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CATERHAM, Surrey, May 5 -- The concept of Artificial Intelligence has now
successfully been applied in hearing aids. With the introduction of the
new intelligent hearing aid, Oticon Syncro, digital hearing technology is
taken to a whole new level to improve users' listening performance in an
unpredictable world of sounds.
Artificial Intelligence is used in many state-of-the-art products - from
cameras and computer games to car navigation and communication systems.
Now, Artificial Intelligence is also being used to help people with
hearing loss. The Oticon Syncro hearing aid is inspired by the brain's
natural ability to detect and optimise speech while filtering out
distracting sounds - an ability that is strongly reduced for people with
hearing loss.
"When someone has a hearing loss, they lose their natural ability to
differentiate between voices and noise, and they no longer respond quickly
to changes in their listening environment. Syncro is designed to
compensate for this loss," says Kevin Carlyon, Sales Director of Oticon
UK. "Syncro reacts instantly to variations in the acoustic signal to
improve people's ability to comprehend speech. This is particularly
valuable in environments like busy streets, office settings and crowded
restaurants - places that normally pose a challenge to people with hearing
loss."
Inspired by the brain
While current digital hearing aids adjust their performance based on
predictions and assumptions of how an individual should hear in a given
environment, Syncro's goes much further in its imitation of the human
brain. Syncro's digital processor makes millions of calculations per
second to attenuate noise, accentuate speech and thereby enhance people's
ability to communicate. Just as advanced digital cameras take several
internal snapshots with different parameter settings, constantly choosing
the clearest and most natural picture, Syncro takes "auditory snapshots".
It instantly analyses and compares the outcome achieved by each
combination of features and selects the most optimal setting guaranteed to
provide the clearest, most natural reproduction of voice.
"When a test panel of experienced hearing aid users was fitted with the
new Oticon Syncro hearing aids and exposed to difficult listening
situations, the results were very encouraging. In tests where they were
supposed to follow conversations in background noise they performed just
as well and some of them even better than our reference group of normal
hearing people", says Kevin Carlyon at Oticon. "In addition to these
objective test results, Oticon Syncro users also reported that they could
now hear voices more clearly from a distance. They also commented on the
much more pleasant sound experience and that they now felt much closer to
what they remember as normal hearing."
Oticon Syncro comes in a full range of cosmetically attractive styles
ranging from sleek Behind-the-Ear instruments to virtually invisible
Completely-In-the-Canal models. The instruments are available exclusively
through hearing care professionals.
One in ten people suffer from hearing loss, and untreated hearing loss
often causes social and psychological problems. Hearing loss is one of the
disabilities that can be treated most inexpensively and with the greatest
benefit, and most hearing-impaired experience improved quality of life
when they start using hearing aids.
For more information about hearing and hearing loss, visit
www.hear-it.org
About Oticon
Oticon, one of the world's oldest and most respected hearing aid
manufacturers, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2004. The company was
founded by Hans Demant, who was motivated by a desire to help his
hearing-impaired wife - and others in a similar situation - hear better.
Today, Oticon employs more than 2,000 people worldwide and sells its
products via subsidiaries and distributors in over 100 countries around
the world. A pioneer in digital technology, the company continues to
develop and manufacture the most advanced solutions in pursuit of its
vision: To help people live the life they want, with the hearing they
have.
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