Cochlear announces app to connect to smartphones

Cochlear Limited has announced the launch of the Cochlear™ Baha® Control App, Cochlear's first introduction of an app that connects the Baha 4 Sound Processor to the latest smartphone technology. The Baha Control App lets Baha® 4 Sound Processor recipients turn their iPhone® or Android™ smartphone into a cutting-edge remote control with the use of the Cochlear Wireless Phone Clip. By introducing an app of this nature to the world of hearing implants, Cochlear is continuing its commitment to innovation by bringing the most advanced wireless technology to its recipients.

"We now live in a mobile world where consumers are increasingly depending on their smartphones for health information and management," said Chris Smith, President of Cochlear Americas. "The new Cochlear Baha Control App simply meets users where they already are – on their phones – and allows them to adjust their Baha 4 Sound Processor in the palm of their hand. Building on our 30 year legacy of innovation, we are proud to offer a mobile device management app of this kind to our recipients."

 

Two-thirds of Americans use a smartphone on a daily basis and spend an average of 34 hours per month using mobile apps.¹ As demonstrated by the data, the majority of Americas are already familiar with the ins and outs of smartphone technology, making the Baha Control App a convenient, easy to use tool that can be seamlessly integrated into daily life. Adjusting the sound processor volume and program settings, or balancing background noise and streamed wireless sound, is simply done by clicking or swiping the phone's display.  

How the Baha Control App Works

Using the Cochlear Baha Control App requires: the Cochlear Baha 4 Sound Processor, the Cochlear Wireless Phone Clip and iPhone 6, iPhone 5/5S/5C, iPhone 4/4S, or iPhone 3GS running iOS 7 or later, or Android smartphones running version 2.3.5 or later (not all Android smartphones are compatible). The smartphone connects to the Phone Clip via Bluetooth, and the Phone Clip uses 2.4GHz wireless technology to communicate with the sound processor.

How to Download the Baha Control AppThe Cochlear Baha Control App is free to download on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

For more information, visit www.Cochlear.com/US/Wireless.

About the Baha System Designed to help people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and single-sided deafness, the Baha System utilizes the body's natural ability to conduct sound. By connecting to the bone behind the ear, the Baha System replaces the function of the outer or middle ear and sends sound directly to the healthy inner ear. In people with single-sided deafness, sound is sent through the bone to the hearing ear, bypassing the non-hearing side. A physician must determine if a patient meets the candidacy criteria for the Baha System and deems the solution medically necessary