MED-EL announced that it has been named “Innovator of the Year” by the first-ever Hearing Health & Technology Matters (HHTM) Innovator Awards. The announcement was made at the virtual Academy of Doctors of Audiology meeting, AuDacity 2020. 

Related article: HHTM Announces Inaugural ‘Hearing Technology Innovator Awards’ Program

MED-EL placed in each category that it entered:

  • The SYNCHRONY Cochlear Implant (CI) System, was awarded 1st place (Gold) in the Auditory Implant Category. The “industry-leading innovation of a diametrically-opposed magnet shattered traditional CI design features and – for the first time – enabled safe MRI with the internal magnet left in place by following simple scanning instructions that are easy for any MRI facility,” according to MED-EL’s announcement. The SYNCHRONY CI System “was the first, and remains the only, cochlear implant system in the United States to receive US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a single-sided deafness (SSD) indication,” MED-EL says. The SYNCHRONY CI System now features the latest FDA approved off-the-ear audio processor, the RONDO 3.
  • The BONEBRIDGE Bone Conduction Implant, was awarded 3rd place (Bronze) in the same Auditory Implant Category. The introduction of BONEBRIDGE meant that bone conduction implant candidates could choose a system that offered “a powerful combination of intact skin, enhanced wearing comfort, and direct stimulation of the bone.”
  • The AudioKey App, was awarded 2nd place (Silver) in the Assistive Technology & Software Category. AudioKey is a cochlear implant app that helps allow a parent to pair multiple user’s audio processors with their phone.

“The Innovator of the Year award is an exciting accolade, as innovation that is a part of our DNA. While we are driven by research and development, MED-EL is so much more than a single implant, processor, or technology. We are hundreds of thousands of lives that have been changed as a result of the pursuit of ideas that were once thought to be impossible,” said Raymond Gamble, President & CEO, MED-EL North America. “It’s gratifying to be recognized for our pioneering vision and dedication to fulfilling our mission.”

“It is exciting to recognize and honor companies who invest in innovation to improve the lives of people with hearing loss. We are thrilled to name MED-EL as our first-ever ‘Innovator of the Year’ based on their industry leadership and innovative spirit,” said Kevin Liebe, AuD, HHTM President and CEO.

Through the annual awards program, HHTM recognizes technological innovation and achievement in the hearing industry. This year’s awards program saw dozens of innovative technologies, submitted from companies across the globe. 

About the Hearing Technology Innovator Awards

The Hearing Technology Innovator Awards™ is an international awards program designed to recognize and celebrate innovation within the hearing industry. Learn more here. 

Source: MED-EL

Image: HHTM