Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 20, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Optimising the effect of noise reduction algorithm ClearVoice in cochlear implant users by increasing the maximum
J Gertjan Dingemanse1, André Goedegebure1
1a Department of ENT , Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.
Objective:
ClearVoice is a single-microphone noise reduction algorithm in Advanced Bionics cochlear implant(CI) systems with the aim to improve performance in background noise. The present study investigated a hypothesised increased effect of ClearVoice if combined with a structural increase of maximum comfort stimulation levels (M-levels) in the CI fitting.
Design:
We tested performance with ClearVoice (Medium) in four conditions, defined by combined settings of ClearVoice off/on and with/without 5% increase of M-levels. The main outcome measures were the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) and the speech reception threshold in continuous background noise (SRTn).
Study Sample:
Participants were 16 experienced cochlear implant recipients with Advanced Bionics implants and a Naida Q70 processor.
Results:
The ANL significantly improved by using either ClearVoice or an increase of M-levels. Combining both settings gave the largest improvement in ANL. For the SRTn, we found a small, but significant interaction between ClearVoice and an increase of M-levels, implying that ClearVoice improved speech understanding slightly, but only if combined with a 5% increase of M-levels.
Conclusions:
Optimal profit from ClearVoice is obtained if combined with a structural 5% increase of M-levels.
