Apple partners with Cochlear Ltd to develop an implant which syncs to Apple products

Partnering with Australian medical device company Cochlear Ltd, technology giant Apple has launched its first iPhone compatible cochlear implant sound processor, enabling users to sync it with their Apple products.

Unsurprisingly, the technology sector is set to heavily invest in the healthcare industry, which is seeing a continual boom due to an ageing global population. There are over 300 million people with profound hearing loss worldwide – a market which Apple is tapping into to achieve further market growth.

Named the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, it has been designed to become the smallest implant available on the market, providing a lightweight, sophisticated and technologically advanced solution to those who wish to listen to music specifically with Apple focused products. It also incorporates dual microphone technology to support users in busy environments to hear clearly, with a 50% increase in battery life.

Jan Janssen, Senior Vice President of research and development at Cochlear informed MobiHealthNews: “Taking phone calls, accessing audio-based apps, streaming music and making FaceTime calls are often taken for granted, but for those with hearing loss, this everyday technology can be very challenging. This is especially true for those with cochlear implants who have had to use external devices to successfully complete these tasks.

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“Our engineering team at Cochlear has had an ongoing collaboration with Apple’s team to bring to market the first Made for iPhone implantable hearing solutions.”

The technology even features Apple’s tracking app ‘Find my Processor,’ due to its size, enabling users to source the implant quickly and efficiently through an iPhone or iPod.

Approved last month by the Food and Drug Administration, the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor will be on the market in September in the US and Canada.

“The approval of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a turning point for people with hearing loss, opening the door for them to make phone calls, listen to music in high-quality stereo sound, watch videos and have FaceTime calls streamed directly to their Cochlear implant,” explained Cochlear CEO Chris Smith said in a statement. “This new sound processor builds on our long-standing commitment to help more people with hearing loss connect with others and live a full life.”