, is the 1st cochlear implant designed to connect directly with Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) iOS devices, allowing individuals to stream sound from their compatible devices.

The Nucleus 7 will also allow users to control, monitor and customize their hearing on their attached smart device, the company said.

“The approval of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a turning point for people with hearing loss, opening the door for them to make phone calls, listen to music in high-quality stereo sound, watch videos and have FaceTime calls streamed directly to their cochlear implant. This new sound processor builds on our long-standing commitment to help more people with hearing loss connect with others and live a full life,” CEO Chris Smith said in a prepared release.

The newly launched Nucleus 7 offers a hearing tracker feature which records coil-off time and time in speech, as well as an application to locate lost sound processors using location services. The system can also be used in combination with a hearing aid with synchronized streaming to both ears, the company said.

“Technology that offers greater connectivity seeks to make life easier for people with hearing loss. The advancements provided by the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor give parents more control and allow them to better monitor their child’s hearing while adults and teenagers will be able to stream music and make FaceTime calls just like their hearing friends and family,” Laurel Mahoney of the NYU Langone Medical Center said in a prepared statement.

The device is expected to be commercially available in September in the US and Canada, with options to upgrade to the device in October for individuals using the Nucleus CI24RE, CI500 and Profile Series implants, Cochlear said.

“The ability to control both hearing solutions through an iPhone or iPod touch and provide a seamless hearing experience between them is a remarkable technological step forward. At Cochlear, we design devices to give recipients greater flexibility to personalize their settings and manage their hearing loss on a daily basis, and these new solutions offer that experience like never before,” R&D senior VP Jan Janssen said in a press release.

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