Oticon Opn S, a hearing aid that is said to take the open-sound experience and the benefits of BrainHearing technology “to the next level,” is now available through the Veterans Affairs (VA) Administration, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, Oticon announced.

Oticon Opn S is said to “unleash the full potential of the open sound paradigm to empower veterans with hearing loss to experience speech understanding in difficult listening situations at the level of people with normal hearing.*” The new Velox S platform with an upgraded OpenSound Navigator and new OpenSound Optimizer reportedly helps deliver more benefits. Speech understanding is further improved by up to 15%, listening effort is reduced by up to an additional 10%, and memory recall further improved by another 10%.****

“Our research shows that 96% of Oticon Opn users prefer Opn S**,” said Donald Schum, PhD, vice president of audiology for Oticon, Inc. “That is a powerful statement for the thousands of VA audiologists who have already experienced the real-world, practical impact on quality of life that Opn provides veterans. Now, the groundbreaking new technology in Opn S provides Oticon’s highest level of cognitive support, empowering people with hearing loss to participate in the same social settings as their normal-hearing peers.*”

More benefits, more flexibility for audiologists and patients

Powered by the Velox S platform, the upgraded OpenSound Navigator (OSN) is said to provide a 360° listening experience that is “more effective in supporting the brain to help veterans manage listening to multiple speakers in noisy environments,” according to Oticon.

OpenSound Optimizer, a new technology that’s said to prevent feedback without removing the prescribed amplification, helps give audiologists the freedom to deliver optimal gain and more open settings for patients. Oticon says that the feedback breaker helps allow Opn S to deliver up to 6 dB more stable gain in an open fitting without increased feedback risk.** By proactively managing feedback, even before it occurs, Opn S provides up to 30% more speech cues to the brain, improving speech understanding without compromising clarity and sound quality.*****

Opn S wearers can “boost” the support they receive from the OSN, regardless of their pre-defined setting. In a broad range of everyday listening environments, if they feel the need for an extra boost of help to make speech stand out from noise, they can activate the OpenSound Booster, available on the ON App.

All day freedom with a single charge

The new Oticon Opn S miniRITE R is a rechargeable lithium-ion solution in a sleek design. The stylish charger provides a stable magnetic connection for charging that delivers a full day of power, including streaming, with a three-hour charging time.*** A quick 30-minute recharge provides an additional six hours of power.

Wireless Connectivity

Oticon Opn S is Made for iPhone and connects with smartphones and tablets using 2.4 GHz Bluetooth Low Energy for low battery consumption. Oticon ConnectClip turns Opn S hearing aids into a headset, giving access to wireless streaming for music, movies, phone calls, and more from iPhone and Android smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

The Oticon Opn S family delivers a range of open sound opportunities in three performance levels and four styles—miniRITE, miniRITE R, miniRITE T, and BTE PP—and a wealth of features.  For more information about the entire Opn S family visit: https://www.oticon.com/solutions/for-veterans.

* Juul Jensen 2018, Oticon Whitepaper

** Oticon Opn S promotional sheet, 2019

*** Lithium-ion battery performance varies depending on hearing loss, lifestyle and streaming behavior.

****Juul Jensen, 2019 Oticon White Paper

***** Callaway 2019, Oticon Whitepaper

Source: Oticon

Image: Oticon