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SYDNEY, Australia - The Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor - the latest innovation from Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions - is a winner of the prestigious 'Red Dot Award: Product Design.' The world's first Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor, the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, is suitable for children and adults who have severe to profound hearing loss and a compatible Cochlear™ implant*,1. This marks the third time the company's hearing solutions have been recognised in the Red Dot Award international competition.

The Red Dot is established internationally as one of the most sought-after quality marks for good design. Manufacturers and designers from around the world vie for recognition by entering their products in one of 48 categories ranging from bicycles to bedroom furniture and motorhomes to medical devices. An international jury of 40 recognised experts then evaluate the best products of the year against nine strict criteria including innovation, functionality and durability.

Jan Janssen, Chief Technology Officer, Cochlear, said the company was pleased to see the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor recognised in the healthcare category, which attracted 59 entries.

"We received the Red Dot Award for the Baha® 5 Sound Processor in 2015 and the Nucleus 5 System in 2010, and we are very honoured to be a winner again in 2018," Janssen said.

"The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a remarkable technological step forward, being the world's first and only Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor," added Janssen.

With the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, people with a Cochlear Nucleus Implant can stream sound directly from a compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to their sound processor2, offering greater accessibility, connectivity and wireless solutions. Users can also control, monitor and customise their hearing experience on their iPhone or iPod touch through the Nucleus Smart App available to download for free from the App Store.

"The Red Dot Award is testimony to the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor being of remarkable design quality - the smallest and lightest behind-the-ear cochlear implant sound processor on the market," said Janssen.

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is 25 per cent smaller and 24 per cent lighter than Cochlear's previous generation Nucleus 6 Sound Processor3, with user feedback contributing to the product's development. The Nucleus Smart App also offers a range of features, including a Hearing Tracker which records coil-offs and time in speech, and the Find My Processor feature to help locate a lost sound processor by using Location Services to determine the last place the sound processor was connected to the paired iPhone or iPod touch4.

"At Cochlear, we design devices to give recipients greater flexibility to personalize their settings and manage their hearing loss on a daily basis," said Janssen.

"The Red Dot organisation understands this - that good design is more than just the external appearance of a product. Ease of use, a high level of functionality, attractive appearance and compatibility with the environment are also needed to win people over and bring value," Janssen added.

Competition winners will be officially recognised at the award ceremony on 9 July 2018 in Essen, Germany. For further information on the Red Dot Award, visit www.red-dot.org.

There are 466 million people living with disabling hearing loss worldwide, and this figure is projected to grow to 900 million - one in every 10 people - by 20505. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 72 million people who could potentially benefit from the use of a hearing device, such as a cochlear implant or hearing aid6.

Please seek advice from your medical practitioner or health professional about treatments for hearing loss. They will be able to advise on a suitable solution for the hearing loss condition. All products should be used only as directed by your medical practitioner or health professional. For information about the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor visit www.hearyourway.com.

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of more than 3,000 people and invests more than AUD$150 million a year in research and development. Products include hearing systems for cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implants, which are designed to treat a range of moderate to profound types of hearing loss. Over 450,000 people of all ages, across more than 100 countries, now hear because of Cochlear.

Media Contact 
Jennifer Stevenson 
Cochlear Limited 
(+61) 412 347 163 
jstevenson@cochlear.com