GN Hearing announced the launch of ReSound ONE, “a revolutionary new hearing aid* that solves one of the most enduring challenges for people with hearing loss.” This solution places an additional microphone inside the ear canal, “for the first time, allowing people relying on hearing aids to experience the world with their own ears while preserving the comfort of an open-fit device.”
With its Organic Hearing philosophy, GN takes design inspiration from how humans hear naturally and seeks to mimic this within its technology as closely as possible, the company says. Following this approach, ReSound ONE is said to “uniquely adapt to the needs and lifestyle of every individual rather than the other way around.”
The outer ear (pinna) is designed by nature to work like an acoustic antenna. It helps the brain localize and tune in to a particular sound, for example, when listening to a specific voice in a crowded café. However, the most popular styles of hearing aids (Receiver-In-Ear and Behind-The-Ear models) capture sound from microphones that sit behind the ear and then approximate the effect of the pinna. The result is an “averaged and incomplete reproduction of sound, making it hard for the brain to achieve its natural localization and noise-canceling function,” according to GN. In fact, of the 79 million people who wear hearing aids globally,1 93% report having trouble hearing in noisy environments and 55% get confused about where sounds come from.2
ReSound ONE is “the world’s first full-featured* hearing aid with a Microphone & Receiver-In-Ear design (M&RIE) that uses the unique shape of every individual’s ear to collect sound.” This innovation has been achieved with a new receiver system combined with all-new Digital Feedback Suppression (DFS Ultra III), enabled by GN’s new sound-processing chipset. By picking up sound directly inside the ear, ReSound ONE helps give the brain “everything it needs to tune in to individual voices, as well as significantly reducing background noise.” Clinical studies show that hearing aid users benefit from listening to sounds collected with their own ears, with 90% of users preferring the sound quality of ReSound ONE with M&RIE instead of only the microphone behind the ear.3,4
GN Hearing CEO and President, Gitte Aabo said, “I am very proud that, once again, GN is first in the industry with groundbreaking innovation that will make a genuine difference in how people experience conversations and sounds around them. Placing a microphone into the ear with an open-fit hearing aid is something the industry has battled for many years to achieve. This technology will allow people with hearing loss to feel that they are literally getting their own hearing back and hearing the way nature intended. ReSound ONE will boost the communication, relationships, and confidence of every individual.”
Additionally, ReSound ONE incorporates new All Access Directionality and the user-activated Ultra Focus settings. These enhanced operating modes help “significantly improve speech recognition while preserving spatial perception in complex sound and noise situations,” according to GN’s announcement. ReSound ONE includes rechargeability and connectivity options to both iOS and Android smartphones for streaming and hearing aid control.
ReSound ONE is available from August 27, 2020 in rechargeable and non-rechargeable models. This technology is also available in new Beltone Imagine hearing aids.
For further information, visit the ReSound Newsroom and read more about the Organic Hearing philosophy.
Learn more about GN’s 2020 and beyond strategy with focus on individualized customer experiences.
*ReSound ONE introduces “the world’s first full-featured hearing aid with M&RIE for a truly individualized, more complete sound experience.” Full-featured means a microphone in the ear and two additional, standard directional microphones, directionality features, and wireless audio streaming.
References
1. World Health Organization (WHO). Deafness and hearing loss: Factsheet.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss. Accessed July 2020
2. Powers TA, Rogin CM. MarkeTrak 10: Hearing aids in an era of disruption and DTC/OTC devices. Hearing Review. 2019;26(8):12-20.
3. Jespersen et al, (2020). M&RIE receiver preferred for sound quality and localization. ReSound white paper.
4. Groth J, (2020). An innovative RIE with microphone in the ear lets users “hear with their own ears.” ReSound white paper.
Source: GN Hearing
Image: GN Hearing