Enabling Wireless Digital Audio Streaming to an Implantable Hearing Aid

The project

S3 Connected Health leveraged it’s capabilities in wireless communications, RF and antenna design. Our embedded firmware engineers, with expertise in firmware development for ultra constrained hardware platforms and digital signal processing (DSP), enabled efficient and timely implementation of the digital audio streaming functionality.
One of the main challenges addressed was ensuring the functionality met the limited memory, processing capacity and power constraints associated with a hearing implant sound processor.

Operating at the 2.4 GHz frequency, extensive testing had to be done to ensure reliable connection and streaming of audio to the sound processor in congested wireless environments, particularly with Bluetooth® hubs and Wi-Fi routers. S3 Connected Health worked in partnership with Cochlear to ensure integration with the existing devices and the wider eco-system associated with the Nucleus® 6 hearing solution (including backward compatibility with existing remote controls and accessories).

Operating on the same frequency, S3 Connected Health enabled the sound processor to quickly and seamlessly switch between the audio streaming from the True Wireless® range of devices, and the Nucleus® 6 remote assistant and remote control devices, to ensure a secure connection without signal drops or interruptions of service. Enabling implant recipients to have all the traditional benefits of their Cochlear implantable hearing aid, along with the added benefit of wireless digital audio streaming.

Further rollout

Since launching the True Wireless® devices with the Nucleus® 6, the wireless audio streaming has now been extended to the Nucleus® 7, the Baha® 4, and the Baha® 5 Sound Processors.