How Does Electrode Design Increase the Safety of a Cochlear Implant?
Release Date: 10/03/2023
All About Auditory Brainstem Implants for Rehabilitation Specialists
MED-EL Podcast
Julie Kosaner, a pediatric audiologist, teacher of the deaf, and MED-EL consultant, joins the vodcast series to share her wealth of knowledge on fitting and rehabilitation with auditory brainstem implants (ABIs). We discuss ABI’s early beginnings and her current thoughts on how patients with ABIs can achieve the best audiological and intervention outcomes. Weblinks Watch the second episode of MED-EL's , available with English, Spanish, and German captions, on the with your free account. There you can also access a free resource on ABIs and view videos of ABI recipients.
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Aural Rehabilitation for Adults
MED-EL Podcast
Jane Opie, a Senior Research Audiologist for MED-EL, introduces the topic of aging and hearing loss to our rehab series. Here we discuss a range of issues, including the challenges of early diagnosis and intervention, the cognitive impact of hearing loss, relevant research, assessment tools, and ideas and tips for rehabilitation. Weblinks Access our , including the HISQUI19 and Adult Rehabilitation Kits. Watch the first episode of MED-EL's and download rehabilitation resources on the with your free account. Available with English, Spanish, and German captions. ...
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Reach the Peak: Accessible and Individualized Rehabilitation for Better Outcomes
MED-EL Podcast
In the final episode, hosts Alex and Lukas from the Product Management Team meet up with specialist Natalie Teakle to explore the crucial role of digital tools in achieving optimal performance through rehabilitation. Join the discussion as they shine a light onto how these tools simplify the journey for both professionals and patients. Natalie also shares insights into the AI-powered ReDi Studio, highlighting its ability to empower therapists in crafting personalized rehabilitation programs with remarkable ease, requiring just a few clicks. Weblinks: ...
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Follow Trail Signs: New Remote Care Technologies for the Clinical Workflow
MED-EL Podcast
In the fourth episode, hosts Alex and Lukas from the Product Management Team talk about the new features of MAESTRO 10, focusing on patient-centric remote care and fitting solutions. Explore the latest advancements designed to facilitate remote patient support and streamline workflows for clinics, saving valuable time. Additionally, they explore the advantages of Anatomy-Based Fitting for cochlear implant users, bringing them closer to natural hearing. Weblinks: *Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
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Choose the Right Path: Tools for Surgical Planning and Anatomy-Based Fitting
MED-EL Podcast
In the third episode, hosts Alex and Lukas from the Product Management Team sit down with expert Nikola Ivanovic to explore enhancements in the latest version of OTOPLAN. Discover how these new features streamline the planning process for individualized otological surgery, making it more accessible than ever before. Join the conversation on the potential benefits that clinics can reap from integrating these advancements into their practice. Weblinks: *Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
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Prepare Your Backpack: Pre-Operative Information Gathering
MED-EL Podcast
In the second episode, hosts Alex and Lukas from the Product Management Team engage in a conversation with specialist Marina Martin-Ballestero about the complexities and anxieties involved in choosing a cochlear implant. Explore the invaluable role of mentoring and fostering connections, as they talk about platforms like Hearpeers. This patient-driven platform connects candidates with mentors who offer guidance and support throughout this crucial part of the journey. Resources: myMED-EL: Connecting people: ...
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Embark on a Journey Through MED-EL’s Digital Care Ecosystem
MED-EL Podcast
Alex and Lukas from Product Management provide an overview of MED-EL’s digital care ecosystem. They will talk about how digital tools and services can make the lives of professionals and their patients easier along the entire patient journey. From finding information on hearing solutions all the way to reaching peak performance through individualized hearing rehabilitation. *Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
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How Does Clinical Support Add to Reliability and Safety?
MED-EL Podcast
Peter Grasso and Florian Feichtner talk to Marcus Schmidt about how the clinical support they provide increases reliability: they work in multidisciplinary teams to aid clinicians along the entire patient pathway, answer questions, make expert recommendations, and provide training. Weblinks: (free professional myMED-EL login required, sign up at )
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Audio Processor Reliability
MED-EL Podcast
MED-EL’s audio processors have low average monthly repair rates, but sometimes issues do arise. Audiological scientist Katherine Wilson, Peter Konecny, and Manfred Pieber discuss design aspects that keep this number low - such as analyzing weakness in devices that do break and improving them with each new generation - and how devices are serviced reliably when there are problems to get users hearing again as quickly as possible. Weblinks:
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Why MRI Safety Is Important
MED-EL Podcast
MRI is a very common medical procedure for both otological and non-otological reasons, so it shouldn’t have complications or be painful for hearing implant recipients. Dr. Ingo Todt and Dr. Martin Zimmerling talk to Manfred Pieber about the features of MED-EL implants that reduce or eliminate complications - such as magnet dislocation - during MRI: a freely rotating, robust, diametrically bipolar magnet that is removable when it is necessary to reduce the size of imaging artifacts. Weblinks: Literature Links: MRI Observation After Intralabyrinthine and Vestibular Schwannoma...
info_outlineProf. Dr. med. Sebastian Schmerber and Dr. Anandhan Dhanasingh talk to Manfred Pieber about how the design features of MED-EL’s flexible, free-fitting, straight FLEX series electrode arrays contribute to implant safety and reliability by reducing the occurrence of common problems such as tip fold-over, scalar deviation, and migration and also preserve intracochlear structures.
Weblinks:
Cochlear Implant Safety and Reliability (medel.pro)
Electrode Arrays | MED-EL Pro (medel.pro)
Download the full Reliability Report at: Reliable Cochlear Implants by Design from MED-EL (medel.com)
Literature Links:
An overview of cochlear implant electrode array designs (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29102129/)
Review on cochlear implant electrode array tip fold-over and scalar deviation (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31467506/)
Scalar localization by cone-beam computed tomography of cochlear implant carriers: a comparative study between straight and periomodiolar precurved electrode arrays (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25575374/)
Correlation Between Cochlear Length, Insertion Angle, and Tonotopic Mismatch for MED-EL FLEX28 Electrode Arrays (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34538852/)
Suitable Electrode Choice for Robotic-Assisted Cochlear Implant Surgery: A Systematic Literature Review of Manual Electrode Insertion Adverse Events (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35402479/)