Have You Heard 12-2010 - v2.10 SmartSoundTM

Home › News › Have You Heard Archives › Have You Heard 12-2010

Dear Clinician,

One of the most challenging obstacles you face as a hearing healthcare professional is helping your patients to hear better in noise. To help clinicians address this issue, Cochlear™ introduced SmartSound™ 2 – our second generation input processing technology designed to improve the listener experience.

Hearing healthcare professionals generally agree that input processing is fundamental to improving hearing performance. Cochlear recognizes the clinical benefits of input processing technology and is the first and only manufacturer to implement this technology into Cochlear Nucleus® implant systems. Since the release of SmartSound we have continued to refine this technology, thus significantly improving hearing performance in noise.1

The Cochlear Nucleus® 5 System with SmartSound, the world's most advanced sound processor, features a Set It and Go™ Everyday Program and three Power Programs, including a Noise Program, Focus Program and Music Program.

Set It and Go Everyday Program

  • Designed to deliver optimal hearing performance in the majority of listening situations
  • Employs a combination of two input processing algorithms; Adaptive Dynamic Range Optimization (ADRO®) and Autosensitivity™ (ASC)

With the new Nucleus 5 System, a further technological advancement has been introduced –
Dual Omni-Microphone Zoom Technology.

Noise Program with zoom technology:

  • In a recent study, 100% of patients showed improved hearing in noise with dual microphone zoom technology1,2
  • Noise setting pairs zoom with ASC+ADRO to block sound from behind and to the sides of the listener, which may allow for better hearing in noise
    • Designed for situations where the noise source is stationary
  • Zoom is made possible due to the precisely calibrated and phase-matched dual omni-directional microphones

Focus Program with Beam™ technology:

  • Focus setting features Beam, an adaptive noise management technology, coupled with ASC+ADRO to minimize distracting sounds and noise behind / to the sides
    • Optimal for environments where one or a few noise sources are moving around and the target signal is in the front of the listener
  • Beam algorithm uses precise calibration to provide maximum noise cancellation

Music Program with Whisper™ technology:
  • Music setting pairs Whisper, a wide dynamic range compression system, and ADRO to help make the softer musical passages easier to hear and the overall music sound level more balanced

As the global leader in implantable hearing technology, Cochlear is dedicated to bringing the best possible hearing solution to every individual. Along with the industry’s largest investment in research and development, we continue to partner with leading international researchers and hearing professionals, ensuring that we are at the forefront in the science of hearing.

Find out more:
To find out how your patients can benefit from Cochlear technology or accessories or to become a part of the Alliance Network, call Cochlear Americas at 1-800-523-5798 and ask for the Territory Outreach Specialist (TOS) in your area. Or, visit our websites below.

Interested in how you can become an educational resource center for implantable hearing technology? Contact us today.

Information for you and your patients:

To suggest a topic for a future edition of "Have You Heard?" contact: ImplantInfo@cochlear.com


1. Multi-center clinical study of patients using Cochlear Nucleus 5 with dual microphone zoom technology in noise. Presented at the 11th International Conference on Cochlear Implants. Participating Centers: Center for Hearing and Balance Disorders, St. Louis, MO, Denver Ear Associates, Denver, CO, Hearts for Hearing, Oklahoma City, OK, Houston Ear Research Foundation, Houston, TX, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA. July 2010 (N=34).
2. Of the 100% of the patients, 88% showed statistically significant improvement.