hearingaid
Latest
Panasonic unveils new line of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids
Hearing aids aren't the sexiest gadgets on Earth, but Panasonic has done some interesting stuff with its R1-W series of in-ear audio-boosters. For one, they come packing Bluetooth for directly tethering to a mobile or landline phone using the Hearing Hub and have an add-on audio transmitter than can beam content from a TV or other source directly to the aids. The Hearing Hub also has a voice memo feature so that wearers can take notes for themselves and play them back in an easy to hear format. All that and it manages a pretty impressive 300 hours on a single set of batteries. Check out the complete PR after the break.
Trouble hearing? Advanced Bionics' waterproof implant is paddling your way
If you're one of the 200,000 deaf people who've received cochlear implants, then here's an upgrade worth considering: the Neptune from Advanced Bionics claims to be "the world's first and only swimmable, waterproof sound processor," and it's just received certification for the US and Canada. Read on for more details in the full press release and soon you could be bantering while you bathe.
Lasers let deaf ears pick up what the sonic world is putting down
Not going to front: we've a soft spot in our heart for focused beams of light. We've seen 'em rid the world of its space junk and set the pace of human hearts, and now, they're taking a leading role in aural advancement. As improbable as it sounds, a research team from the University of Utah led by Richard Rabbitt has found that lasers may be able to give deaf people the ability to hear. Using a low-power infrared diode -- similar to those in laser-pointers tormenting cats the world over -- Professor Rabbitt found that exposing oyster toadfish hair cells (analogous to the cells found in humans' inner ears) to infrared light caused them to release neurotransmitters and activate adjacent neurons. This could lead to laser-based ear implants able to stimulate focused areas of cells with thousands of sound wavelengths, as opposed to today's electrode implants whose electrical current spreads through human tissue and limits the deliverable sonic range. Smaller, more efficient power supplies and light sources are needed before optical hearing aids become a reality, but if these newfangled lasers ever get their act together, we should be able to hear version two (and three) coming down the pike.
SoundBite dental hearing aid receives European approval
We've already seen the principle of bone conduction be applied to headphones, but Sonitus Medical is taking the idea to a whole new level with its SoundBite dental hearing aid, which has just received the necessary European CE Mark certification (it already has FDA approval). As you can probably surmise, the device is a hearing aid that's placed on your teeth, although it's not actually implanted or attached in any way -- it's simply custom fitted to the person's upper back teeth. The other part of the package is a more standard-type hearing aid unit that's worn behind the ear, which processes and wirelessly transmits to the device in your mouth. That's obviously not intended for cases when a simple hearing aid will do, but Sonitus says the system can help people who are "essentially deaf" in one ear regain their spatial hearing ability.
Etymotic EB1 and EB15 earplugs hands-on
Etymotic, a company we've seen here at CES and in the past, has developed a pair of earplugs that protect your hearing against things like loud explosions and gunfire. The EB1 and EB15 Electronic Blast PLG Earplugs, retailing for $449 and $499, respectively, are aimed toward buyers such as hunters, musicians and soldiers -- folks who are exposed to loud noises and need protection. The analog earpieces are powered by a 312 hearing-aid battery and will last three weeks. There's no on/off switch -- just a high and low gain control. High gain is used for environments that require an amplification and the opposite applies for low gain. In other words, if a soldier is out on the battlefield and needs to hear an enemy inside a house, he'd switch to high gain to generate a louder sound. The difference between the plugs is simple: the EB1 is for people who are going to be around one-off noises and the EB15 are for those who are going to be exposed to prolonged noises. We got a chance to test out the plugs on the loud show floor and we gotta say, the difference between high- and low-gain modes is easily recognizable and we feel like these earplugs will make superb head-hole protectors. Plenty of complicated graphs and numbers in the gallery below. %Gallery-113772%
Siemens pumps streaming audio to hearing aids with miniTek remote
See that tiny black box? It's a streaming audio hub, designed specifically for the hard of hearing who have Siemens earphones buried in their lobes. Connect special Tek transmitters to traditional TVs and stereos, or hook it up directly to a phone, audio player or PC over Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack, and the matchbox-sized, two-ounce remote will wirelessly stream stereo audio from two devices for up to five hours a time. (It's also apparently got an integrated coil for induction loop audio.) Just don't expect it to come cheap -- it's a medical product, you know. [Thanks, Klaus]
ReSound's Bluetooth-infused Alera hearing aid: finally, you can toss that Loud N' Clear
It ain't the first hearing aid to sport Bluetooth, but it's probably the first one to make you think seriously about tossing that Loud N' Clear you purchased in a haze at 3:30AM last year. Operating on the 2.4GHz frequency, the ReSound Alera (and the accompanying Unite wireless accessories) actually allow those who are hard of hearing to pipe in audio from TVs, stereos, cellphones and PCs without any funky cables or fancy setup procedures. Better still, there's no blockage of environmental noise, so folks can continue yelling speaking to their grandkids while Judge Judy tears someone's soul apart in their left ear canal. There's nary a mention of price (we're guessing that doesn't bode well for bargain shoppers), but there's certainly a demonstration vid hosted up after the break. Just make sure to jack the volume to 11, cool?
