An electronic device that requires one implant to improve bilateral hearing has been used in an operation at the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (SOECIC) in the UK.
To have an all-round hearing, an individual normally receives two cochlear implants, where each implant uses an internal receiver, wire and external microphone.
The new device uses two wires, two microphones and a single internal receiver and requires only one implant to stimulate both ears.
Mike Pringle, who carried out the operation, said: "The advantage is that it allows adults to have bilateral hearing and having two ears working makes it easier to hear in noisy backgrounds and also helps with localisation, or hearing where sounds are coming from."
