Cochlear Ltd. (ASX:COH) has agreed to pay $75 million in attorneys’ fees on top of the $268 million in damages it was ordered to pay two competitors in June in a long-running patent fight. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on March 16 upheld a U.S. District Court decision that awarded the […]
Cochlear loses appeal over $268m in patent damages
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a U.S. District Court decision that awarded $268 million in damages from Cochlear Ltd. (ASX:COH) to two competitors in a patent dispute. Yesterday’s ruling comes after several years of legal battles over the patents for hearing implants, and likely won’t be the end, as Cochlear is […]
Advanced Bionics recalls certain cochlear implants due to hearing degradation
Advanced Bionics announced a voluntary recall of the initial version of its HiRes Ultra and Ultra 3D cochlear implant devices due to a decrease in performance experienced by some recipients. The company has experienced recent increases in Ultra device explants related to low impedances and reports of hearing performance degradation. As of Feb. 11, in […]
What should the Mann Foundation do next?
Dr. Robert Greenberg, the Mann Foundation’s new executive chairman, has ideas about where to take one of medtech’s top research and development outfits. He explained more at DeviceTalks West in December. The new executive chairman of the Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research sees the foundation continuing its mission of developing devices for unmet medical needs. The foundation […]
Advanced Bionics wins FDA nod for MRI-safe HiRes Ultra 3D cochlear implant
Sonova Holding AG (SIX:SOON) subsidiary Advanced Bionics said yesterday that it won FDA approval for its HiRes Ultra 3D cochlear implant. The newly approved implant is cleared for use during magnetic resonance imaging examinations as it features a new magnet design which provides alignment with an external magnetic field in any direction. The magnet allows users […]
Advanced Bionics to connect cochlear implants to cell phones, TVs using Sonova’s chip tech
Advanced Bionics said today that it plans to integrate Sonova‘s Sword chip and wireless radio tech into its sound processors. Sonova’s technology can connect hearing devices to almost any kind of cell phone, the company explained, without the need for an extra streaming device. “By offering a solution to the entire market – including the […]
Advanced Bionics wins FDA nod for HiFocus Slimj cochlear implant electrode
Advanced Bionics said late last week it won FDA approval for its HiFocus SlimJ electrode designed for use with the company’s HiRes Ultra cochlear implant. The Valencia, Calif.-based company touts the new electrode as featuring a thin, straight design for easier insertion during procedures and a slim profile to protect the delicate structures of the […]
Appeals court reverses Cochlear win in Advanced Bionics patent spat
A federal appeals court last week overturned a win for Cochlear Ltd. (ASX:COH) in its patent spat with Advanced Bionics over hearing implant technology, sending the case back to district court for reconsideration in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. The cochlear implant patents were licensed to Advanced Bionics by the Alfred E. Mann Foundation, named […]
RIP medical device pioneer Alfred Mann | Personnel Moves
Alfred Mann, a medical device entrepreneur who helped develop several groundbreaking technologies, died yesterday at age 90, shortly after stepping down from a pair of companies he founded. Mann founded 17 companies over his 70-year career, in industries ranging from aerospace to medtech, according to the L.A. Times. After Johns Hopkins University researchers in 1969 […]
Advanced Bionics launches Naída CI Q90 sound processor
Sonova Holding AG‘s (SIX:SOON) subsidiary Advanced Bionics said today it launched its FDA and Health Canada cleared Naída CI Q90 sound processor in North America. The Q90 is the newest release from Advanced Bionic’s Naída line of cochlear implants, and offers the company’s smallest battery to date and new microphone technology that focuses on speech. […]
