Advanced Bionics Receives FDA, Health Canada Approval for the Naída CI Q90 Acoustic Earhook

Advanced Bionics (AB) has expanded its portfolio of hearing solutions for Naída CI Q90 users in the United States and Canada. The Naída CI Q90 sound processor already offers cochlear implant users the same signal processing used in Phonak hearing aids. Now, with the simple addition of an acoustic earhook, the sound processor becomes a full-featured cochlear implant and hearing aid combination. This all-in-one solution is designed to provide cochlear implant recipients with the additional benefits of natural low-frequency hearing.
 
“It is extremely important that our patients have access to their usable hearing by adding the hearing aid component to their sound processors after implantation. Several of our existing cochlear implant patients will immediately benefit from this combination of amplification and electrical stimulation,” said Dr. Sarah Coulthurst, an audiologist in Northern California.
 
The combination of electrical stimulation and low-frequency amplification is designed to provide sound quality enhancement as well as speech perception benefit for those with severe-to-profound hearing loss who no longer benefit from hearing aids alone.¹
 
The Naída CI Q90 Acoustic Earhook extends the portfolio of solutions for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Advanced Bionics and Phonak currently offer a powerful combination of hearing aids and cochlear implants on an integrated platform. “Naída is the most trusted name in severe-to-profound hearing instruments. With the acoustic earhook, we really offer the best combination of hearing aid and cochlear implant technology in a single device,” said Hans Mülder, an audiologist and director of marketing for Severe-to-Profound hearing devices at Phonak.
 
The Naída CI Q90 Acoustic Earhook was made available to a limited number of North American centers in 2017 and will be made generally available in the United States and Canada this month.
 
Advanced Bionics develops hearing solutions for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss who no longer benefit from hearing aids. Founded in 1993 and a subsidiary of the Sonova group since 2009, AB develops cochlear implant technology that allows recipients to hear their best. AB offers the most sophisticated cochlear implant system on the market, the HiResolution Bionic Ear System, with five times more sound resolution than its competitors. It’s designed to help recipients hear in noisy settings and enjoy the full dimensions of music and tonal languages. The company boasts sales in over 50 countries.

Reference
1. Eddins, David A. “Sandlin’s Textbook of Hearing Aid Amplification.” (2014): p.660.