Widex has won the prestigious European Inventor Award 2012. The Danish hearing aid manufacturer came top of a strong field of 15 finalists for its ground-breaking CAMISHA technology - a sophisticated method of manufacturing individual hearing aid shells, earmoulds and ear-pieces.
The award was announced by the European Patent Office (EPO) at an award ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Speaking at the event, Widex CEO Jan Tøpholm said, "We are very proud to win this award, especially in competition with world renowned technologies such as Bluetooth and the heart attack diagnostic test from Roche. Innovation is part of our company DNA. This award underlines our role as a technology leader not only in the hearing aid industry, but as a high-tech company in general."
"CAMISHA technology has revolutionised the way we produce In-the-ear hearing aids and has made a huge difference for hearing aid users the world over," he said.
CAMISHA - A GROUND-BREAKING PATENT
CAMISHA stands for Computer Aided Manufacturing of Individual Shells for Hearing Aids. It uses laser technology to make an impression of the hearing aid user's ear canal and turns this data into a 3D computer model. This is then used as a basis for the manufacturing of individual shells and earmoulds that fit the user's ear canal exactly.
CAMISHA has greatly improved the comfort of hearing aids, and allowed for shells and earmoulds that are not only smaller and more discreet, but fit the shape of the ear better. Moreover, it has made the manufacturing process far more easy and precise.
"In the past, the manufacturing process was very cumbersome," explains Jan Tøpholm, CEO of Widex. "Our CAMISHA technology has become the dominant way of making shells and earmoulds."
CAMISHA is licensed to all major hearing aid manufacturers and ear labs, and has revolutionized the manufacturing of shells and earmoulds across the entire industry.
Presenting the award to Widex, EPO President Benoît Battistelli said, "Jan Tøpholm, Søren Westermann and Svend Vitting Andersen [the inventors] not only revolutionized the hearing aid industry with their invention, they also show how Widex is a lighthouse example of a small family-owned business becoming an internationally successful company by pursuing a well-defined innovation and patent strategy."
TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP
Widex has been at the forefront of hearing aid technology for more than five decades, and is known for technological advances such as the first digital In-the-ear hearing aid and ground-breaking wireless technology WidexLink. Winning the European Inventor Award once again reinforces the innovative capacities of the company, which holds more than 150 patents worldwide.
"The hearing aid industry is a competitive, high-tech branch that requires you are constantly able to maintain and strengthen your expertise in innovation", says Jan Tøpholm.
Launched in 2006, the European Inventor Award (EIA) is the preeminent award and is granted annually by the EPO to outstanding inventors for their contribution to technological, social and economic progress and is presented in five categories Industry, Research, SMEs, Non-European Countries and Lifetime Achievement. 15 finalists were selected from over two hundred candidates and Widex was one of only three to be nominated in the 'Industry' category for its unique CAMISHA technology.
Read more at www.epo.org
ABOUT WIDEX
Widex is a family owned company founded in Denmark in 1956. Today, it is the world's sixth largest manufacturer of hearing aids. Widex hearing aids are sold in more than 100 countries around the world, and the company employs 3,400 people worldwide. For more information visit www.widex.com
Widex Wins the European Inventor Award
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