Somerset, NJ — Oticon Medical has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its Ponto Pro Power, the most powerful fully digital and programmable bone anchored power processor, according to the company.

Ponto Pro Power is FDA 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.

The new sound processor is built on Oticon’s advanced RISE sound processing platform and offers enhanced speech intelligibility and reduced feedback.

The Ponto Pro Power has a sleek and ergonomic footprint and includes Speech Guard, a unique amplification technique that is designed to maintain linear processing as much as possible. By instantaneously responding to rapidly occurring environmental sound, Speech Guard reportedly produces less distortion than traditional compression systems.

The power processor’s Automatic Multiband Adaptive Directionality system is sensitive to the user’s environment and automatically switches between enhanced omnidirectional mode, split directionality mode, or full-directionality mode.

In split directionality mode, Ponto Pro Power enables power users to benefit from directionality in more situations by applying a combination of full and omni directionality to enhance speech in noise without losing power in the low frequencies.

Ponto Pro Power’s unique two-stage Feedback Manager system helps users to overcome everyday challenges by reducing the potential for unexpected feedback and allowing full use of the volume control.

In addition to Feedback Manager, the new unit also features Genie Medical 2011.1, an easy-to-operate computer fitting platform that includes BC In-situ Audiometry to enable practitioners to measure individual BC hearing thresholds directly via the sound processor. The goal is to increase accuracy and reduce the need for fine tuning and verification measurements.

To optimize the fitting outcome and workflow for different user groups, Genie Medical also offers dedicated fitting modes and rationales for single-sided deafness. Genie Medical also allows patients to upgrade earlier versions of Ponto and Ponto Pro with the new power sound processing features.

For more information, visit Oticon Medical

SOURCE: Oticon Medical