Why Choose Our Products

Why Choose Advanced Bionics?

With a mission to improve the lives of others, Advanced Bionics’ team of scientists, engineers, and professionals are continually working to improve the state-of-the-art technology that allows deaf adults and children to actively participate and be a part of the hearing world. In addition, we remain dedicated to providing cochlear implant recipients and their families with a growing network of support services. As,the only American cochlear implant manufacturer, Advanced Bionics is committed to offering the highest quality technology, products, services and programs. To that end, we have brought together unprecedented advancements in science, design, and functionality for the recipient.

Choosing a cochlear implant and company is an important decision that will impact your life. The Harmony™ HiResolution^® Bionic Ear System was designed with all these goals in mind to help you along your way and to be a significant part of your Journey to Hearing.

 Reliability and durability of the internal and external components that you can count on

• The HiRes 90K^® Implant is highly reliable and backed by a 10-year implant warranty 

• The Harmony Behind-the-ear (BTE) Processor has unmatched durability, is moisture tolerant, and is backed by a 3-year warranty

Click Here to find a copy of the most recent Reliability Report>>

Easy to use design to match your lifestyle at work and play

• Advanced capability and convenience
• Sleek and stylish with interchangeable colors
• Full-day listening on single battery charge
• Easy to monitor system status with built-in alerting light
• Adapts continuously to your listening environment, minimizing user interaction and maximizing hearing performance
• Simple connectivity with built in telecoil and snap-on earhooks that act as valuable audio accessories

Performance that allows you to maximize how well you can hear in the real world

• Only the Harmony System offers you HiResolution^® Sound with the greatest number of spectral bands, fastest stimulation rates, and widest dynamic range
• Most expansive fitting range for optimization of your unique hearing needs
• 90% of recipients prefer to hear in HiResolution Sound found only in the Harmony System (As reported in recent clinical trials.)
• HiResolution Sound is designed to improve music appreciation, hearing in noise, and other challenging environments when compared to conventional sound processing like that found in other cochlear implant systems.

Upgradeability so you can enjoy tomorrow’s advances in sound technology with the implant you choose today

• The HiRes 90K Implant offers you the built in technological headroom to support future sound processing advances

What do you want?

• Outstanding performance, for better, clearer, more natural hearing—whether you’re speaking one-on-one or in crowds, listening on a cell phone or in a concert hall.
• A system that fits your lifestyle, so you can live your life.
• A system that’s reliable, so you have the peace of mind.
• A system that’s upgradeable, so you can potentially keep improving your hearing for many years after your implant.
• A gift of communication for your child.
• A gift of deeper connections to the people around you.
• A gift of a brighter future.

Choose to hear your personal best on your hearing journey with the Harmony HiResolution Bionic Ear System.

Furthering our commitment to restoring hearing and improving quality of life for those living with hearing loss, Advanced Bionics is delivering the highest level of quality in our products and services today and everyday.

We know that when you choose our cochlear implant for yourself or your child, you choose to start a life-long journey to hearing with us. As part of that journey, we have a dedicated team of hearing healthcare professionals to support you and your child with an extensive network through our Customer Support  Programs and Services.

Advanced Bionics Timeline of Innovation

Click here to enlarge image>> 

We’ve been constantly striving to make cochlear implants with more capability, more convenience, and more headroom in the implant for future innovations.

• Providing you more choices and greater flexibility to fit your lifestyle.
• Extending battery life, so you can go to work or school all day on just one charge.
• Improving performance to help you maximize your hearing potential-
• To help you hear better, in more challenging environments such as in noise and on the telephone.
• To help you hear more conversations to connect with friends and loved ones, so you and your children can have more opportunities in life.
• Offering the ability to enjoy music as a vital and significant emotional dimension in life.

Today, the Harmony System offers the world’s highest fidelity and resolution of sound with 10 times the sound processing capability than before. 

Historical Product Releases (since 2003)

New Small Auria^® Earhooks (April 2007)

Introducing pediatric-friendly earhooks for a more confident and comfortable fit on smaller ears. Small earhook versions of the T-Mic^® Microphone, Direct Connect™ and Standard earhooks improve retention for children and adults and ship with Harmony pediatric kits. New earhook flexibility allows bendable adjustment for a more custom fit.

The Harmony Journey to Hearing Counseling Materials (February 2007)

New counseling materials provide a complete library of multimedia communications for cochlear implant candidates. Separate content packaging is available specific to adults or pediatric populations. Materials are designed to educate candidates and recipients regarding what to expect throughout their hearing journey with organized sections for Learning, Choosing, Getting and Living with Cochlear Implants.  

 Harmony Sound Processor Released (December 2006)

With CD-quality sound, 16-bit processing, programmable wide input dynamic range, and powerful dual-loop automatic gain control, the Harmony BTE processes sound with unmatched fidelity and clarity. The new Power Economy Mode delivers 50% greater battery life than the previous generation BTE, so recipients can conveniently enjoy a full listening day on a single PowerCel™ Battery charge. Capable of delivering HiResolution^® Sound with the HiRes Fidelity 120™ programming option. 

HiRes Fidelity 120™* Sound Processing (December 2006)

HiRes Fidelity 120 is a new sound processing option designed to improve hearing in the most challenging listening environments such as in noisy restaurants or on telephones and to enhance your appreciation of music!

*Available in the United States for adults only. See package insert for details.

SoundWave™ Professional Suite Programming Software v1.4 (December 2006)

HiResolution programming software upgrade for cochlear implant centers contains a series of programming enhancements and user requested feature additions. Familiar user interface boosts training adaptation with the new version software for easy center implementation. Includes support for the new Harmony processor and HiRes with Fidelity 120 programming capability.

