Starkey Laboratories Inc, Eden Prairie, Minn, introduces S Series with Drive Architecture, its new family of hearing aids, developed with the company’s evidence-based design approach. S Series is available in custom and a first-ever full line of receiver-in-canal (RIC) options.
Drive Architecture, the company’s newest, state-of-the-art integrated circuit platform, delivers maximum performance, power, and patient satisfaction, the company says. Powered by multi-core technology, Drive relies on independent and fully programmable open architecture processors to carry out tasks in parallel by using simultaneous multi-threading technology. The technology triples the processing power of previous platforms, allowing for efficient, high-speed multitasking of signal processing algorithms for better performance, while significantly improving battery life over Starkey’s previous technology platform.
“S Series by Starkey is the biggest leap forward in hearing aid technology in years,” said Jerome Ruzicka, president of Starkey. “Our successful meld of art and science creates broader appeal among a new generation of hearing professionals who place equal emphasis on technology and design for their patients."
Features include:
– PureWave feedback eliminator, delivering broader bandwidth, faster processing, and intelligent artifact elimination to ensure patients get the best possible performance in every listening environment. S Series models offer up to 25dB of added stable gain for the highest broadband gain margin in the industry, the company says.
– Acoustic Scene Analyzer is Starkey’s newest integrated system for managing noise and preserving speech recognition that instantly classifies incoming signals based on unique acoustic characteristics. ASA seamlessly selects and implements the most appropriate algorithms individually or collectively, providing the best possible acoustic response. This results in the highest level of patient comfort and clarity in noise, while emphasizing speech preservation.
– InVision directionality performs best in highly complex backgrounds of noise. The system features high DI scores and a low operational noise floor, helping patients significantly increase their speech understanding in noise.
– AudioScape, the company’s new acoustic pattern recognition system, uses patented real-time environment detection and classification to adapt to any listening environment. It seamlessly adjusts to a patient’s preferred settings, and a channel-specific signal-to-noise ratio calculation ensures that speech is always given the priority.
– Automatic Telephone Solution automatically detects telephone use and adjusts to the optimal acoustic frequency response for telephone listening.
– T2 (touch-tone) allows your patients to control their hearing aids using any cell or touchtone phone, avoiding the need to carry additional hardware. T2 discreetly and instantly classifies the touch-tone signal and automatically adjusts.
The company has integrated key features directly into hearing aids and fitting software so custom products are guaranteed to fit the first time. The line features master craftsmanship in custom fittings and open vent options, and first-rate feedback cancellation.
The line also includes the new S Series AP (Absolute Power), a patient-proven RIC that offers between 60 and 71dB of peak gain.