Bone-anchored hearing aids filter out noise, finally ready for human implantation
Think those noise-canceling earbuds are hot stuff? Imagine if said technology was applied to an advanced type of implantable hearing aid, and you'll have an idea of exactly what Earthlings with severe hearing loss now have to look forward to. For years now, we've watched as cochlear implants became more effective in lab tests, and up until recently, we've had strict medical testing procedures to thank for the inability to actually get one. Now, one Colin Hughes will soon be amongst the first Australians to enjoy a "new bone-anchored hearing aid designed to adjust to noisy environments, quiet conversations and the varying rhythms and pitch of music." Due to a birth defect that left him with atypically narrow eustachian tubes, Colin was never able to take advantage of traditional hearing aids for any length of time, but now these $12,000 (per pair) devices are promising a new life for the 70-year old bloke. Our favorite feature? MP3 players can be directly (and discretely) attached, enabling old geezers to tune out old hags without them ever noticing.[Thanks, Mike]
SoundAMP hearing aid app for iPhone unleashed on our delicate ears
We've just caught wind of a new app for the iPhone / iPod touch... should you be either a little hard of hearing or a little nosy. SoundAMP works a lot like those Sonic Earz you see on the infomercials -- you run the app with your earbuds plugged in, and then sit back and enjoy listening to the sweet sounds of whatever's going on around you -- only louder. The app allows you to control volume and tone, and you can also replay the last 30 seconds of what you've been hearing -- in case you missed something particularly juicy. Now, personally, we put in the earbuds and crank up the tunes to shut out the outside world, but if this is your kind of thing -- it's available in the iTunes store right now for $9.99. [Warning: read link takes you to the iTunes store][Via CNET]
Oticon's ConnectLine hearing aid accessories stream your tunes right into your head
While we've seen plenty of prototype and conceptual aids that might some day revolutionize the lives of those struggling with hearing loss, it's rare that we see something real holding just as much potential. That's what we have here with the ConnectLine wireless streaming system from Oticon (no, gamers, not Otacon). We've seen the company tap into the Bluetooth craze before with aids that can be synced with mobile phones, and now it's taking that a step further, enabling them to be paired with a base station (pictured below) that can connect to your TV, stereo, or even a landline phone to send audio right into its compatible hearing aids. No word on cost, but just think: if ol' Snake had one of these Otacon might not have had to yell so much.[Via MedGadget]
Songbird intros $79 disposable flexfit hearing aid
Though not quite as inexpensive as the SolarAid, Songbird Hearing's $79 flexfit is still much, much cheaper than most professional hearing aids. Designed for spendthrifts dealing with "mild to moderate hearing loss," the flexfit is disposable in nature and requires no doctors visit for fitting. In fact, it can actually be ordered directly online (right now) or by phone and can be "easily adjusted to fit almost anyone without the need for a hearing exam." Also of note, the built-in battery is good for 400 hours of active use, which should last most infrequent users two to six months. Got all that, or were we typing too quietly?
