With a growing number of Chinese affected by hearing loss, an Australian implant maker is leveraging the special medical tourism zone in Hainan to provide faster access to its latest device.
Cochlear introduced its new smart system in China in June, making the country one of the first global markets to launch the technology – through Hainan, the southern island province, and Hong Kong.
Introducing it via the Boao Lecheng international medical tourism pilot zone has meant patients can receive implants in the initial launch phase instead of waiting years for the foreign medical device to enter the Chinese market.
Unlike hearing aids that amplify sound, the implant bypasses damaged hair cells in the inner ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve with electrical signals from an external processor equipped with a noise-cancelling microphone.
Chief technology officer Jan Janssen said the implant best helped users with severe and profound hearing loss for whom traditional hearing aids were no longer effective.
