Ears work as a team, and the brain needs both ears to effectively process sound.1 From crossing the street with confidence to having conversations in noisy places, there are significant advantages to hearing well with both ears.1
For many people, using a cochlear implant on one ear and a hearing aid on the other is the combination that provides them with their best hearing.2-8 This is called bimodal hearing.
By optimising the hearing in both ears, bimodal hearing solutions are designed to improve overall sound quality and enhance your hearing in many situations.
Direct smartphone streaming
Together, Cochlear and Danalogic offer a bimodal hearing solution with direct smartphone streaming. This means you can stream calls, music and entertainment from a compatible Apple or Android™ device directly to your compatible sound processor and hearing aid*.
Direct streaming is designed to complement your lifestyle, so with just your smartphone you can easily connect with loved ones and the world around you.
• Designed for an accessory-free, richer hearing experience.5,10
• Direct bimodal streaming can improve speech perception in quiet compared with a hearing aid or cochlear implant alone.11
• Bluetooth® Energy Audio streaming protocols allow minimal impact on battery life.
“Bimodal [hearing] gives me access to a range of sound which wasn’t available to me before. Direct streaming has opened up a whole world in stereo.”
Charlotte, UK
Remote Care
When choosing a bimodal hearing solution from Cochlear and Danalogic, you’re choosing two pioneers in the delivery of Remote Care solutions.
It’s never been easier or more convenient for your clinician to check your hearing health and ensure that you continue to hear your best. All from the comfort of your own home.
Cochlear™ Remote Check offers the option of a convenient, at-home hearing assessment that you can complete using your cochlear implant sound processor and compatible smartphone – without having to travel to the clinic.
Meanwhile for your Danalogic hearing aid, GN Assist and GN Assist Live allow you the option of either a live consultation via video call, where all changes can be made, or you can request downloadable fine tunings via the BeMore app.
Could bimodal hearing be right for you?
The best way to determine if bimodal hearing could benefit you is to speak to your hearing healthcare professional. You can also find more information here.
References
1. Weaver, J., 2015. Single-Sided Deafness. The Hearing Journal, 68(3), p.20.
2. Buchman CA, Herzog JA, McJunkin JL, et al. Assessment of Speech Understanding After Cochlear Implantation in Adult
Hearing Aid Users: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online August 27,
2020. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1584
3. Farinetti A, Roman S, Mancini J, et al. Quality of life in bimodal hearing users (unilateral cochlear implants and
contralateral hearing aids). Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (2015 Nov); 272, 3209–3215.
4. Ching TY, Incerti P, Hill M. Binaural benefits for adults who use hearing aids and cochlear implants in opposite ears.
Ear Hear (2004 Feb); 25, 9–21.
5. Potts LG, Skinner MW, Litovsky RA., et al. Recognition and localization of speech by adult cochlear implant recipients
wearing a digital hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing). J Am Acad Audiol (2009 Jun); 20, 353–373.
6. Morera C, Cavalle L, Manrique M, et al. Contralateral hearing aid use in cochlear implanted patients: Multicenter study
of bimodal benefit. Acta Otolaryngol (2012 Jun); 132, 1084–1094.
7. Gifford RH, Dorman MF, McKarns SA, Spahr AJ. Combined electric and contralateral acoustic hearing: Word and
sentence recognition with bimodal hearing. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. (2007 Aug)
1;50(4):835-43.
8. Sucher CM, McDermott HJ. Bimodal stimulation: benefits for music perception and sound quality. Cochlear Implants
International. (2009 Jan); 1;10(S1):96-9.
9. Fitzpatrick EM, Leblanc S. Exploring the factors influencing discontinued hearing aid use in patients with unilateral
cochlear implants. Trends in Amplification. 2010, 14; (4): 199–210.
10. Morera C et al. Acta Otolaryngol. (2012 Jun); 132:1084–1094.
11. Neuman AC, Zeman A, Neukam J, Wang B, Svirsky MA. The effect of hearing aid bandwidth and configuration of
hearing loss on bimodal speech recognition in cochlear implant users. Ear Hear. 2019;40(3):621-35.
12. Wolfe J, Morais M. Speech Recognition of Bimodal Cochlear Implant Recipients Using a Wireless Audio Streaming Accessory for the Telephone Otology & Neurotology. (2016 Feb); 1;37(2):e20-5.
