MED-EL USA announced the launch of the SAMBA 2, a next-generation audio processor for the BONEBRIDGE Bone Conduction System, which includes the recently launched BCI 602. BCI 602 is an active transcutaneous bone conduction implant that leaves skin intact. The BONEBRIDGE System is indicated for individuals age 12 years and older with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, or single-sided deafness. 

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared SAMBA 2 Audio Processor features enhancements for ease of listening and handling, MED-EL says. Intelligent Sound Adapter 2.0 is said to “automatically adjusts settings to match different environments that are particularly challenging to people with hearing loss.” This includes an automatic setting for listening in cars which uses Speech Tracking to identify the optimal microphone mode for the user to understand conversation coming from the side or behind. 

SAMBA 2 is also designed for “easier listening in complex environments such as restaurants, effectively reducing the impact of noise, for example interfering background conversations and the clattering of plates and silverware, while adaptive directional microphones and directional speech enhancement allow the user to focus on their conversation.”

“SAMBA 2 is a great example of the ongoing collaboration that MED-EL has with our recipients, even after they receive a hearing implant,” said Raymond Gamble, President & CEO, MED-EL North America. “We listened closely to feedback and worked diligently with our engineers to make the listening experience even more effortless for our BONEBRIDGE recipients.”

SAMBA 2 provides the “longest lasting battery life of any active transcutaneous audio processor on the market,” with approximately 8 to 10 days from one standard 675 hearing aid battery.

SAMBA 2 GO connects wirelessly to Bluetooth devices and via a cable to non-Bluetooth devices to allow streaming from mobile phones, televisions, and electronic devices. It can also be used with FM systems and remote microphones for “better hearing in noisy environments,” MED-EL says. And, while the Intelligent Sound Adapter 2.0 adjusts settings automatically, recipients still have control over their settings with the SAMBA 2 Remote, an app available for iPhone and Android that enables users to switch between settings without a separate remote control. The Intelligent Sound Adapter 2.0 then “learns” which settings the user most often changes manually and adapts, according to the company’s announcement.

SAMBA 2 helps offer recipients “a wide array of easily interchangeable covers so the audio processor may be worn discreetly under the hair, or worn to stand out with colorful designs.” The audio processor is said to be “dust, sweat, and splashproof, and can be completely submersed in water with the optional WaterWear waterproof cover.“

SAMBA 2 is compatible with both versions of the BONEBRIDGE Bone Conduction Implant, the BCI 601 and BCI 602. BONEBRIDGE bone conduction implants are also engineered to be compatible with future generations of audio processors.

For more information about SAMBA 2, BONEBRIDGE candidates and recipients can visit: https://www.medel.com/en-us/hearing-solutions/samba2.

Source: MED-EL

Image: MED-EL