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Ear wax removal near Tiverton Devon

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Ear wax removal near Tiverton Devon

 

Ear wax removal near Tiverton Devon is available at the Honiton hearing centre. If you are suffering from excessive wax build up in the ear or ears we can come to your aid. Using Microsuction or the traditional irrigation technique, (some call it ear syringing), it only take a few mins to painlessly  remove excess ear wax. Please click here to see how Micro-Suction works via our new online video.

To see how ear syringing works please click here. 

If you live in Tiverton area then contact us for Ear wax removal near Tiverton Devon

Honiton hearing centre also conduct lots of other ear related issues such as hearing tests, dispensing the very latest digital hearing aids along with hearing aid servicing and setting up of new hearing aids after you purchase them. If you need any of our services please book in using our online booking calendar or call Sam on reception.

 

Honiton hearing news:

Philips Hearing Aids Introduced by Demant

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Honiton hearing Devon

Demant, Copenhagen, Denmark, has announced the introduction of Philips branded hearing aids to the global hearing aid market, according to a press release from the company. A new player, the Philips brand is entering the hearing healthcare market with a complete range of premium hearing aids, accessories, and applications to best serve hearing aid users. Demant states Philips Hearing Solutions will quickly become a trusted brand with hearing care providers and users, as it has great potential around the world to present unique opportunities for hearing care professionals in an ever-evolving market.

In August, Demant  announced a licensing agreement with Philips, which is headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, to bring Philips-branded solutions to the hearing healthcare market.  Demant (formerly William Demant Holding) is the parent group of Oticon, Sonic, and Bernafon hearing aids, as well as Oticon Medical.

Ear wax removal near Tiverton Devon

“Based on a shared vision of improving the lives of people through innovative healthcare this new cooperation will not only change the way we see hearing healthcare, but also widen the definition of hearing healthcare, supporting healthier lifestyles and active aging,” said Spencer Ramsey, Senior Director of Brand Licensing, Philips, in the press statement. “Combining Demant’s world-leading hearing aid technology with Philips’ global brand presence in healthcare, the cooperation will enrich the hearing healthcare experience.”

The new premium Philips hearing aids—named Philips HearLink—are now available for hearing care professionals in selected countries. The look and feel of the Philips HearLink hearing aids is designed to cater to today’s baby boomer generation with design and usability developed for this expanding market. Philips HearLink users will benefit from connectivity between their hearing aids and the devices they use in their everyday life, such as smartphones and televisions. The hearing aids will reportedly be manufactured by Demant using the Velox-S and Velox platforms, and will be available in a complete range of styles, including RICs, BTEs, ITCs, CICs, and IITs.

Demant President Søren Nielsen provided an overview of the Oticon Opn S and Opn Play at an investor and media presentation.

Søren Nielsen

“The Philips hearing aids will provide users with an innovative, future-proof hearing solution,” says Demant President & CEO Søren Nielsen. “We live in an age where user engagement and digital services are shaping the future of healthcare technology. More and more people are conscious of taking control of their own personal healthcare and are using electronic devices to do so. In this light, Philips Hearing Solutions offers new and exciting premium solutions alongside Philips’ healthcare ecosytem, which will attract interest and generate significant benefits to users, ultimately supporting our valued customer base of hearing care professionals.

Tiverton ear wax removal at the Honiton Hearing centre

“With this partnership, we take connected hearing healthcare to the next level and offer new and exciting solutions within integrated healthcare services to the benefit of both professionals and people suffering from a hearing loss,” continued Nielsen. “Health, caring, and innovation are cornerstones in the vision of both Demant and Philips, which makes the partnership a great match for the future. Furthermore, it will strengthen and add value to both companies’ ambition to improve people’s lives.”

The Philips brand is something of a “back to the future moment” for more seasoned dispensing professionals. Philips was a well-known hearing aid brand in the 1990s, and the company embarked on a technical collaboration with Telex then exited the market just before the turn of the new century when Beltone purchased Philips’ hearing aid technology. The Hearing Review published numerous news and technical articles about Philips technology in the 90s.

Traditionally, hearing aid branding has not played a large role in hearing healthcare; MarkeTrak 9 suggested that less than half of hearing aid users (43%) could identify the brand of their device. However, many experts in the industry believe this is due to change, as more consumers are expected to enter the market and there is continued competition and aggressive marketing among dispensing chains, pharmacies, mass merchandisers, and online retailers. The Philips brand brings with it one of the world’s best known and trusted healthcare and consumer electronics brands.

