logoalt Hacker News

First Implantable Cochlear Implant Launches

11 points • by rbanffy • last Thursday at 12:31 PM • 4 comments • view on HN

Comments

purplekohav • last Thursday at 6:35 PM

This could be game-changing technology for people who need it.

blamestross • today at 9:59 AM

They think the lithium ion battery inside will need to be replaced in 15 years.

I feel like implants like this should require an open connectivity standard between the stimulator in the cochlea and the processor.

A friend has a bone anchored hearing aid, with an osteointegrated post. The two different companies that make BAHAs use different posts. Which requires more surgery if they want to change brands. It could trivially be made compatible and swappable instead.

There is no vendor lock-in quite like prosthetic vendor lock-in.

Trusting a company for 15 years to keep making a replacement product seems crazy.

➕ show 2 replies