SOMERSET, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Approximately 20 percent of Americans experience hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. As the incidence of hearing loss increases with age, 30 percent of adults between ages 65 and 74 are affected, and that rate jumps to nearly 50 percent for people older than 75. As the third most common physical condition after arthritis and heart disease, hearing loss is a major public health issue that has been shown to affect physical health, cognition, perceptions of mental acuity, social skills, family relationships, self-esteem and more.
Oticon, the world’s leading innovator of BrainHearing™ technology, today introduces Oticon Opn™, a breakthrough hearing aid that has been shown to provide people with hearing loss improved speech understanding* – 30 percent more than the previous generation’s most advanced technology – and up to a 20 percent reduction in listening effort* and up to 20 percent better recall of conversations.** Oticon Opn is built on the new Velox™ platform, which processes sound at extreme speed to remove distracting noise, even between words, so that Opn users can easily follow conversation even in environments with multiple people speaking, such as crowded restaurants. Opn connects directly to mobile phones and other external devices with just a tap of the fingertips, streaming audio directly to the hearing aids. Opn is also the world’s first hearing device that is connected to the Internet of Things.
“Hearing loss is an invisible condition that affects tens of millions of Americans and their families in very visible ways, making every-day events like dinner conversations very difficult and promoting misunderstanding, feelings of isolation and cognitive decline. We are proud to bring the most technologically advanced hearing solution to people with hearing loss and their families with Oticon Opn,” said Peer Lauritsen, President of Oticon, Inc. “Never before has there been a hearing device this powerful and this small that allows sound to reach the brain as precisely and accurately as Opn. By making it easier on the brain, Opn decreases listening effort even in environments that are challenging for people with hearing loss, so they have more energy to follow the conversation and remember what is said.”
Key innovative features of Oticon Opn include:
- First hearing aids with two internal wireless communication systems: One system allows the right and left hearing aids to "talk" to each other at streaming speeds for a balanced, natural sound experience and the second system connects the hearing aids to external Bluetooth enabled devices;
- Tiny, high-speed computer chip allows for full wireless access so users can stay connected to mobile phones and other external devices;
- 50 times faster than the latest Oticon platform for quicker, more accurate sound processing;
- 64 frequency channels ensure clear, precise sound reproduction for better speech understanding;
- Scans the environment more than 100 times per second, analyzing and balancing sounds for richer, more realistic 360° sound picture;
- First-ever connectivity to house-hold items such as door bells, thermostats or baby monitors through If This Then That service (IFTTT.com).
Oticon Opn, powered by a tiny, innovation-packed chip, is the culmination of five years of engineering and technology development.
“Oticon is the only hearing device manufacturer that develops, engineers and builds its pioneering technologies in-house,” said Don Schum, PhD, VP of Audiology and Professional Relations for Oticon. “We never compromise on the audiological benefits of our hearing solutions to ensure that full sound processing, amplification and compression technologies work seamlessly together to maintain the finest detail of sound.”
Distinct Oticon Opn Features:
Velox™ Ultra-Fast and Precise Sound Processing Offers Rich More
Meaningful Soundscape
The Velox platform offers the extreme
speed needed to rapidly analyze and balance sounds in the environment
and eliminate noise between words. Surrounding sounds are available but
not intrusive. Velox manages multiple sound sources, analyzing and
processing sound data 50 times faster than before. Market-leading
64-band frequency resolution enables a more precise sound analysis and
better sound quality to support the brain’s ability to make sense of
sound.
TwinLink™ Technology: Binaural Processing & Direct Connectivity
Oticon
Opn is the industry’s first hearing solution to offer TwinLink
technology, two communication systems in one hearing solution. One
system provides near-field magnetic communication (NFMI) which optimizes
binaural ear-to-ear processing to support communication between two
hearing aids for a more natural sound experience. A second dedicated
system uses 2.4GHz Bluetooth direct streaming for wireless communication
to mobile phones, music players, computers, TV and more.
Internet Connected Hearing Device
Oticon Opn connects
directly to the internet via the If This Then That service (IFTTT.com).
Users can connect to a wide range of IFTTT-enabled devices used in
everyday life such as door bells, thermostats and baby monitors. Oticon
Opn users will be able to use their hearing aids with a growing number
of IFTTT-compatible products and services as they become available.
OpenSound Navigator™
OpenSound Navigator™ scans, analyzes
and reacts to sounds in the environment more than 100 times per second.
Thanks to this extreme processing speed, Oticon Opn is able to
continually analyze and balance sounds, removing noise between words.
Users can follow the sounds they want to hear and quickly shift
attention when desired. Surrounding sounds are available but not
intrusive so users can focus on the sounds they want to hear even in
noisy situations.
About Oticon ON App
The Oticon ON App lets you control your
hearing aids, choose what you want to hear and adjust the sound from
your mobile phone. The app also offers a convenient “find my hearing
aid” search feature, counseling advice, links to user instructions and a
low battery notification.
New Opn hearing solutions are available in the popular discreet miniRITE™. Learn more here about Oticon Opn and its exciting new features and functionalities.
About Oticon
Oticon is one of the most innovative hearing device manufacturers with more than 110 years of experience putting the needs of people with hearing loss first. Oticon has spearheaded a number of technological breakthroughs which have made a significant difference for people with hearing loss. Oticon’s “brain first” audiological focus recognizes that speech understanding and comprehension are cognitive processes that happen in the brain. Oticon’s innovative BrainHearing™ technology is helping to provide better hearing with less effort by giving the brain the clearest, purest sound signals to decode. Oticon designs and manufactures hearing solutions for adults and specialized pediatric instruments. People First is Oticon’s strongest and most valued commitment to empower people to communicate freely, interact naturally and participate actively. For more information visit: www.oticon.com.
*Compared to Alta2 Pro
**Individual benefit may vary depending upon instrument prescription
