News and advice from the world leader in hearing implants

1. IN THIS EDITION:
1 Rachel’s story
2 The hearing zone
3 Accessories
News and advice from the world leader in hearing implants June 2010
You whisper,
I hear
It’s big news for Baha® recipient Rachel Kumar. Even though she never let
her hearing impairment stop her enjoying life to the full, she’s thrilled to be
part of everything that’s going on around her.
Rachel was born with microtia and atresia. Microtia Bronwyn and Virginia about the challenges Rachel After surgery, Rachel declared “It was so quick! I
is an incomplete or underdeveloped external ear, was facing with the bone conduction hearing aid and had surgery in the morning and was home in the
while atresia is the absence of the ear canal. Atresia they suggested a Baha system. Along with relieving afternoon!” And then later when the Baha was
and microtia often occur together, usually with the discomfort of her old hearing aid, they advised activated the sound was crystal clear compared to
poorer hearing in the ear with microtia. that a Baha would be more discreet (no headband) my bone conduction aid. I can hear whispers – even
and deliver clearer hearing. in a noisy room.”
If your child has no ear canal, there is at least a
moderate degree of deafness in that ear – so a Professor William Gibson, Rachel’s ENT surgeon, Now, she wants everyone with conductive hearing
Cochlear™ Baha® is a great hearing solution. director of the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre and loss to, “hear the world through Baha.”
head of the Ear, Nose and Throat Unit at the
Rachel’s mother, Shabina says, “I was very sad when Shabina is also very pleased with the outcome
University of Sydney and Professor Newall explored
Rachel was born without being able to hear the world of Rachel’s surgery. She wants to reassure every
Rachel’s options and agreed that a Baha system was
around her, but the condition never stopped us from parent that they are making a wise decision for
the best solution.
helping Rachel live life like other children her age.” their child’s future.
The Baha system consists of three parts: a titanium
Professor Philip Newall, Rachel’s audiologist and a Rachel has had her Baha for over a few months now
implant, an external abutment, and a sound
Professorial Fellow at the Renwick Centre at the and finds it more comfortable and discreet than the
processor. The implant is placed behind the ear
Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in Sydney, bone conduction hearing aid. She also loves the
during a straightforward surgical procedure and over
donates his time to improve services for hearing improved hearing clarity. As she says, “It has allowed
time the implant naturally joins with the bone in a
impaired children in the Pacific Islands. He works in me to take part in every conversation, even if YOU
process known as osseointegration. The same
Samoa and Fiji and first examined Rachel at a Fijian WHISPER, I HEAR.”
process has been successfully used in dental
Hearing Aid Clinic and fitted her with a bone
implants for over 30 years. When connected to the For more information on the Cochlear Baha, visit
conduction hearing aid – standard on-the-spot
external processor, sound is passed directly to the www.cochlear.com
management for her condition.
inner ear or the cochlea.
As Rachel grew, the band became too small and tight
Professor Gibson kindly donated his time and surgical
creating a hollow dent behind her ear and the skin
expertise so that, at age 13, Rachel became the
became red, swollen and irritated. Despite the
first-ever recipient of a Cochlear-donated Baha in Fiji.
discomfort, Rachel kept wearing the aid every day
so that she could hear friends, teachers, TV programs
and her family.
Fortunately, Shabina had started working at the
Carabez Alliance with Bronwyn and Virginia Carabez,
aiding children with hearing aids in Fiji. She told

