Ask Linn

Does it make a difference which processor I trade in?

With the introduction of the Freedom for Nucleus 24, many recipients will be thinking about trading in an existing processor.    I know the first impulse will be to trade the processor that is used less often.  Many Nucleus 24 users received the body-worn SPrint processor and either the ESPrit or ESPrit 3G BTE with their implant system.    For Nucleus recipients who switched to a BTE processor for convenience, they may be planning to trade in their SPrint body-worn processors toward the Freedom BTE.

Since the Freedom is a modular processor, no matter which wearing option you choose (Freedom BTE, Freedom Mini or Freedom Body-Worn controller), all three will sound exactly the same because the processor unit is in the earpiece.  The controller unit houses the batteries and control buttons.   Until the Freedom was introduced, all Nucleus BTE processors were analog devices, although they were capable of running digital strategies.  The SPrint body-worn processor, like the Freedom, is digital.

If you intend to use an existing processor as a back-up to your new Freedom processor, you might want to consider how easy or difficult it was for you to switch from the SPrint to the ESPrit or ESPrit 3G before making a decision about which processor to trade.  Some cochlear implant users adjust easily to sound differences while others will find it more difficult.   If it was difficult for you to switch from the SPrint to the ESPrit / ESPrit 3G, you might want to seriously consider keeping the processor that will sound most like the Freedom.  Like the Freedom, the SPrint body-worn processor is digital and your audiologist will be able to program them to sound similar.   If one processor malfunctions and it becomes necessary to use the back-up processor, most users would find it far easier to switch from one digital processor to another. 

This is something to keep in mind when making a decision about which processor to keep and which to trade.

An Announcement

We are pleased to announce that “Ask Linn” will be delivered to your email box monthly beginning November 2006.  We have received so many great questions from Nucleus recipients that we decided to publish a stand-alone feature each month to highlight more of your questions.   So watch for “Ask Linn” each and every month!