Oticon Medical, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, announced that it has obtained 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the powerful new Ponto 3 Bone Anchored Sound Processor.

Ponto 3 sound processor

The company reports that Ponto 3 is the most powerful family of abutment-level sound processors with a fitting range down to 65 dB HL (BC). Combining the highest output for an abutment-level processor and the widest frequency bandwidth in the industry with new features, Ponto 3 is said to improve outcomes in the bone anchored hearing solution category.

“By extending the Ponto 3 fitting range to 65 dB HL, even more patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss and single-sided deafness can benefit from the high-quality sound that is a hallmark of Oticon Medical implantable hearing solutions,” said Jes Olsen, president of Oticon Medical. “The Inium Sense platform and UltraDrive™ deliver the output, the bandwidth and the clarity that Ponto 3 SuperPower users need to experience powerful sound quality that makes listening easy in everyday sound environments. This means that the many patients who now wear a less powerful device will be able to benefit from significantly increased output while enjoying the discreet cosmetics of our traditional power devices.”

With a hearing loss, the brain has to work hard to process sound signals, especially in noisy situations. Oticon Medical has introduces BrainHearing™ for bone-anchored hearing systems in the Ponto 3. BrainHearing™ is about a fundamental understanding of how hearing works and how the brain makes sense of sound. The Inium Sense platform and Direct Sound Transmission work together to enable BrainHearing™ and provide the audibility and signal processing that support the brain’s cognitive processes.

Ponto 3 Has Enhanced Signal Processing Power to Focus and Understand

Ponto 3 sound processors use the adaptive FreeFocus directionality feature to help the brain focus while continuing to orient and separate sounds as users move from one environment to another. A typical user spends 70% of time in the Speech Omni/Focused directional mode where Ponto 3 delivers 15% better speech understanding.

The Ponto 3 abutment-level processors offer a wide bandwidth and high output. Higher output across the entire bandwidth significantly expands the range of sounds users can access, keeping loud sounds loud and soft sounds audible while maintaining important details of sound for a broader listening experience.

Powered by the UltraDrive™ technology that boosts the drive signal to the transducer, Ponto 3 SuperPower is the first abutment-level sound processor to deliver the output and amplification, previously possible only in larger and most often, body-worn devices. “Through an appealing combination of performance and cosmetics, the Ponto 3 SuperPower represents an important breakthrough,” explains Olsen. “It will be a welcome revelation to all patients who need more power.”

Oticon Medical is introducing the new manufacturer-independent DSL-BC fitting rationale, custom tailored for bone-anchored hearing solutions. Based on research made by the iRSM group at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton and the University of Western Ontario, the DSL fitting rationale has been specifically adapted in versions to address the needs of adult and pediatric bone anchored users.

For more information on Oticon Medical and the new Ponto 3 sound processor family, view the product video on YouTube.

Source: Oticon Medical