title: Clinical evaluation of the Nucleus 6 cochlear implant system: performance improvements with SmartSound iQ.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper provides a detailed description of the Nucleus 6 system, and clinically evaluates user performance compared to the previous Nucleus 5 system in cochlear implant recipients. Additionally, it clinically evaluates a range of Nucleus 6 and Nucleus 5 programs to determine the performance benefits provided by new input processing technologies available in SmartSound iQ.
  
  
  METHODS
  Speech understanding tests were used to clinically validate the default Nucleus 6 program, by comparing performance outcomes against up to five custom Nucleus 5 or Nucleus 6 programs in a range of listening environments. Clinical comparisons between programs were conducted across the following listening environments; quiet, speech weighted noise (co-located and spatially separated noise), and 4-talker babble (co-located and spatially separated noise).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one adult cochlear implant recipients participated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant speech understanding benefits were found with the default Nucleus 6 program compared to the participants' preferred program using their Nucleus 5 processor and compared to a range of custom Nucleus 6 programs. All participants successfully accepted and upgraded to the new default Nucleus 6 SmartSound iQ program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the acceptance and clinical benefits of the Nucleus 6 cochlear implant system and SmartSound iQ.
authors.affiliation: * Research & Applications, Cochlear Limited , Melbourne , Australia.
authors.forename: Stefan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mauger
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goorevich
authors.forename: Esti
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D013067:Speech Perception
keywords: Cochlear implant; Nucleus 6; automatic scene classification; clinical evaluation; directional microphones; noise reduction; speech perception; speech reception threshold; wind noise reduction