Somerset, NJ - April 2, 2004 - Oticon, Inc. introduces Syncro, a new breed of hearing instrument that uses Artificial Intelligence to improve hearing performance in unpredictable sound environments.
Syncro employs a range of new, innovative directionality, noise management and compression systems and uses a unique application of Artificial Intelligence to manage the systems' complex interaction. The instrument makes as many as 17,000 intelligent decisions per second, simultaneously comparing the actual outcomes of particular feature combinations and choosing the specific combination that provides the optimal voice-to-noise ratio at any given moment.
Until Syncro, hearing aids were usually described with listings of individual features such as directional microphones, noise reduction and feedback cancellation. While individual features are important, more important is the way in which these individual features function synchronously in challenging and unpredictable sound environments, such as busy streets, office settings and crowded restaurants, to offer the best hearing outcome for the user.
It is Syncro's Voice Priority Processing (VPP) signal processing strategy that takes the instrument's high performance Multi-band Adaptive Directionality, Tri-State Noise Reduction and Voice Aligned Compression features to the next level. The VPP system processes several different combinations of these innovative features in parallel, instantly comparing the outcome achieved by each combination and then selecting the specific combination that provides the clearest sound signal at a given point in time.
"Syncro defines a new category in premium hearing care, enabling hearing care professionals to offer a significantly better hearing experience to clients who want the best hearing care that today's technology can provide," stated Oticon President Mikael Worning. "Syncro is an all-inclusive product concept. It comes with a complete practice support system and offers a new opportunity to market premium hearing care solutions."
Fitting Syncro is a straightforward, intuitive process based on the Genie fitting platform. Software innovations include a real time "Syncro Live" feature, a structured and easily understood process for explaining the instrument's intelligent functions to clients. Syncro is also supported by an impressive 'Counseling Multimedia' tool to further assist in the fitting and sales process.
Syncro is available in a full range of cosmetically attractive, small styles ranging from CIC to BTE instruments. Syncro hearing instruments are available exclusively through hearing care professionals.
For more information about Oticon, visit www.oticon.com.
