Cochlear Receives Medical Design Excellence Award for Nucleus Freedom Implant System.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Cochlear today announced that it is the recipient of a 2006 Medical Design Excellence Award. The Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) competition is the premier awards program for the medical technology community, recognizing the achievements of medical product manufacturers and the many people behind the scenes -- engineers, scientists, designers and clinicians -- who are responsible for the groundbreaking innovations that are changing the face of healthcare. Cochlear's Nucleus(R) Freedom(TM) Implant System, the newest, most advanced cochlear implant system, is designed to mimic the functions of the human ear.

"We are honored that the Nucleus Freedom has been recognized by MDEA, they are a prestigious organization and we're thrilled to have been selected by a group of experts from a wide range of healthcare and design-related fields," said Chris Smith, president of Cochlear Americas. "We strive to provide the most innovative, reliable implants on the market to help the millions of people suffering with hearing loss. We are thrilled that this implant system, and the effort and innovation put into its design, have been recognized as doing so."

Cochlear implants are a safe and effective treatment for severe-to-profound hearing loss in adults and children. A cochlear implant is an amazing technological device that bypasses the damaged hair cells and stimulates the hearing nerve directly, providing useful hearing and improved communication abilities to the implant user. The Nucleus Freedom represents Cochlear's fourth-generation cochlear implant system and is designed to mimic the functions of natural hearing. The Nucleus Freedom system is the only cochlear implant system that offers unmatched reliability, feature flexibility, IP44 tested water-resistance, and a variety of adjustable options to meet each user's individual need and hearing fingerprint. This allows each individual the best chance of optimizing their hearing experience in a range of listening situations. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March 2005, the Nucleus Freedom features both an internal component and an external speech processor.

The MDEA program is open worldwide to companies and individuals involved in the design, engineering, manufacturing or distribution of finished medical devices or medical packaging; with awards offered in 10 different categories.

The presentation of the 2006 MDEA awards will take place on Wednesday, June 7, in a ceremony at the Medical Design & Manufacturing East 2006 Conference and Exposition, in New York City. Specific gold and silver awards will be announced at this time.

About Cochlear(TM) Americas

Since launching the world's first cochlear implant system more than 20 years ago, Cochlear Limited and its US headquarters, Cochlear Americas, have brought the miracle of sound to more than 72,000 hearing-impaired individuals across the globe. Cochlear's state-of-the-art technologies, based on extensive research and development at preeminent academic institutions, restore the ability to hear sound and understand speech -- enhancing both learning capabilities and quality of life for those with severe to profound hearing loss. Cochlear has remained the market leader in its field thanks to an unwavering commitment to innovation, reliability and customer support. Numerous awards, as well as published scientific data, attest to Cochlear's outstanding product line and unsurpassed performance. Cochlear's promise "Hear Now. And Always." reflects its dedication to durability and service. For more information about Cochlear's products, call the Cochlear Nucleus(R) Hotline at 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or visit the Web site at www.cochlear.com.