Published May 06, 2026
Closest To Natural Hearing: The Concept
“Of course, you want to stimulate the entire cochlea, isn't that standard or isn't that normal?”
Jennifer Robinson, MSc
Corporate Director of Product Management Hearing Solutions
You may have heard the term “Closest to Natural Hearing” mentioned when talking about the benefits of a cochlear implant, but what does that actually mean? And what is MED-EL doing differently to achieve this, compared to other manufacturers? In this podcast episode, Jennifer Robinson, Corporate Director of Product Management Hearing Solutions at MED-EL, joins Marcus Schmidt, CMO at MED-EL, to give you a breakdown of the three main pillars of Closest to Natural Hearing and what they mean for your patients.
First of all, what does “natural hearing” mean for MED-EL? Jennifer explains it is two-fold. MED-EL designs implant systems to imitate what happens naturally in the ear, while also recognizing that if you design something naturally, you’ll get a more natural-feeling result. So, what are these three pillars of Closest to Natural Hearing, and how do they work together for MED-EL implant recipients?
It all starts with stimulating the entire cochlea. As we know, all cochleae are different, and when choosing a cochlear implant electrode array, the recipient’s individual anatomy must be considered. Many cochlear implant manufacturers focus on stimulating just the first turn of the cochlea, the basal region, but that’s only capturing a fraction of its available space. Whereas, if the electrodes can stimulate one and a half to two turns of the cochlea—as MED-EL electrode arrays are designed to achieve—you can give your patients access to a much fuller sound experience by reaching the lower frequencies only found in the apex of the cochlea.
“If you don't have the electrode in those low frequencies, you can't overcome that.”
Jennifer Robinson, MSc
Corporate Director of Product Management Hearing Solutions
Once you are able to stimulate the entire cochlea with the right electrode for your patient’s anatomy, the next pillar is delivering the right tone at the right place. MED-EL uses a software called OTOPLAN to develop a detailed map of a patient’s cochlear anatomy, from which their processor can be fine-tuned to the exact location of each electrode in their cochlea. If each person’s cochlea is unique, MED-EL believes in personalizing their care to match.
“What OTOPLAN allows us to do is not only find the right electrode for an individual, but then after the surgery, we can identify where that electrode sits in a person's cochlea and then use that information [to] fine-tune their processor in fitting with what's called Anatomy-Based Fitting.”
Jennifer Robinson, MSc
Corporate Director of Product Management Hearing Solutions
Finally, hearing and structure preservation have to be considered when designing an implant system that delivers the Closest to Natural Hearing. MED-EL electrode arrays feature wave-shaped wires that make them incredibly flexible and soft, helping preserve the delicate features of the cochlea. In addition, MED-EL is the only cochlear implant company with FDA-approved hearing preservation claims and has the youngest and broadest pediatric indications in the US. Preserving existing hearing has always been a major factor in MED-EL’s technological perspective.
“We are the only company that has approved hearing preservation claims by a regulatory body, and what that means is that we had to supply data to a regulatory body to prove that we could provide hearing preservation. This data that we provided was real world data.”
Jennifer Robinson, MSc
Corporate Director of Product Management Hearing Solutions
The combination of these three pillars allows us to deliver not just greater speech perception, but also the sound quality and richness that MED-EL defines as natural hearing. Interested to learn more? Listen to the full conversation between Jennifer and Marcus or reach out to your MED-EL representative to hear more about why MED-EL is doing things differently to deliver better results for your patients.
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© MED-EL Medical Electronics. All rights reserved. The content on this website is for general informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Contact your doctor or hearing specialist to learn what type of hearing solution suits your specific needs. Not all products, features, or indications are approved in all countries.