PR87853

INNSBRUCK, Austria, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- Worry-free, safe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with MED-EL cochlear,

middle ear or bone conduction implants – now with lifetime guarantee. For

immediate access to an MRI examination without surgery, discomfort or hearing

downtime.

The innovative design of the implant magnets from MED-EL is completely safe

during an MRI examination. As of now, the global innovation leader in hearing

solutions is emphasising this safety with an MRI guarantee that is as yet

unmatched. With this, MED-EL is the only manufacturer to accept liability for

damage to all cochlear implants that have been produced since 1994, all bone

conduction implants and the current generation of middle ear implants during an

MRI examination. Users of these MED-EL implants can therefore not only undergo

an MRI examination at any time without the need for surgical removal of the

magnets* and without pain – they can also do so safely and with no worries.

Three in four people will require an MRI scan in the next ten years**. Whether

routine or in an emergency: patients with severe hearing loss may face a

challenge if the magnets in their hearing implants are not safe inside the MRI

machine. This requires the prior surgical removal of the magnets. Hearing

ability is temporarily lost and long-term damage to the implant may occur. If

the patient declines surgery, they may suffer from severe pain during the

examination coupled with the possible dislocation of the magnet.

The highest MRI safety with MED-EL

Not all implants carry this risk. As a leading manufacturer of implantable

hearing solutions, MED-EL has for more than twenty years made a point of only

producing implants that offer outstanding MRI safety. To emphasise this

requirement, MED-EL offers the unique MRI Guarantee which means no damage to

the device during an MRI examination. MED-EL is thereby the only manufacturer

to issue its users with a comprehensive global lifetime MRI guarantee.

"The MRI Guarantee ensures more safety, comfort and peace of mind during MRI

examinations," says Alexander Hofer, Corporate Director of Product Management

at MED-EL. "We take care of our users for a lifetime and they should have the

opportunity to make use of everything modern medicine has to offer. This is

especially important when diagnosing serious illnesses such as cancer, tumours,

multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease," stresses Alexander Hofer.

Being able to undergo magnetic resonance imaging immediately can also be

crucial in emergencies such as an accident. A further benefit: people with

severe hearing loss only have to go without their ability to hear during the

MRI examination itself.

Innovative technology excludes complications

The safe and reliable technology from MED-EL ensures that the magnets in place

during the magnetic resonance imaging are neither damaged, nor dislocate

causing pain. Only the external components, such as the audio processor, must

be removed prior to the MRI examination.

"MED-EL has developed its own highly innovative, patented cochlear implant

system with state-of-the-art implant magnets and their fixation within the

implant. This excludes, for example, a dislocation of the magnet during an MRI

scan, which can be very painful for the patient," says Martin Zimmerling, Head

of Implant Development at MED-EL. "With the SYNCHRONY cochlear implants, the

magnet can freely rotate and align according to the magnetic field of the MRI

scan. With the altered implant design, undesirable forces during the MRI scan

and the associated pain for the patient are reliably prevented," explains

Martin Zimmerling. "We are proud not only that the latest generation of our

cochlear implants is compatible with MRI machines, but that all cochlear

implants produced since 1994 are too, as well as all bone conduction implants

and the latest middle ear implant from MED-EL."

The increasing significance of magnetic resonance imaging makes it clear how

important it is to provide people with severe hearing loss access to this

gentle and high-resolution imaging process. MED-EL rises to this responsibility

and provides extra security and comfort for all users with the MRI Guarantee.

*So as to avoid imaging difficulties in the immediate vicinity of the implant,

it may be advisable to remove the magnets.

**Source: OECD. Magnetic resonance imaging exams 2016–2019.

About MED-EL:

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 groundbreaking 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

successful growth of the company in 1990, when they hired their first

employees. To date, MED-EL has grown to more than 2,200 employees from around

75 nations and has 30 locations worldwide. The company offers the widest range

of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing

loss, enabling people in 124 countries to enjoy the gift of 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, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone

conduction devices.

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate Gesellschaft m.b.H.

Furstenweg 77a

6020 Innsbruck, Austria

CEO Doz. DI Dr DDr med. h.c. Ingeborg Hochmair

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SOURCE: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH