Oticon introduces the world's first hearing aid with 4D Sensor technology to understand each user’s listening intentions and seamlessly support individual listening needs, while giving access to the full sound environment. Oticon has once again made significant progress in innovation, taking performance and user benefits of its unique BrainHearing™ technology to the next level.
Somerset, NJ - February 22, 2024 – The primary challenge for people with hearing loss is understanding speech in complex environments, which usually includes noise and other sounds that are disruptive to communication. To address this, hearing aids should understand how individuals behave within a sound environment and adapt signal processing according to their changing listening needs. Traditional hearing aids provide support by implementing a directional approach, where Oticon always gives the user access to the full, 360° sound environment. Based on its unique BrainHearing™ philosophy, Oticon continuously develops pioneering technology that impacts people’s lives. With the new Oticon Intent™ hearing aid, Oticon takes a giant leap on this journey, by providing individualized support for users within the same complex environment.
4D Sensor technology provides intention-based personalization
Oticon Intent is designed with the understanding that different users have very individual and greatly varying listening needs - even in the same sound environment. Oticon Intent features the world’s first user-intent sensors which can capture a person’s unique communication intention and then seamlessly provide the brain with the right hearing support in any situation. This personalized support makes a significant difference for users, especially in very complex listening environments, where traditional hearing aids provide standard support, regardless of the individual listening needs. By monitoring conversation activity, head movement, body movement, and the acoustic environment, Oticon Intent is the first hearing aid in the world to recognize when the user’s needs change and to seamlessly adapt sound processing to support these specific needs. Oticon Intent provides the brain with tailored support in any situation. This 4D Sensor technology improves users' speech comprehension by 15%.1 Furthermore, the outcomes of a brain imaging study showed that the 4D Sensor technology helps users balance their attention towards the sound sources that they intend to listen to.1
Industry-leading sound processing gives access to 35% more speech cues
Higher clarity and better balance is provided by Oticon Intent as a result of the rapid and effective sound processing of MoreSound IntelligenceTM 3.0, with up to 12 dB noise suppression. Thanks to this innovative new sound processing, which ultimately provides users with clearer speech, Oticon Intent delivers an astounding 35% more access to speech cues compared to Oticon’s preceding premium hearing aid.2
Brand-new Deep Neural Network enabling better access to all sounds
Oticon Intent debuts a second generation Deep Neural Network (DNN 2.0), which has been trained using a greater diversity of complex sound scenes as well as enhanced learning from the sound it is exposed to during training. This advanced technology is designed to allow the hearing aid to work more like the brain, having learned through experience, enabling better and more accurate representation of sound in the brain and better access to even soft speech sounds in noisy environments.
Hearing aid users prefer Oticon Intent
Hearing aid users were asked to evaluate the sound quality of Oticon Intent compared to Oticon’s last premium hearing aid in different sound environments. Results show that it not only significantly improves sound quality in different sound environments; it also ensures more nuance and detail in the sound and higher listening comfort for users.1
Virginia Ramachandran, AuD, PhD, Head of Audiology at Oticon:
“At Oticon, we recognize the brain’s exceptional sound processing abilities. Our unique BrainHearing™ approach guides us and helps us make life-changing technology, like Oticon Intent, a reality. The world’s first user-intent sensors allow Oticon Intent to recognize when a user’s listening needs change and adapt accordingly, providing greater access to the sounds and speech that will enable users to engage in life like never before. Oticon Intent seamlessly supports each individual listening need while always giving access to the full, 360º sound environment.”
More new features in Oticon Intent:
SMART SPEAKER: Oticon Intent comes with the world’s first self-calibrating speaker to make speaker inaccuracy a thing of the past. The new miniFit Detect delivers gain accuracy within 1dB, providing up to 57% more precise gain compared to previous speaker units. When connecting the hearing aid to Oticon’s fitting software, Oticon Genie 2, hearing care professionals can see all relevant speaker unit information, from the serial number and fitting power level, to wire length and left/right information. Additionally, Oticon Genie 2 provides immediate visibility to speaker unit status, enabling the hearing care professional to determine if a speaker unit is correct, missing, faulty, or incompatible. These features make it even easier and more efficient for hearing care professionals to fit Oticon Intent.
FUTURE-PROOF CONNECTIVITY: Oticon Intent supports modern connectivity standards, including the next generation of Bluetooth® audio, Bluetooth® LE Audio. Now users can enjoy direct streaming and hands-free communication to iOS devices and compatible Android™ phones, tablets3, and Windows PCs. What’s more, it is a future-proof hearing aid, ready for future communication technologies, such as Auracast™ broadcast audio.4
NEW DESIGN & IMPROVED RECHARGEABILITY: Oticon Intent boasts a sleek new design, making it the smallest, most discreet rechargeable miniRITE style Oticon has crafted to date, yet it’s packed with both a telecoil and a large battery. The size 13 lithium-ion battery gives users more power between charges and provides faster and more stable charging. It offers 20 hours of battery life when fully charged, including streaming, while a speedy 15-minute charge delivers 4 hours of battery life5 to users. The new design also includes touch control for call handling and a single, easy-to-use push-button for quick and intuitive hearing aid control.
To explore this revolutionary hearing aid that helps users to engage in life like never before, visit https://www.oticon.com/professionals/brainhearing-technology/intent
1: Bianchi/Eskelund et al. (2024). Oticon Intent™ – Clinical evidence. BrainHearing™ benefits of the 4D Sensor technology. Oticon whitepaper.
2: Brændgaard/Zapata-Rodríguez et al. (2024). 4D Sensor technology and Deep Neural Network 2.0 in Oticon Intent™. Technical review and evaluation. Oticon whitepaper.
3: Android™ devices need to have Android 14 and support LE Audio Bluetooth to allow hands-free communication or the Android Protocol for Audio Streaming (ASHA) to allow direct streaming to Oticon Intent. Please visit https://www.oticon.com/support/compatibility for more information.
4: Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. Android™, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. Microsoft and Windows are part of the Microsoft group of companies. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. The Auracast™ word mark and logos are trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG. Any use of such marks by Demant is under licence. Other trademarks and tradenames are those of their respective owners.
5: Expected use time for rechargeable battery depends on use pattern, active feature set, hearing loss, sound environment, battery age and use of wireless accessories.
