By
Cochlear Limited
Helbling Technik
Designed in
Australia, Belgium
Description
The Codacs™ implant is an active medical device that mechanically stimulates the cochlea, bypassing the impaired middle and outer ear of persons with severe to profound mixed hearing loss. This pioneering acoustic implant meets the unmet needs of patients who:
1. Can't wear hearing aids due to their anatomy;
2. Aren't performing well with hearing aids; and/or
3. Have had failed middle ear surgery.
These patients typically have a reasonable portion of residual hearing. The Codacs System makes use of this portion of residual hearing to typically provide a richer and broader sound quality for the patient.
Key Features
and/or Benefits
Being a direct acoustical cochlear implant (DACI), the Codacs System differs from other cochlear implants in that it directly and acoustically stimulates the cochlea by mechanically driving the fluid in the cochlea, replicating the natural hearing mechanism. The device utilises and restores a patient’s natural residual hearing. For the patient, this typically leads to better speech intelligibility in quiet and noisy environments, and a better appreciation of music (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23921930).
The output of extensive bench-top experimentation and model simulation has led to an micromotor that behaves close to that of a natural human middle ear. This has been achieved with the tight manufacturing tolerances, clever use of representative material properties and the reuse of a stapes prosthesis. In combination with acoustical signal processing, the man-made (Codacs) solution is capable of providing a clear and natural sound across a broad frequency range. This translates to the patient experiencing more natural hearing, and improved hearing performance and quality of life.
Effective treatment of severe to profound mixed hearing loss continues to be a challenge for otologists and audiologists. Due to the acoustical amplification and power of the implant, the Codacs System provides necessary power levels required to treat the specific indications, but also to utilise the residual hearing of the patient (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24448281). As patients are once again able to join conversations, go to the theatre and listen to music, their quality of life is improved significantly by the treatment with the Codacs System.
The Codacs System has been designed to reduce surgical time and produce consistent patient outcomes. For example, the surgical screw-drivers have been colour coordinated, and with unique matings and are delivered with built in torque limiters. This results in a consistent locking force being applied across a broad range of surgeons. A further example is the Fixation System. The Codacs fixation system has been designed with a flexible ball joint and choice of fixation arms. This provides the surgeon a single solution that can be adjusted to suit the anatomy of each particular case.
The Codacs System is programmed to meet the patient’s individual hearing needs, using dedicated fitting software. This user friendly fitting software has an intuitive workflow and allows the audiologist to measure the hearing thresholds with the implant itself (in-situ thresholds) and base the fitting parameters on that measurement. The system is supplied with a two way Remote Assistant that allows the recipient to easily control all the functions of the sound processor wirelessly. The remote allows the recipient to manage and control their own hearing while providing diagnostics and troubleshooting to prevent unnecessary visits to the clinic.