MED-EL's New MAESTRO(tm) Offers Hearing in "High
Definition"
Editor: The MAESTRO (tm) is the latest cochlear implant system from the
folks at MED-EL. Their data indicates that it has accomplished several
improvements over previous implant systems. Here's their press release.
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91% of Clinical Trial Subjects Report that Music Sounds Pleasant with
their Cochlear Implant
MED-EL Corporation announced today new data regarding FineHearing (TM)
technology, available only with the MAESTRO(tm) Cochlear Implant System.
In addition to hearing in "high definition" with FineHearing, MED-EL's
MAESTRO system offers the smallest internal implant and the thinnest,
lightest externally-worn speech processor available. MAESTRO presents
surgeons with a choice of two internal cochlear implants (SONATATI100 or
PULSARCI100) and patients with a choice of two speech processors (OPUS 1
or OPUS 2), providing the best possible solution for each individual case.
The OPUS Speech Processors offer two new sound coding strategies that make
hearing the fine details of sound a reality for people who are profoundly
deaf.
"The MAESTRO has created a tremendous capacity for patients to hear,
they can filter out certain noises, and they can exist in environments
that used to be not really well tolerated by people with cochlear
implants. The new system has enabled recipients to hear much better than
in the past," said Harold C. Pillsbury, MD, Professor and Chairman of the
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Clinical trials incorporating MED-EL's FineHearing(tm) technology
demonstrated remarkable improvements in music enjoyment and statistically
significant improvements in hearing in noisy environments - two areas of
hearing that have been challenging for cochlear implant users.1 A
questionnaire of patients who participated in the clinical trial showed
that 65% reported improved enjoyment of familiar music, while 59% reported
improved enjoyment of music that is unfamiliar. Remarkably, 91% of the
subjects reported that, in general, music sounds pleasant with their
cochlear implant and 82% reported listening to music every week, if not
every day. Also, compared to their current processor, more than half
reported improvement in speech understanding while listening in group
situations and 60% understood both male and female voices better in
everyday noisy environments.2
FineHearing(tm) Defines the Finest Details of Sound
Like a telephone, a cochlear implant works by converting sound into
complex electrical signals. In an implant, the method used to make this
conversion is called a sound coding strategy. During the past two decades,
cochlear implant sound coding strategies have only been able to represent
one part of a sound, the part known as the "envelope." The other part,
called the "fine structure," could not previously be enhanced, due to
limitations in technology. Fine structure is comprised of timing cues that
provide fine details regarding subtle variations in the pitch of a sound.
With the introduction of FineHearing(tm), MED-EL overcomes the
limitations of envelope-based "traditional" coding strategies. MED-EL's
new Fine Structure Processing (FSP) strategy better represents both
components of a sound: the envelope and the fine structure. By including
the fine structure, the normal hearing process can be represented with
greater accuracy than with the envelope alone. In other words, FineHearing
can be described as "Hearing in High Definition." Clinical trials with
FineHearing users show clear benefits for speech understanding in
background noise. Research also show that listeners are able to detect
smaller differences in pitch, and perceive a wider range of tones. This
ability can provide many advantages, including appreciating the richness
and complexity of music.3
The Thinnest and Lightest System Means Maximum Comfort in a Minimum
Space
MED-EL's latest speech processor, the OPUS 2, is a milestone achievement
in engineering, offering unparalleled comfort, battery life, hands-free
capability, and remote access to controls. It is the thinnest and lightest
processor available today, with a new ergonomic design for maximum comfort
and cosmetic appeal. It is the only system with a FineTuner(tm) remote
control, allowing easy adjustment of settings, without removing the
processor from the ear and without interrupting hearing. The processor
also includes a standard input jack for connection to FM systems,
assistive listening devices - even iPod(r) and Bluetooth(r). Additionally,
the SONATATI100 is the smallest titanium cochlear implant on the market,
designed to accommodate minimally invasive surgical techniques in less
time.
The MAESTRO Cochlear Implant System's state-of-the-art electronics
platform also incorporates technology that is well ahead of its time, with
the capacity for features not yet available to the cochlear implant users
of today. Simple upgrades in external components or computer software can
implement these features in the future, allowing recipients to take
advantage of MED-EL's intelligent, forward-thinking engineering today and
for many years to come.
"The technology used with MAESTRO is a major advancement in that the
implant, the part of the system that requires surgery, has capabilities
that we have not tapped into yet. We have the ability to update the
software, change the coding strategy, and even change electronics in the
speech processor such that the implant itself will be able to deliver more
information without requiring another surgery," said Dick Collette,
President and CEO, MED-EL North America.
About MED-EL Corporation
Since its founders developed one of the world's first cochlear implants
in 1975, MED-EL has set new standards in hearing implant technologies,
developing and manufacturing technologically advanced hearing solutions
for people with varying degrees of hearing loss. MED-EL hearing implant
systems, currently used in 80 countries, combine the latest scientific
advances, engineering and manufacturing techniques for performance, safety
and reliability. MED-EL offers the broadest portfolio of hearing implant
systems, including the MAESTRO Cochlear Implant system for those with
severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss and the unique Vibrant
Soundbridge(r), a middle ear prosthesis for the treatment of moderate to
severe sensorineural hearing loss. For more information, visit
www.medel.com or call 888-MED-EL-CI (633-3524).
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1,2,3 FSP Clinical Trial. Data on file at MED-EL.
