FDA Approves Industry’s First Off-the-Ear Audio Processor With Wireless Charging

MED-EL USA announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the RONDO 2 cochlear implant (CI) audio processor featuring wireless charging. Users simply place the processor on the charge pad and it will charge automatically without wires or cables, negating the need for disposable batteries. The rechargeable battery provides up to 18 hours of battery life, enabling all-day hearing. The battery is fully recharged after just four hours.
 
Along with its wireless charging, RONDO 2 has a sleek design with just one on/off button and automatic volume control. It connects to cell phones and televisions using intelligent wireless accessories, and connects seamlessly with Bluetooth neckloops and hearing induction loops, even across a busy room. The compact design means it can be hidden discreetly under hair.
 
“RONDO 2 is the easiest to use CI audio processor ever made,” said Raymond Gamble, CEO and president, MED-EL North America. “And because MED-EL engineers every internal cochlear implant to be future-ready, all of our recipients will be able to enjoy the latest audio processing technology.”
 
The new processor also includes features that allow users to tailor their RONDO 2 to their personal style and lifestyle. Recipients can customize their RONDO 2 to blend in with five neutral colors and hair patterned design covers, or make a statement with colorful and art-inspired designs and wild animal prints. RONDO 2’s IP54 rating means it is protected from everyday splashes and moisture. For full submersion, WaterWear reusable waterproof covers are easy to attach and can be used in any type of water, including salty seawater and chlorinated swimming pools.
 
Product availability is estimated for the fall. All new MED-EL CI recipients have the option to experience two ways to hear: the freedom of nothing behind the ear with an all-in-one, cable-free design, with the RONDO 2, and the SONNET Audio Processor. 
 
MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today. This laid the foundation for the growth of the company in 1990, when it hired its first employees. To date, MED-EL has grown to more than 1,900 employees and 30 subsidiaries worldwide.
 
The company offers a range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 121 countries to enjoy hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined Electric Acoustic Stimulation hearing implant system, as well as bone conduction devices.