Cochlear(tm) Nucleus(r) 5 Rechargeable Battery System Gets FDA Approval

July 2010

Editor: Cochlear's new rechargeable battery has been approved by the FDA. And it can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes! Here's the press release.

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Centennial, Colo., (June 30, 2010) - Cochlear, the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Nucleus(r) 5 Rechargeable Battery System for adults and children with severe-to-profound hearing loss.

"Rechargeable batteries offer patients a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional disposable battery technology," says Teresa Adkins, Vice President of Marketing for Cochlear Americas.

Cochlear has offered rechargeable batteries with previous generation hearing systems, but with Nucleus 5, our engineers have achieved an exciting industry breakthrough - when using rechargeable batteries, the Nucleus 5 Sound Processor is the world's ONLY submergible sound processor.*

According to Chris Smith, President of Cochlear Americas, "This represents a fundamental leap forward for those who benefit from our cochlear implant technology. No other cochlear implant system has ever come close to providing patients with this level of confidence around water. With other cochlear implant systems, patients are forced to weigh the risk of accidentally dropping their sound processor in water and destroying it versus the benefit of hearing in and around water. With Nucleus 5, when using our new rechargeable battery option, there are no risks to weigh. During the summer months this is especially noteworthy, since water-based activities are such an important part of many of our patients' lives."

About Cochlear Nucleus 5

Introduced last September, the Cochlear Nucleus 5 System is the world's smallest, most advanced cochlear implant system on the market, which includes powerful features designed to restore hearing in deaf children so that they have the greatest potential to develop the spoken language skills necessary for school. Adults will benefit from advanced features that deliver the best listening options for phone use, communication in noisy environments and music enjoyment.

*IP57 rating 1

This water protection rating means that the sound processor is not only splash resistant, but it can be submerged into three feet of still water for up to 30 minutes.

About Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants are a proven medical option for children as young as 12 months old with profound hearing loss in both ears and for individuals who are two years or older with severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears whom obtain little or no benefit from hearing aids. They are electronic devices, which bypass damaged hair cells in the inner ear, or cochlea, and stimulate the hearing nerve directly. Cochlear implants are designed to restore hearing, giving users the best possible hearing experience possible and are becoming the standard of care with approximately 400 institutions in the United States providing this technology.

About Cochlear

Cochlear is the world leader in implantable hearing solutions. Since launching the first multichannel cochlear implant system more than 25 years ago, Cochlear Limited has brought the miracle of sound to more than 200,000 individuals with hearing loss across the globe. Cochlear Americas markets number one selling products the Baha(r) implantable bone-anchored hearing device and Nucleus cochlear implant technology. For more information about Cochlear Americas' products, call the Cochlear Hotline at 800/523-5798 (Voice) or visitwww.cochlearamericas.com.

Nucleus is a registered trademark of Cochlear Limited. Cochlear and the elliptical logo are trademarks of Cochlear Limited.