ion™ 400 offers 24-channel digital signal processing
Salt Lake City, Utah -Sonic Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNCI) is adding hands-free automatic features to its smallest hearing aid product line, ion™. The ion™ 400 is a micro behind-the-ear product (micro-BTE) with 24-channel digital signal processing. This is eight channels more than the previous model, the ion™ 200.
Sonic Innovations is the second largest U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer, with its worldwide corporate headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The ion™ 400 is an open-ear model and is for those with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
According to Dr. Victor Bray, Sonic Innovations' vice president and chief audiology officer, "The ion™ family of products has always been virtually invisible due to its incredibly small size. Now, with the automatic features in the ion™ 400, it's even more discreet since the user doesn't have to push any buttons when moving to different types of sound environments. The fact that we've also been able to incorporate 24-channel digital signal processing into this hearing aid also makes it one of the most sophisticated in the marketplace. In addition, the ion™ 400 is specifically designed to be moisture resistant, making it perfect for those with active lifestyles."
The ion™ 400 is equipped with voice alerts, a feature that replaces beep sequences found on many hearing aids. The voice alerts talk to the user, verbally informing him or her when the hearing aid is changing programs (when it is shifting to its telephone mode for example) and when the battery is low. Users can select male or female-voice alerts in one of eight different languages. Bray indicated, "Our goal has always been to exceed the expectations of our customers. With the addition of automatic features, voice alerts and water resistance we have made our hearing aids extremely adaptable and convenient for the wearer."
The ion™ 400 utilizes Sonic's latest adaptive feedback cancellation system, eliminating the high-pitched squeal commonly associated with hearing aids. "Should a sudden change occur, like placing a telephone next to the ear, this system reacts quickly, eliminating feedback before it is even noticed," Bray said.
About Sonic Innovations
Sonic Innovations, Inc. is the second largest U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer with operations throughout the world. The company was founded in 1992 by three internationally known scientists, Dr. Thomas Stockham, Jr., Dr. Carver Mead and Dr. Douglas Chabries, with a mission to synthesize and commercialize a unique digital signal processing (DSP) platform for hearing aids. Today that platform is based on Sonic Innovations' patented algorithms that use a natural processing of sound called Sonic Soundtm, which is among the first of its kind clinically proven to increase speech understanding in noise. Sonic Innovations, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System.
For more information on Sonic Innovations please visit www.sonici.com or Sonic Innovations Web Channel at Audiology Online.
Taken from: pro.sonici.com/eCommDev/corporate/News/default.aspx