For further information about Philips Hearing Solutions and a full presentation of the Philips HearLink product range, visit: hearingsolutions.philips.com

Hearing aids East Devon

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Hearing aids East Devon

The Honiton hearing centre

 

Hearing aids East Devon, at the Honiton hearing centre run by Colin and Sam Eaton. Digital hearing aids have changed beyond recognition in the last 5 years. If you are using older hearing aids or have been using NHS hearing aids and would like to try the latest discreet digital hearing aids with connectivity with your mobile phone, tablet and T.V. Honiton hearing offer a free trial. Please contact Sam on reception. We use Phonak, GN ReSound, Oticon and other manufacturers hearing aids.

Ear wax removal Devon

The Honiton hearing centre also conduct ear wax removal using Microsuction and the traditional water irrigation technique. You can watch our video here to see how we do this and how painless and quick it really is.

Honiton hearing news:

Researchers Identify Gene Associated with Age-related Hearing Loss

 

Mouse study reveals contributor to hearing loss

An international group of researchers, led by Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and Michael Bowl, PhD, program leader track scientist, Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, UK, have identified the gene that acts as a key regulator for special cells needed in hearing.

The discovery of this gene (Ikzf2) will help researchers better understand this unique type of cell that is needed for hearing and potentially develop treatments for common age-related hearing loss, UMSOM announced.

“Outer hair cells are the first inner ear cells lost as we age,” said Hertzano, whose research will be published in the journal Nature. “Age-related hearing loss happens to everyone. Even a 30-year-old has lost some of the outer hair cells that sense higher pitch sounds. Simple exposure to sound, especially loud ones, eventually causes damage to these cells.”

The inner ear has two kinds of sensory hair cells required for hearing. The inner hair cells convert sounds to neural signals that travel to the brain. This compares to outer hair cells, which function by amplifying and tuning sounds. Without outer hair cells, sound is severely muted and inner hair cells don’t signal the brain. Loss of outer hair cells is said to be the major cause of age-related loss of hearing.

About the Research

Hertzano’s group, in collaboration with Ran Elkon, PhD, senior lecturer, Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel, took a bioinformatics and functional genomics approach to discover a gene critical for the regulation of genes involved in outer hair cell development. Bowl’s group studied mice from the Harwell Aging Screen to identify mice with hearing loss. Bowl identified mice with an early-onset hearing loss caused by an outer hair cell deficit. When the two groups realized that they were studying the same gene, they began to collaborate to discover its biological function and role in outer hair cell development. The gene is Ikzf2 gene, which encodes helios. Helios is a transcription factor, a protein that controls the expression of other genes. The mutation in the mice changes one amino acid in a critical part of the protein, which impaired the transcriptional regulatory activity of helios in the mice.

To test if helios could drive the differentiation of outer hair cells, the researchers introduced a virus engineered to overexpress helios into the inner ear hair cells of newborn mice. As a result, some of the mature inner hair cells became more like outer hair cells. In particular, the inner hair cells with an excess of helios started making the protein prestin and exhibited electromotility, a property limited to outer hair cells. Thus, helios can drive inner hair cells to adopt critical outer hair cell characteristics.

Hearing aids East Devon

Funding for the research was provided by Action on Hearing Loss UK, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense (DOD).

As Professor Steve Brown, PhD, director, MRC Harwell Institute, said, “The development of therapies for age-related hearing loss represents one of the big challenges facing medicine and biomedical science. Understanding the genetic programs that are responsible for the development and maturation of sound-transducing hair cells within the inner ear will be critical to exploring avenues for the regeneration of these cells that are lost in abundance during age-related hearing loss. The teams from the University of Maryland and the MRC Harwell Research Institute have given us the first insights into that program. They have identified a master regulator, Ikzf2/helios, that controls the program for maturation of outer hair cells. Now, we have a target that we can potentially use to induce the production of outer hair cells within damaged inner ears, and we are one step closer to offering treatments for this disabling condition.”

Original Paper: Chessum L, Matern MS, Kelly MC, et al. Helios is a key transcriptional regulator of outer hair cell maturation. Nature. November 21, 2018.

Source: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Nature

Image: University of Maryland School of Medicine

Hearing solutions, Honiton, Devon

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Hearing solutions, Devon, Hearing aids and earwax

Hearing solutions, Devon, Hearing aids and earwax available at the Honiton hearing centre near Exeter and Tiverton. The Honiton hearing centre is conveniently situated between Exeter and Sidmouth but covers the whole of Devon. They also cover South Somerset and North Devon. If you are suffering with blocked ears or think you may have ear wax issues please make an appointment with Sam to see Mr Colin Eaton the lead audiologist.  If you are in need of a comprehensive hearing test, the Honiton hearing centre can help there too. Dispensing thousands of hearing ads through their time in Devon, Colin Eaton knows a thing or two about hearing aids. The very latest digital hearing aids are available.

