Patented Technology Improves Speech Intelligibility in the Presence of Background Noise
Salt Lake City, Utah, August 21, 2001 - Sonic Innovations, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNCI), a leading producer of advanced digital hearing aids, announced today that an independent clinical study has demonstrated that its NATURATM 2 SE products help hearing impaired people to understand speech better in noisy environments. The ability to understand speech when there is background noise present is the number one complaint of hearing impaired consumers. The study was conducted at the Department of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, a world renowned hearing aid research facility headed by Dr. Michael Valente, Professor and Director of Adult Audiology.
The Washington University study determined that NATURA 2 SE hearing aids, which contain the company's proprietary Personalized Noise ReductionTM technology, enabled hearing impaired subjects to understand speech significantly better in challenging listening environments with background noise. This is the first digital hearing aid of its kind that has been clinically proven to achieve this level of performance in the smallest, most cosmetically pleasing hearing aid sizes available today.
"We're very excited by the independent findings about the performance of our NATURA 2 SE products," said Andy Raguskus, Sonic Innovations' President and CEO. "From the beginning, our company has been committed to making products that can eliminate the obstacles that prevent many hearing impaired people from achieving the benefits of hearing aids. Understanding speech in the presence of background noise is the most common problem for the hearing impaired, but reluctance to be seen wearing a visible hearing aid can also be a significant barrier for potential hearing aid users. With its proven ability to help hearing aid users understand speech in background noise, and in an ultra-small size that can reduce "image" concerns, NATURA 2 SE goes a long way toward knocking down the major barriers to hearing aid usage."
Greg Koskowich, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development of Sonic Innovations, added that the latest findings are consistent with the company's own research, which was first reported in The Hearing Review, November 2000 issue. ''We were pleased with the benefit demonstrated in our own research study last fall. Now, with the independent corroboration provided by the Washington University study, we are confident that NATURA 2 SE offers a level of performance undemonstrated by competing products.''
NATURA 2 SE incorporates the company's proprietary digital signal processing (DSP) technologies into the tiniest single-chip DSP platform found in a hearing aid today. It processes sound via nine independent channels, and has a patented Personalized Noise Reduction system that suppresses many background noises. The full NATURA 2 SE product line includes completely-in-the-canal (CIC), mini-canal (MC), in-the-canal (ITC), in-the-ear (ITE), and behind-the-ear (BTE) models. Not every user will benefit equally from NATURA 2 SE hearing aids, and individual benefit may vary depending upon a variety of factors and conditions.
Capitalizing on a new understanding of human hearing, Sonic Innovations designs, manufactures and markets advanced digital hearing aids designed to provide the highest levels of satisfaction for hearing impaired consumers. For more information about NATURA 2 SE, consumers may call 1-888-880-0327 and professionals may call 1-888-423-7834; or visit the company's website at www.sonici.com.
This press release contains ''forward-looking statements'' as defined under securities laws, including statements concerning the functionality and appeal of our NATURA 2 SE product. Actual results may differ materially and adversely from those described in this press release depending on a number of factors, including problems with product manufacturing, distribution or market acceptance of NATURA 2 SE; the competitive performance of NATURA 2 SE; relationships with our customers; regulatory requirements; and other business factors beyond our control. For additional information regarding the risks inherent in our business, please see our Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2001 and Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000. We undertake no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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