Her focus at the Rocky Mountain Ear Center has been helping people regain their hearing through the miraculous technology of cochlear implants. from Central Michigan University, completing a doctoral thesis that examined the impact of residual hearing on cochlear implantation in children. Allison Biever received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alberta in 1989 and her master’s degree in Audiology at the University of Colorado in 1992, after which time she worked as a fellow in the first cochlear implant program in Colorado. To learn more about Cochlear’s latest innovations please view this webinar and read this interview. If I had to choose one processor to use for many of my patients, I would choose the Kanso 2 Sound Processor because of its simplicity.

I love that it has become so incredible easy for recipients to use. The simplicity of the Kanso 2 Sound Processor is spectacular! The recipient can just tap the processor three times to turn it off and twice to turn it on. Frequently, when patients are given multiple programs, they will inadvertently touch the button on their sound processor and change the program without being aware they have made a change. One of my favorite features of the Kanso 2 Sound Processor is the “buttonless” design.

The entire processor can be placed in a charging case each night for ease of charging. On average, the Kanso 2 Sound Processor requires less time for counseling because there are fewer parts to manipulate and discuss with the newly-activated recipient. I have also fit several elderly adults with fine motor difficulties and vision deficits who have reported ease of use. Although the technology is similar between the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor and the Kanso 2 Sound Processor, more patients are finding ease of charging the device, ease of putting the device on and overall comfort to be superior with Kanso 2 Sound Processor. + Advanced connectivity and beyondĪdditionally, recipients who have compatible Apple® or Android™ devices can stream directly to their Kanso 2 Sound Processor, creating an environment for easier phone conversations. Recipients can change programs or initiate streaming to an accessory simply by manipulating the app on their smartphone. The recipient can check battery life, change volume, master volume, bass, treble or sensitivity. Unlike the first generation Kanso Sound Processor, Kanso 2 Sound Processor is rechargeable and can be controlled from a smartphone + so that changes can be made to improve auditory performance if needed. The Kanso 2 Sound Processor is the diameter of a “Loonie”, which is the Canadian one-dollar coin. The patients reported it was more comfortable to wear and at two weeks device retention was not an issue. Almost half of the patients returned for their follow-up visits two weeks later wearing the Kanso 2 Sound Processor. Our activations are typically conducted a few weeks after surgery. At activation, I have been fitting both the Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor and the Kanso 2 Sound Processor to our newly implanted recipients. This amazing sound processor has already changed the lives of the recipients I have been seeing in our clinic. In mid-July, I was invited to participate in a controlled market release of the Kanso 2 Sound Processor. Initial experience with Kanso ® 2 Sound Processor Cochlear implant recipients who have tried both a behind-the-ear processor and an off-the-ear option will frequently tell me that the off-the-ear option is considerably more comfortable. Some patients have malformed pinnas or pinnas that are close to their heads, making a behind-the-ear sound processor a non-viable option.

Patients who have had a sudden hearing loss and have never had to wear a hearing aid are often very uncomfortable with the feel of something behind the ear. Having an off-the-ear option for cochlear implant recipients is a big deal. She told me, “There isn’t enough room for everything I have to wear behind my ear!”. One of my cochlear implant patients wears her Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor, the bow of her eyeglasses, a mask and an oxygen tube behind her ear. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have frequently complained about how hard it is to keep their behind-the-ear processor on when they are also wearing a mask.

Kanso aprons