Advanced Bionics Announces Marvel Cochlear Implant Platform

If you factor in that Advanced Bionics just announced a Marvel Cochlear Implant Platform. I think with the Phonak Marvel SP on the market now a year or so, you’ll see the “UP” coming in the Paradise line but what’s nice about this attached article is that the Marvel Platform will benefit adult cochlear implant wearers. Nice to see Phonak management dealing with all levels of hearing loss.

Marvel platform is great, I believe CI wearers will be happy with it.

I hope that with introducing sky they didn’t change the shape and that various color options are still available for adults as well.

I’m especially happy to see this part:

Target CI offers hearing care professionals easier fittings with the industry-standard Noahlink Wireless, giving them and their patients the freedom and convenience of cable-free programming. For the first time ever, professionals can program a cochlear implant and a compatible hearing aid with one software in one fitting session.

My main worry for getting the CI one day was to be back to completely dependent on someone to make tweaks after I discovered DIY and convenience of being able to turn noise cancelling or similar options (echo block, wind block) up or down in some program permanently without making an appointment. Now, it seems that future is brighter :slight_smile:

Awesome upgrade, definitely!

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This is a game changer.
Just getting the Cochlear brand implant. Hmmmmm

I’d expect that Cohlear will follow. Their new HAs use noahlink wireless, so it’s just a matter of time IMO. Now when someone finally broke the ice.

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My audiologist has a Noahlink Wireless on his desk.
Cochlear uses Resound aids.
Neither owns each other.

AB and Phonak are owned by Sonora.
I don’t know, we will see.

Oh, I thought cochlear and resound were also under the same hat as it’s case with sonova aids.

With Advanced Bionics now using the Marvels cochlear implant platform - I wonder how that would impact someone with a new CI in one ear and a Marvel hearing aid in other ear? Are we now talking apples to apples with the AB cochlear working in tandem or connecting with Marvel aid? Or are we talking a a bimodal situation where both CI and Marvel aid work independently? In that case I would assume the marriage between Advanced Bionics and Marvel would at least make a CI and Marvel aid combo (for lack of a better word - easier) to synchronize together? For an overall hearing improvement?

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I believe yes to all your questions.

Raudrive - maybe I didn’t word my questions properly. Then again maybe its too early to know exactly how AB and Marvel hook up will work together. In any case I’ll do option (1) and option (2)

Option one - AB cochlear implant works/connect directly with Marvel hearing aid to provide user with seamless hearing capabilities in both ears. So in essence the AB cochlear implant has wireless connection to Phonak SP aid, to allow hearing impaired (dual) use of both CI and Super Power aid at the same time. Just guessing here.

Option two - AB cochlear implant uses Marvel implant platform which will benefit current users of Marvel hearing aids. Both AB CI and Marvel hearing aid will work independently, but due to platform similarities audiologists will be able to synchronize the two to improve over all hearing.

Bottom like - I’m assuming there might not be a need for anyone to get two CI’s, if they have some level of existing hearing in their (one good ear). Of course hearing changes over time so anyone using a Marvel super power aid - might at some point exceed the capability of the Marvel SP. Starting to think this news could be ideal for someone who has lost hearing in one ear (or close to it) yet still has mid-range hearing loss in their other ear.

I used to think that too, but nope they are separate companies.

I had a long reply earlier but deleted it. I really don’t want to guess.
I do suspect your option 1 is a yes.

My guess is they will probably direct stream the way the N7 and GN aids do now, with BT connection. The advantage as I see it is only having to go to one Aud to get your mapping and your HA adjustment. That’s a huge plus ad you get older.

For AB users there already exists a (single) compatible HA from Phonak that directly interacts with their CI. So I expect direct interactions and possibly streaming between Marvel CI and Marvel HA, too. The main advantage is being able to do the fittings for both hearing devices in only one fitting session together and fitting wireless.
For the user I expect the advantage to have direct streaming capabilities without the need for a separate streamer (currently ComPilot 1).

I know a couple of those guys, even AB wearer. Most of them can’t listen with only the HA but they like the low frequency part in their HA too much as that they want to go for being bilateral.

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Remote programming like the Marvel aids might be included too.

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I’m wondering if this new platform will make it easier to connect Phonak aids to the N7? I have friends down here who have the N6-7 and have Phonak aids paired to the Cochlear device. But they need receivers and ALD’s to make it work. Way to much technology for me to cope with as it stands at the moment. But they like Phonak sound over GN sound.