Oticon
Oticon Announces Voice-Activated Hearing Aid
February 2002
Editor: Suppose you had a hearing aid that was able to recognize
speech and treat the speech signal differently from other sounds. Oticon
has announced just such a device. Here's the scoop.
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Adapto(TM), the first voice-activated hearing aid that gives priority
to human voice over other sounds in the environment, was just cleared
for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration.
Similar to the technology used in voice-activated telephones and
computer software, Adapto uses a miniature computer chip feature called
VoiceFinder(TM) that "finds" or detects speech signals in the
environment and immediately processes these signals for better
understanding. When no speech is detected, the 100% digital hearing aid
automatically turns down the volume by changing to a more comfortable,
relaxing, listening mode. Like the human brain in a person with normal
hearing, Adapto instantly switches from comfort mode to speech mode in a
fraction of a second, as soon as someone starts talking.
"This is an important innovation for the one in ten Americans
who are hard of hearing," says Sheena Phelps-Burks, audiologist and
project manager for Oticon, Inc., manufacturer of the new hearing
instrument. "Since many of those with hearing loss lack the ability
to filter out extraneous noises, sounds that normal hearing people
disregard, like traffic, restaurant and office noises, are unpleasantly
magnified for the hearing impaired. Adapto saves those with hearing loss
from the fatigue of listening to constant unfiltered sounds."
Some four million Americans wear hearing aids, and that number is
expected to increase as the population continues to age. Hearing loss is
usually gradual so people may not notice that they are losing their
hearing. The new Adapto hearing instruments are available exclusively
through hearing care professionals.
