Advanced Bionics Extends Marvel CI Product Offering

Advanced Bionics (AB) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for expanded Marvel CI product and feature offerings.

The expanded offerings include: remote programming through a patient’s smartphone using AB Remote Support app, making hearing care more accessible; linked two-ear solutions including with a CROS device, enabling better hearing well from both sides; and Target cochlear implant (CI) version 1.5, a more efficient programming software version for both cochlear implants and hearing instruments.
 
Cochlear implant patients often have to travel long distances to reach clinics for appointments with their hearing care professionals (HCPs). For others, mobility issues or busy schedules make receiving timely and necessary care for their CI and hearing needs challenging. AB’s new Remote Support app allows remote checking and programming using their smartphone.
 
The Remote Support app also allows HCPs to remotely and directly adjust settings for their patients’ Marvel CI sound processor and compatible Phonak hearing aid or CROS. This way, patients can discuss their progress, get their questions answered in real-time, and even receive full CI programming without a visit to the clinic. Remote Programming is another step towards improving accessibility for hearing healthcare for as many people as possible.
 
Hearing with both ears provides a better sense of where sounds are coming from, allows people to hear better in noisy situations, and makes hearing less tiring.^1,2,3 Together with Advanced Bionics’ sister company Phonak, AB remains the only manufacturer to offer linked two-ear solutions with hearing aids and cochlear implants designed to communicate and work together as a pair, the company claims. Now AB’s Marvel will also be the only CI system with a CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) device. With the introduction of the Phonak CROS device, AB gives people who hear with cochlear implants more possibilities to hear from all around them.
 
For people who have severe to profound hearing loss in both ears but hear with only one Marvel CI, having a CROS device on the other ear allows it to pick up sounds from that side and transmit them to the Marvel CI. This way, listeners can have a more complete sense of their surroundings and follow conversations from all directions, especially in noisy situations such as restaurants or in the car. Together with a pair of Marvel CI sound processors, or a bimodal pairing with Marvel CI and a Phonak Link M hearing aid, the introduction of CROS makes Marvel the only CI system with linked bilateral, bimodal, and CROS configurations.
 
Target CI is designed to be the smarter CI fitting software, giving professionals the flexibility to meet their patient-specific needs. Since its introduction, it remains the only software which allows professionals to program a cochlear implant and the associated bimodal hearing aid with one software in one fitting session, according to Advanced Bionics. Its intuitive workflow and user-centric design and features are made for faster fittings, allowing professionals to spend more time with their patients, rather than the software.
 
The new Version 1.5 is even more powerful, with usability enhancements related to workflow, ease of use, convenience, and professional performance. In addition to bimodal fittings, it now also supports programming and configuration of the compatible Phonak CROS device together with a Marvel CI. Target CI Version 1.5 has also reintroduced some of the popular features from the previous AB fitting software Soundwave, and HCPs can now import patient data from AB’s cochlear health monitoring tool, the AIM system.
 
“Since its introduction in 2020, Marvel CI has redefined hearing performance with cochlear implants,” said Victoria E.Carr-Brendel, Ph.D., GVP, Sonova Group and president of Advanced Bionics. “Marvel CI’s universal Bluetooth connectivity, dedicated sound processor for children, and integrated compatibility with Phonak hearing devices are still features that are unique and unmatched on the market. The launch of these extended Marvel CI features today continues to demonstrate our focus on making it easier to hear and live with cochlear implants. Remote Programming gives people easier access to their hearing care professionals. The new CROS device allows more people with Marvel CIs to hear where sounds are coming from. And Target CI Version 1.5 allows professionals to serve their patients with even greater efficiency. Our mission has always been to allow people to live a life without limitations. And this launch is yet another big step towards that ultimate goal.”
 
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 Sonova Group since 2009, AB develops cochlear implant technology that allows recipients to hear their best. AB joined Phonak as part of Sonova Group’s family of companies and began a collaboration. Since then, the innovation leaders in cochlear implants and hearing aids have continuously combined technologies to deliver new, unequalled hearing solutions. 

References
¹ Koch DB, Soli SD, Downing M, and Osberger MJ. 2009. Simultaneous Bilateral Cochlear Implantation: Prospective Study in Adults. Cochlear Implants International (February 26), Cochlear Implants International, n/a. doi: 10.1002/cii.413
² Zeitler D, et al. 2008. Speech Perception Benefits of Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implantation in Children and Adults: A Retrospective Analysis. Otology & Neurotology. 29 (3): 314-325.
³ Dunn, C, et al. 2008. Comparison of Speech Recognition and Localization Performance in Bilateral and Unilateral Cochlear Implant Users Matched on Duration of Deafness and Age of Implantation. Ear and Hearing. 29 (3): 352-359.