Harmony HiResolution Bionic Ear System (November 2006)

Advanced Bionics developed the Harmony HiResolution Bionic Ear System to help cochlear implant recipients maximize their hearing potential beyond words and to experience as much of the full spectrum of natural sound—and life—as possible. The unmatched parametric space of the new Harmony System will help you to Connect and Discover™ the world of sound around you. 

Aural Rehabilitation Materials (February 2006)

Advanced Bionics introduces a wide assortment of valuable rehabilitation materials for cochlear implant recipients. Practice with these tools to boost hearing adaptation with your implant. Some items are available only through an order process while others are available to download. 

iConnect Adapter FM Earhook (September 2005)

The iConnect Adapter provides cable-free access to the Phonak MicroLink MLxS, the most advanced miniaturized FM receiver commonly used in schools. With a separate power source, the device is designed to provide reliable FM reception without compromising processor power consumption.

 New Auria Patient Kits (April 2005)

The little things that matter and make a difference to recipients were added as standard items to all new Auria patient kits. Products added to the kits include the T-Coil accessory, Direct Connect earhook, Auria Carrying Case and the Auria Travel Case.

Auria Carrying Case (April 2005)

Built with handy compartments to fit your Auria BTE and accessories in an easy to carry and lightweight design. Doubles as a Dri-Aid kit for overnight storage of your Processor and accessories, the removable Dri-Aid insert protects your equipment and can be regenerated repeatedly.

Little Things Wallet (April 2005)

The Little Things Wallet is a small, convenient carrying case that can accommodate two or more PowerCels and accessories like the Auria T-Coil and earhooks.

New HiRes 90K Headpieces (April 2005)

The HiRes 90K Auria Headpiece and the HiRes 90K Platinum Sound Processor Headpiece incorporate a concave bottom to comfortably conform to the shape of the area where the headpiece is placed. These headpieces are designed for comfort, performance and improved retention.

New Platinum Series™ Processor (PSP) Battery Charger (March 2005)

With Improved reliability and ease of use the new PSP battery charger allows two batteries to be charged at once. Small and lightweight this new charger is more convenient to use at home and on the road.

Enhanced Auria T-Mic and BTE T-Mic (February 2005)

Designed for increased reliability and durability, users who have tried this new version of the T-Mic liked it even more than the old version, citing better control and in some cases, better comfort. 

Auria PowerCel Plus (August 2004)

Provides a full day of operation, is very simple to use, and is covered by medical insurance. PowerCels enable users to glide batteries on and off the processor in just seconds.

New Pediatric Processor Harness (June 2004)

One-piece design is simple to use and allows parents to position the processor on the child's side, which is important when children are in car seats or running around.

Pediatric Control Cover (June 2004)

Fits over the controls of the PSP and S-Series™ body-worn processors to minimize the chance of young children changing control settings.

New Small, Lighter, and More Powerful BTE PowerCel™ Batteries (May 2004)

Rechargeable batteries offer the advantage of providing the power needed to run the same processing strategies as the body-worn processor, without trade offs in sound quality. Provides a 38% increase in operating time per charge for CII BTE users and average 22% improvement for Platinum BTE users.   

Auria T-Coil (April 2004)

New accessory for your Direct Connect earhook provides easy wireless access to inductive loop environments. Works with all hearing aid-compatible phones, and offers a familiar option for former hearing aid users.

New, More Powerful Body-Worn Rechargeable Battery (January 2004)

New Lithium Ion batteries have improved custom battery chemistry to provide 10%–20% better operating time. These batteries also last longer before they need replacement.  

BTE System Sensor (November 2003)

The System Sensor is a handheld wand that parents and teachers can place next to a child's headpiece and verify that the processor is communicating with the implant and the power source is operating. 

SoundWave Professional Suite Programming Software v1.0 (July 2003)

New HiResolution Bionic Ear System fitting software is faster, simpler, and smarter than ever before. Automated parameter management standardizes and optimizes recipient parameters for consistent and reliable programming. Reduces programming time to an average of 30 minutes or less and allows more time for implant recipient and family member counseling. 

HiResolution Sound Processing Strategy (July 2003)

HiResolution Sound Processing delivers remarkable improvements in speech understanding, especially in noise and provides noticeably better quality of sound in everyday environments. Ninety-six percent (96%) of the patients studied preferred HiResolution Sound Processing to the other strategies, across multiple listening conditions.

HiRes 90K Implant Released (July 2003)

Advanced Bionics designed the HiRes 90K with proven CII technology to provide as much sound information and detail to the brain as is technologically possible. The HiRes 90K is also packed full of digital horsepower so that you may benefit from all that is available today and have an open door to the future of research advancements.

HiRes Auria Processor Released (May 2003)

Stylish design, light weight, and powerful, designed to meet your lifestyle needs with uncompromising sound and processing speed in an ear-level processor. Snap-on earhooks and efficient power options provide convenience, ease of use, and simplicity of operation. A high performance processor capable of delivering HiResolution Sound, the Auria BTE is an attractive upgrade option for all CII Bionic Ear users. 

Future Advancements Under Research Investigation

As partners in science with the leading cochlear implant investigators around the world, Advanced Bionics invests significant resources in cochlear implant research to continually expand the boundaries of science and advance the technological frontiers of hearing capabilities.

Current areas of research focus:

• Novel sound processing strategies
• Current steering applications
• Effects of bilateral cochlear implants
• Patient assessment and performance measures
• Music appreciation and sound quality measures
• Improved hearing in noisy environments and competing talker situations
• Preservation of residual hearing
• Psychoacoustics
• Quality of life measures
• Diagnostic and objective measures
• Frequency alignment and spectral tuning
• Minimally invasive surgical methods
• Streamlined programming and interactive fitting techniques