The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has ended its investigation into certain cochlear implant systems and parts. This decision comes after a joint motion by the parties involved to settle the case.

The investigation began on September 23, 2024. The case was based on a complaint by Advanced Bionics AG of Switzerland and Advanced Bionics LLC of California. They believed that MED-EL Corporation, USA, and MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH of Austria brought products into the U.S. that infringed on their patents. The patents involved were U.S. Patent No. 7,317,945 and U.S. Patent No. 8,422,706. The complaint also said a U.S. industry exists for these products.

On April 21, 2025, the ITC ended part of the case. Some claims of both patents were dropped after Advanced Bionics made a motion to withdraw parts of their complaint.

On May 30, 2025, the parties asked together to end the investigation because they had reached a confidential settlement. The Office of Unfair Import Investigations supported this request.

On June 12, 2025, the Administrative Law Judge approved the joint motion to end the investigation. The judge found no other agreements between the parties besides the settlement. The judge also said that ending the case would not hurt the public interest and would save resources.

No one asked the Commission to review the judge’s decision. On July 7, 2025, the Commission agreed not to review it. The investigation is now officially over.

The investigation followed Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure.

For more information, the ITC can be reached at their Washington, DC office or online via their Electronic Docket (EDIS) system.