Technology

The best shoes are the ones that fit your feet. And the best cochlear implant is the one that fits your ear! As the name suggests, an individualized cochlear implant is designed to fit your individual cochlea. Why is this important? Because it means you can have your best hearing.

Cochleae come in all shapes and sizes, and with OTOPLAN software, your surgeon can select the right electrode array to fit your individual cochlea. That way your cochlear implant can bring you closest to natural hearing. OTOPLAN, in combination with MED-EL’s broad portfolio of electrode arrays, makes cochlear implant individualization possible.

There have been three generations of the MED-EL audio processors for bone conduction and middle ear implants: Amadé, SAMBA, and SAMBA 2. But what is the difference between them? We’ll take a closer look at that today—and even give you a chance to hear the difference. Find out in which situations the SAMBA 2 is technologically superior to the other processor models, how it suppresses noise, and what a classifier really does.

A comparison between cochlear implants and hearing aids comes down to one key difference: Conventional hearing aids (air conduction hearing aids) amplify sound, while cochlear implants bypass damaged parts of the inner ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve fibers. This matters because it affects who each option may help, whether surgery is needed, and how users experience hearing over time. A cochlear implant is not a hearing aid—and the right choice depends on your hearing loss, speech understanding, and a professional evaluation.

Ever wondered what cochlear implants will be like one, five, or even 10 years from now? From invisible cochlear implants to robot-powered surgery, we look at what the future of cochlear implants holds.

Trying to decide between SONNET 2 and RONDO 3? We’ve got some tips to help you pick the right audio processor for your cochlear implant.