Overview
- MED‑EL has commercially released the Tici Unico, reporting roughly 40 users worldwide and the first non‑study implantations performed in Austria at AKH Vienna and Landesklinikum Sankt Pölten.
- Surgeons at Sankt Pölten said the implantation on an 83‑year‑old patient was completed without complications, and five Austrians had already received the device during a clinical study at the Medical University of Vienna.
- The implant houses an implanted microphone, processor and rechargeable battery completely under the skin and uses an external charger to top up the implanted battery.
- Tici Unico matches the same candidate pool as conventional cochlear implants, is MRI‑compatible up to 3 tesla but must be removed for 7 tesla scans, and its invisibility increases the need for patients to tell clinicians before imaging.
- Key open issues include undisclosed pricing, how recharging will work in daily life, and the need for longer‑term safety and performance data to confirm benefits such as continuous hearing during sleep and in water.