MedRx Releases Integrated QuickSIN Test Protocol

MedRx Inc, Largo, Fla, has released QuickSIN™ on all AVANT clinical and diagnostic audiometers as a standard test protocol. QuickSIN, developed by Etymotic Research, is a test protocol that is designed to quickly and easily measure the ability of the listener to hear in noisy situations.

Speech understanding in noise cannot be reliably predicted just by testing with pure tones or other standard audiometric tests. QuickSIN is reported to be easy to process and evaluate. In addition, the company says that patients report that QuickSIN tests sound just like the hearing problem they have in the real world.

QuickSIN results can be used to make patient-specific treatment recommendations, such as hearing aids, directional microphones, array microphones, or FM systems. The protocol may also help hearing clinicians to counsel patients and set realistic expectations and goals for any recommended treatments.

New Mobile Translation App for People with Hearing Loss

SpeechTrans, Lyndhurst, NJ, has launched SpeechTrans Ultimate for those with hearing loss. The new app enables people with hearing loss to conduct real-time two-way conversations in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, German, and Mandarin Chinese without the need for sign language or an in-person translator.

With SpeechTrans, each person simply speaks out loud into the user’s mobile phone. SpeechTrans automatically translates the speech into text that can be read on the phone. The product uses software from Nuance, the maker of the Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software.

Type-to-type translations are also available for situations that require quiet, or for those who have trouble speaking because of disability. As it is typically difficult for hearing impaired individuals to determine when someone ends their part of the conversation, the version can automatically detect when a person stops speaking and immediately begin the translation.

The app stores and can play back previous translations, without access to an Internet connection. In this version the auto-translate feature can be turned off, allowing same language conversations. Information from other apps can also be cut and pasted into SpeechTrans, so it can be translated and read aloud to another individual.

SpeechTrans Ultimate also features Facebook chat integration, which allows users to type in their native language and have the other party receive translated output on the SpeechTrans enabled iPhone or iPad, or directly as text on their computer.

The functionalities of SpeechTrans Ultimate for hearing loss were built based on direct feedback from users with hearing loss who provided guidance on needed features.

SoundBite Now FDA Approved for Conductive Hearing Loss and Single Sided Deafness

Sonitus Medical Inc, San Mateo, Calif, manufacturer of the first nonsurgical and removable hearing device to transmit sound via the teeth, has received an additional FDA clearance for its SoundBite™ hearing system.

Earlier, the FDA cleared SoundBite for treating single sided deafness. Now, the FDA has given 510(k) clearance to SoundBite for treating conductive hearing loss.

“We are pleased that the uses of the SoundBite system continue to expand,” said Amir Abolfathi, CEO of Sonitus Medical. “As we begin the rollout of our product in partnership with otologists, ENTs, and audiologists, we remain committed to increasing the number of patients who may benefit from our nonsurgical treatment option.”

Sonitus says that the SoundBite hearing system will be available early this fall through physicians and audiologists in a few select markets in the United States and eventually nationwide.

Sanofi-aventis and Audion Developing New Treatments for Hearing Loss

Audion Therapeutics, based in Amsterdam, announced that it has entered into a 2-year agreement with Sanofi-aventis to develop new treatments for hearing loss through a regenerative medicine approach.

The col-laborative research will utilize technology that optimizes small molecules. It was developed at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory by investigator and Audion cofounder Dr Albert Edge, who has strong expertise in stem cells and inner ear biology.

Audion, founded by Edge, Helmuth van Es, and Rolf Jan Rutten, markets technologies and molecules that originated from Edge’s research at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and then were exclusively licensed to Audion.

“This alliance with Sanofi validates our thinking around developing small molecule regenerative drugs for the treatment of hearing loss. We are very excited about this collaboration,” commented Rutten and Es in the press statement.

THIS SUMMER’S HOTTEST PRODUCTS

GSI Clinical Instruments EMR Compatible

In August, Grason-Stadler announced GSI Suite now provides Electronic Medical Record (EMR) compatibility on its clinical products. The new capability allows users to capture, save, and share patient information, supporting the needs of the contemporary clinic. Features include combining audiometric (GSI 61) and tympanometric (GSI TympStar) results into a single report, ability to edit comments until ready to lock the report and test results in an EMR compatible format (PDF). Visit Grason-stadler.us for more info.

Hansaton Releases New Power BTEs

In July, Hansaton USA released a new line of Power BTE hearing aids that have a gain of up to 75 dB. Hansaton is categorizing the new hearing systems into airline-like classes: Patients can choose AURIGA First Class, VENETO Business Class, LUMEO Comfort Class, and CEMIA Economy Class. The platform includes unique features such as Speech Beam (AURIGA only), Active Feedback Block 2G, and Situation Optimizer. The line also includes Bluetooth-enabled remote controls. More information is available at www.hansaton-usa.com.

FDA Approves Oticon Medical’s Ponto Pro Power

This June, Oticon Medical received FDA 510(k) clearance for Ponto Pro Power, a powerful fully digital and programmable bone anchored power processor. Ponto Pro Power is approved for children and adults with conductive or mixed hearing loss up to 55 dB HL, as well as for patients with single sided deafness who require an increased level of audibility. It is built on Oticon’s advanced RISE sound processing platform and offers enhanced speech intelligibility and reduced feedback. More information at www.oticonmedical.com.

Acousticon Receives FDA Approval for Combination Diagnostic and Fitting Device

Acousticon Inc announced in June that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its ACAM-5, a German-engineered, stand-alone diagnostic hearing device that contains an audiometer integrated with Real Ear Measurement (REM) and Hearing Instrument Test (HIT) modules. The ACAM-5 is a modular system that includes a combination of technologies and procedures, including TruTarget for loudness scaling and AccuFit for a percentile analysis of various sounds. See more details at www.acousticon-usa.com.