IntriCon Unveils New High-Performance DSP Hearing Aid
Amplifier
The folks at IntriCon have unveiled their new hi-tech hearing aid
amplifier. It not only promises improved feedback control, but also allows
the device to generate tones to be used in a tinnitus retraining program.
Here's their press release, complete with their disclaimer regarding
"forward-looking statements".
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July 2008
EthosTM Offers Third-Generation Adaptive Feedback Cancellation for
Hearing Health Applications
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IntriCon Corporation (NASDAQ: IIN), a
designer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of body-worn medical and
electronics devices, today introduced EthosTM, the company's new
high-performance adaptive digital signal processing (DSP) hearing aid
amplifier. Ethos' advanced capabilities are ideally suited for the hearing
health market.
Ethos' ReliantTM adaptive feedback cancellation (AFC) technology
minimizes the annoyance of whistling sounds that can occur with hearing
aids. The hearing aid amplifier rapidly adapts to changing feedback
conditions in a small fraction of a second, versus the 1-2 seconds it
takes many competing devices to respond. Ethos also offers powerful
anti-entrainment capabilities, which keeps the AFC technology performing
well even when listening to music. This greatly improves the performance
of today's hearing aids, resulting in better hearing for users.
Said Mark S. Gorder, IntriCon president and chief executive officer,
"Ethos represents the latest in hearing health audio technology. With
Ethos we've added the cutting-edge adaptive feedback cancellation
technology that IntriCon developed through 15 months of extensive
theoretical and laboratory research. Like all of our digital signal
processing devices, Ethos provides clarity, filters background noise and
mitigates feedback. In short, we expect that Ethos will offer vastly
improved hearing performance for customers."
In addition, patients undergoing therapy for tinnitus - the condition
of having a buzzing or whistling sound in one or both ears, which occurs
without an external stimulus - can take advantage of Ethos' digital random
noise generator. This masks tinnitus inner ear sounds, producing a clean
noise that helps negate buzzing or whistling sounds.
In noisy environments, Ethos provides users with increased performance
to reduce noise. The amplifier offers directional microphone processing
that lets the user hear sounds in front louder than those from behind.
Customers in environments with noisy background will also benefit from
Ethos' improved Layered Noise Reduction(tm) technology, which reduces
background noise while maintaining important speech sounds.
Gorder concluded, "We believe the introduction of Ethos, equipped with
advanced technologies that will greatly improve hearing performance for
customers, solidifies our position as a leader of high-performance
adaptive DSP hearing aid amplifiers."
For more information on IntriCon's Ethos amplifier, visit: http://www.intricondownloads.com/
About IntriCon Corporation
Headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn., IntriCon Corporation designs,
develops and manufactures miniature and micro-miniature body-worn medical
and electronics products. The company is focused on three key markets:
medical, hearing health, and professional audio and communications.
IntriCon has facilities in the United States, Asia and Europe. The
company's common stock trades under the symbol "IIN" on the NASDAQ Stock
Market. For more information about IntriCon, visit www.intricon.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this release and in IntriCon's other public filings
and releases that are not historical facts or that include forward-looking
terminology such as "may", "will", "believe", "expect", "should",
"optimistic" or "continue" or the negative thereof or other variations
thereon are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. These forward-looking
statements include, without limitation, statements concerning the benefits
of IntriCon's technology, prospects in the miniature body-worn device
arena, future growth and expansion, future financial condition and
performance, prospects and the positioning of IntriCon to compete in
chosen markets. These forward-looking statements may be affected by known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond
IntriCon's control, and may cause IntriCon's actual results, performance
or achievements to differ materially from the results, performance and
achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These
risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation, possible
non-performance of new and developing technology, risks related to the
Tibbetts acquisition, including unanticipated liabilities and expenses,
the risk that IntriCon may not be able to achieve its long-term strategy,
weakening demand for products of the company due to general economic
conditions, the volume and timing of orders received by the company,
changes in the mix of products sold, competitive pricing pressures,
availability of electronic components for the company's products, ability
to create and market products in a timely manner, competition by
competitors with more resources than the company, foreign currency risks
arising from the company's foreign operations and other risks detailed
from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2007. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, regardless of
whether new information becomes available, future developments occur or
otherwise.
