Advanced Bionics Launches Automated Service for Sound Processor Replacement

September 2009

Advanced Bionics (http://www.BionicEar.com), the only U.S.-based manufacturer of cochlear implants (or "bionic ears"), has launched an industry-leading automated service for replacement of sound processors called Processor Direct. The new program streamlines the process by which a sound processor can be replaced, thereby shortening the time a cochlear implant recipient is without sound, the company announced this week.

"Advanced Bionics' sound processors have the lowest monthly return rate in the industry, but like any electronic device, processors may one day need to be serviced, so we've made fast, reliable replacement a top priority for patients and their audiologists," said Jeff Greiner, CEO of Advanced Bionics. "Rapid, reliable replacement is crucial, and we believe this new program will allow a faster turnaround."

Under the new Processor Direct program, audiologists can log on to a secure, fully automated Web site and upload the unique program file for the patient's sound processor. AB will then load the patient's customized program into a replacement device and ship it directly to their home to complete the process.

This secure, automated Web site is designed to prevent uploading the wrong program file. For additional security, AB's patented IntelliLink(tm) feature will only allow a processor loaded with the correct program information to work with a recipient's implant.

"There's no risk of hearing with the wrong sound processor program thanks to Processor Direct," Greiner said. "Our secure Web site makes it impossible for the audiologist to upload the wrong file."

Advanced Bionics has the most advanced cochlear implant system on the market, the Harmony(r) HiResolution(r) Bionic Ear System, with five times more sound resolution than its competitors, allowing deaf recipients to go beyond deciphering simple speech to hearing music. Cochlear implants are surgically implanted electronic devices for people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Unlike hearing aids, they don't amplify sound, but work by directly stimulating any functioning auditory nerves inside the cochlea through electric impulses.

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