2. Be in the zone:
the hearing zone
Understanding your Cochlear implant design
Many people worry about how a of any remaining hearing. It is The Hearing Zone Cochlear Nucleus Implant Design
new cochlear implant might affect therefore important to understand Research shows that in normal hearing the entire The Cochlear Nucleus solution has been developed 2. An array of 22 electrodes, all in the cochlea’s Cochlear has reconnected over 200,000 Cochlear
cochlea responds to sounds, while only a specific into an internationally award-winning design by hearing zone, to give your audiologist more recipients worldwide over the last 25 years, and we
their already limited hearing. In how hearing works and how the area of it responds to the electrical impulses from Cochlear’s research teams, in collaboration with flexibility when programming the implant to continue to pioneer advances that will deliver even
fact, a recent cochlear recipient design of your cochlear implant an implant. We call this area ‘the hearing zone’. world-renowned scientists. The design includes several meet your individual hearing needs. better hearing outcomes for our recipients. So you can
What’s more, the sound heard as a result of the features for maximising the hearing zone, including: be confident that Cochlear will help you Hear now.
survey shows that one of the most minimises additional damage to the 3. A unique self-curling array that hugs the natural
And always.
implant’s impulses is lower in pitch than the same 1. The electrode array length fits the hearing zone shape of the cochlea, providing more precisely
significant concerns for adult inner ear or the cochlea and therefore sound heard by normal hearing. That means the precisely, in order to maximise hearing while focused stimulation and higher quality sound. For more information, please read the performance
recipients in choosing a cochlear minimises any remaining low electrode array doesn’t need to be inserted deeply minimising the risk of damage to the cochlea
4. Softip is the industry’s only soft tip electrode
and reliability fact sheet on www.cochlear.com.
to achieve the same results. and any loss of residual low frequency hearing
implant is the potential loss frequency hearing loss. array designed to protect the delicate walls
In fact, research has shown that as the cochlear in the top portion of the cochlea.
of the cochlea during surgery, in order to help
spirals and becomes smaller several different preserve any residual hearing.
electrodes may stimulate the same nerve cells Softip
at different points along the cochlea, causing a The industry’s only Softip electrode array is designed to
confused sound pitches. As a result, deep insertion protect the delicate walls of the cochlear during surgery,
Cochlear implant inserted which may lead to preservation of residual hearing.
inside the cochlea (blue spiral) techniques have been found to frequently produce
worse hearing outcomes.
The implant design is critical for a successful hearing Electrode array
outcome, which is why Cochlear Nucleus implants
focus on the hearing zone which does not extend
deeply into the cochlea.
Human cochlea
22 electrodes
Cochlear implant These provide
accurate stimulation
of the hearing nerves,
important for high
quality sound.
Hearing nerve
Thin self-curling array
Helpful Hints: This significant design feature
places the electrodes closer to
1. Store batterie the hearing nerve fibres and is
s in the fridge to help th
em last longer. engineered to provide more
2. Always take
a spare battery an focussed stimulation and greater
d cord out with
3. Make a point you, in case one power efficiency, while applying
of taking your la stops working.
noise for clearer pel microphone less pressure to the delicate
reception. You’ll with you too – it
find it wonderful can filter out a lo
with three or mor for parties, mov t of background cochlear structures.
e people. ies, restaurants an
4. Save yourself d any meeting
from those irrita
wool or silk usua ting popping no
lly generate stat ises caused by st
ic, so either avoi atic build-up. Clo
5. Using Closed d them or try a st thes made from
Captioning while atic guard spray.
Electrode array by improving yo you watch TV ca
ur speech unders n help you with
tanding. Hearing your long term sp
inside the cochlear help you to reco the dialogue and eech habilitation
gnise different so reading Closed C
voices. It can also unds, as well as aptioning will
help you learn th the tonal differe
e sounds of letter nces between m
6. If you’re atte s and vowels, for ale and female
nding a large mee clearer speech.
you’re at the fron ting, seminar or
t, the presenter lecture, try to sit
will be too loud in the middle of
HEARING ZONE for you to hear while people at the venue. If
their questions the back will be
better balance. or comments. Th too far away
Area of the cochlear receptive to electrical stimulation. However, you sh e middle of the
is using a micro ould allow for th room should give
phone and soun e location of the you a much
d system. speaker and, if th
e speaker

3. Change someone’s life Improving Your
As a Cochlear recipient, you know the enormous difference an
implantable hearing solution has made to your life. Now your
Hearing
life-changing story could inspire other adults and children all How Cochlear Accessories can help
around the world. every day
Imagine – you could be the person who inspires someone else to Cochlear’s accessories are all about connecting
discover the joys of hearing now and always. Here are some common with the world around you. Whether you want to
hear the teacher, dance to music or take in a movie
questions to get you started:
with friends, accessories are often the key to really
• What concerns did you have about getting an implant (if any)? enjoying – and improving – your ability to hear.
• What resources did you use to help you make the decision • TV/Hi-Fi Cable
(audiologist, education program, online research, speaking Connect your system directly to mains-powered
to another recipient)? equipment like your TV, home stereo, personal
• What was life like before, and then computer or gaming console. It’s the ideal way to
enjoy programs without bothering others. Simply
with, your cochlear or Baha implant?
use your volume and sensitivity controls in the
• How did you feel before and after you got usual way, to set the sound and environmental
your cochlear or Baha implant? noise levels to suit your hearing.
• What finally convinced you to get • Personal audio cable
the implant? Why should you miss out on all the exciting
• After switch on, what was the first thing personal audio products that are around today?
you heard and what was the experience like? Our personal audio cable lets you connect an
iPod®, Walkman®, MP3 player, portable radio or
• If you are a bilateral recipient, how does hearing with two ears other battery-operated product to your Cochlear or
compare to one? Baha system, then use your volume and sensitivity
controls to personalise your audio experience.
• What is the most memorable experience from your journey?
• What is your favorite sound? • Lapel Microphone
Wearing this discrete, external microphone on
• What advice do you have for others considering an implantable
your lapel lets you enjoy better noise filtering and
hearing solution? clearer reception in noisy or difficult settings. This
So please, share your experiences at cochlear.com/community today. microphone is separate to your system’s in-built
microphone and, when it’s connected, you only
hear through the lapel microphone. You can easily
move it closer to the person or sound you want to
hear; and you can adjust the volume and sensitivity
in the normal way.
• Telecoils
Hear more clearly on the telephone, and enjoy better
sound quality in buildings equipped with a loop
facility – such as cinemas, lecture theatres, train
stations, etc.
To find out more about accessories for your system,
contact your clinic or Cochlear.
References:
1. Arndt P, Staller. S, Arcaroli J, Hines A, Ebinger K. “Within Subject Comparison of Advanced Coding Strategies in the Nucleus 24 Cochlear Implant.” Cochlear Corporation, 1999.
2. Murphy J, O’Donoghue G., Bilateral Cochlear Implantation: An Evidence-Based Medicine Evaluation, Laryngoscope, 2007.
Nucleus is a registered trademark of Cochlear limited. Baha is a registered trademark of Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB. Freedom, Cochlear and
the elliptical logo are trademarks of Cochlear Limited. © Cochlear Limited 2010.
N34432 ISS 1 JUNE 2010