August 15, 2007

Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc, has announced the introduction of NITROTM CIC, the company’s first completely-in-canal hearing instruments designed for wearers with severe hearing loss. The new devices are engineered to offer up to 70dB of gain and improved phase cancellation, which Siemen’s says is expected to reduce or eliminate feedback typically associated with high power CICs.

 “Until now, hearing instrument wearers with severe hearing loss would be fit with larger style instruments because the CIC models could only accommodate less powerful receivers. Feedback often occurred when more power was added,” says Dr. Thomas Powers, vice president of audiology and professional relations at Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. “With severely hearing-impaired consumers in mind, we designed NITRO CIC to offer the option of cosmetically appealing hearing instruments that are powerful enough to serve their individual hearing needs.”

According to a company news release, Siemens equipped NITRO CIC with a data logging feature that collects information on hearing preferences such as duration of instrument use, hearing environments, and program usage. The information obtained from data logging can be used to fine tune the instruments and improve fittings.

NITRO CIC also offers advanced feedback cancellation, which reduces or eliminates feedback (whistling) that can occur with other hearing instruments, according to a Siemens statement.

Siemens announced that for improved hearing comfort, NITRO CIC has a noise reduction system designed to reduce steady-state environmental noises, requiring less listening effort. NITRO also includes microphone noise reduction, which reduces low-level, unwanted microphone noise and reduces audible internal instrument noise in quiet environments. Additionally, Siemens says NITRO is manufactured using a special receiver suspension that provides shock resistance, improved reliability and acoustical stability.

Visit www.usa.siemens.com/hearing for more information.

 

SOURCE: Siemens