Solar-powered hearing aids improve life in developing nations
The SolarAid really isn't much different than your average hearing aid in function -- it enables hearing-impaired individuals to get a better listen at the world around them. The difference, however, comes from its source of energy. Through a series of tragic and fortunate events, Howard Weinstein wound up in Africa with a goal in mind: to concoct a hearing aid that even the poorest of citizens could afford. Through a series of grants and help from hordes of deaf individuals that had no qualms holding a soldering iron, some 20,000 folks in 30 countries are currently using the solar-powered devices. Best of all, the mastermind isn't slowing down, as he's looking to expand the nonprofit into the Middle East, China and India in the not-too-distant future.[Via CrunchGear]
Insound's Lyric hearing aid cozies up right next to your ear drum
It's not quite implantable, but Insound Medical's new Lyric hearing aid is about as close as you can get, with it designed to squeeze in deep in your ear canal and sit just a few millimeters from your ear drum. That, the company says, not only allows for the wearer to hear much more natural sounds since they don't have to be amplified as much, but allows them to wear the hearing aid for 24 hours a day. Of course, a device of that size also poses a number of problems, but Insound appears to have all those sorted out, with it employing a special "spongy material" that allows moisture to escape and prevent infection, and a magnet to actually remove the device from the ear. On the downside, the device is apparently still too large for about half of potential patients, but the company says it's now working on a newer version that should accommodate about 85 percent of patients. It also, as you might have guessed, doesn't come cheap, with it costing between $2,900 to $3,600 for an annual "subscription" for both ears, which includes replacement devices for whenever the non-replaceable battery dies.[Via Medgadget]
Carina implantable hearing aid gets showed off
We've been hearing about cochlear implants of various sorts some time for some time now, but it looks things are about to get a whole lot more implantable, with a pair of fully implantable hearing aids now in clinical trials. One of those is developed by the folks at Envoy Medical, while the other comes from Otologics of Boulder, CO, which the MIT Technology Review got to check it out first hand, so to speak. Dubbed "Carina," the hearing aid consists of four separate pieces that are designed to be countersunk into the skull, including a microphone the size of a fingernail that sits behind the ear and a main processing unit that also houses the rechargeable lithium-ion battery that powers the device. That, as you're no doubt wondering, gets replenished by a charging unit that's held in place with a magnet and must be worn for an hour or two a day. As the Review heard straight from one of the device's early users, the entire setup appears to work remarkably well, delivering a "natural feeling of hearing." As it's quick to point out, however, the device still has a long ways to go, with the study currently only having twelve of the 70 to 80 users it needs to complete "phase II" of the trials. And, of course, there's that small matter of price, with the Carina currently ringing in at a cool $20,000 (for one ear), none of which is covered by insurance.
Oticon Epoq binaural Bluetooth headset doubles as hearing aid
Oticon's no alien to the niche world of overly useful hearing aids, and while it's been a few years since we've seen anything fresh from the company, its newest offering looks to help those aging ears deal with hearing loss while staying connected to modern technology. The Epoq lineup of "hearing instruments" allows a pair of Bluetooth earpieces to be worn simultaneously, and proprietary binaural high speed wireless technology allows the pair "to communicate at data transfer speeds 100 faster than hearing instruments now on the marker." In essence, the devices transmits "stereophonic auditory information that is in sync with a user's visual experience," and it also tries its hand(s) at being a Bluetooth headset that enables handsfree calling and music streaming when used with the "Streamer" add-on. Oticon will reportedly be rolling out the Epoq W (about $8,000) and Epoq XW (closer to $9,000) early next month.[Via Slashphone, photo courtesy of Stuff]
FCC boosts hearing aid compatibility requirements for carriers
Perhaps acknowledging that hard of hearing folks want bangin' phone selection (at least, bangin' by American standards) the same as everyone else, the FCC has issued new guidelines for HAC availability. The rules, which go into effect about a year from now on February 18, 2008, specify that a minimum of 50 percent of handsets offered by US carriers must complay to ANSI M3 or U3 requirements for hearing aid compatibility. That's a pretty healthy gain -- double the current 25 percent the FCC dictates, to be exact. Vive la variété, we say.[Via textually.org]
Please remove all jewelry: Nokia files metal detector patent
Here's a patent filing from the creative minds at Nokia that'll appeal to both the security industry and the paranoid among us. Apparently, with a little elbow grease, bubble gum, and duct tape, engineers have been able to take your standard induction coil used for hearing aid compatibility and give it the functionality of a close-range metal detector. At least, that was the intent of Nokia's patent filing back in 2004. Of course, we've seen enough phone patents come and go to know that the odds we'll see this in a shipping product any time soon are low, so in the meantime, keep your distance from knife-wielding baddies, m'kay?
Varibel glasses sport eight conversation-enhancing mics
Any gadget that enhances two of your senses at once is worth at least a mention in these pages, so we hereby present you with the not-completely-unattractive-looking Varibel hearing aid eyeglasses. The manufacturers would take issue with calling it a hearing aid, however, as regular in-ear models pick up conversations as well as ambient noise, while the four mics on each arm of Varibel's glasses supposedly separate the two types of sound, enhancing the former while dampening the latter. Developed by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, these devices will initially be limited to a Dutch release, but because of Varibel's partnership with Phillips and Frame Holland, they may end up seeing a wider release. Integrate these with a pair of those bifocal-eliminating LCD glasses, and you've got something that actually makes us look forward to old age (well, kinda). [Warning: foreign language link, may be confusing to some.][Via Roland Piquepaille]