Honiton hearing news:

Cochlear and GN Expand Smart Hearing Alliance Collaboration

Original story by The Hearing Review

Cochlear and GN ReSound Smart Hearing Alliance

Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), a maker of implantable hearing solutions, and GN (GN.CO), a manufacturer of intelligent audio solutions, signed a new agreement to “significantly expand” their Smart Hearing Alliance collaboration, GN announced on its website.

The Smart Hearing Alliance was established in 2015 to develop the most integrated, best-in-class hearing solutions—giving hearing aid and cochlear implant recipients access to the latest in connectivity and wireless technology, and helping bimodal recipients to achieve seamless connectivity between a cochlear implant in one ear, and a GN hearing aid in the other. The deepening of this relationship includes joint research and development, shared technology, and strengthened global Smart Hearing Alliance commercial collaboration between Cochlear and GN Hearing, the hearing aid division of the GN Group.

Devon ear wax removal

Cochlear and GN Hearing are now strengthening focus on their integrated product offering and expanding their presence in the clinical hearing aid and implantable hearing solutions markets globally. According to the announcement, the vision for this new collaboration will include a focus on fast-moving connectivity and wireless technology to allow for closer integration between Cochlear and GN Hearing technologies. The two companies will leverage research and development investment to jointly develop firmware and software technologies.

In addition to technology sharing, the two companies will strengthen the commercial collaboration and work together to enable clinicians to deliver a more seamless solution and best-in-class hearing experience to their patients.

GN Hearing CFO Marcus Desimoni and Cochlear CEO and President Dig Howitt welcomed the signing of the expanded agreement.

Devon hearing aids

Desimoni said: “This strengthened alliance is an important step forward for the millions of people around the world with disabling hearing loss—making the most advanced technology more accessible and simplifying the experience with more integrated solutions. GN Hearing is committed to advancing what is possible for people with hearing loss. This strategic partnership is a very smart and cost-effective way to expand the R&D capacity of both companies to reach our goals.”

Howitt said: “At Cochlear, we’re driven to develop hearing solutions that empower people to connect with others and live a full life. By expanding our collaboration with GN Hearing, we’re able to bring the latest in connectivity and wireless technology to our implant recipients more quickly. We’re also able to give bimodal recipients—those using a cochlear implant in one ear, and a hearing aid in the other—unparalleled performance and a seamless experience with both devices. As two leaders in our areas of hearing health, this collaboration demonstrates our commitment to design and bring to market the best hearing solutions available.”

This collaboration aims to improve the hearing outcomes for more people with moderate to profound hearing loss. In developing more integrated bimodal hearing solutions, Cochlear and GN Hearing have focused on helping to achieve greater connectivity for people—not only between the two companies’ devices, but also with Apple and Android technology. Most recently, Cochlear and GN Hearing collaborated to bring to market the what is said to be the “first Made for iPhone” Smart Bimodal Solution, enabling recipients to synchronize streaming to both ears from a compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The Nucleus® 7 Bimodal Solutionis delivered by using a Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor in one ear, a compatible ReSound hearing aid in the other ear, and a paired iPhone or iPod touch to control functionality for both hearing devices.

Hearing test Devon

The Smart Hearing Alliance delivers bimodal solutions connecting Cochlear Nucleus cochlear implants, Cochlear Baha bone conduction implants, wireless accessories, and ReSound hearing aids.

Source: GN, Cochlear Ltd

Image: GN, Cochlear Ltd

Hearing aids for the Devon area

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Hearing aids for the Devon area

 

Honiton hearing centre is a premium independent hearing centre based in the East of Devon. Family run and lead by Colin Eaton a specialist audiologist for many years.

If you are suffering with blocked ears or think you may need a hearing test please book in with Sam on reception. Colin is a fully qualified hearing aid dispenser and can show you how to connect any recent digital hearing aid to your iPhone, iPad etc. Please ask Colin for his sound advice when it comes to T.V. streaming to your hearing aid.

Based in Honiton the hearing centre covers the whole of Devon from Ilfracombe to Lyme Bay and beyond.

 

Honiton hearing news:

Oticon Announces Five New Opn Custom Solutions Styles

Ear wax removal, Devon ear wax removal, Lyme bay ear wax removal, Charmouth ear wax removal, hearing aids east Devon,

Lyme bay and Charmouth hearing aid centre and ear wax removal

Oticon announced the launch of five new custom hearing aid styles, including what is said to be the “smallest hearing aid style Oticon has ever produced,” using BrainHearing™  and Opn’s technology to support the brain in making sense of sound and enabling users to identify where sounds are coming from, even in challenging environments.

Oticon Opn Invisible-in- Canal hearing aid (IIC)

Oticon Opn Invisible-in-Canal hearing aid (IIC)

“The variety of Opn Custom styles, functionalities, and features combined with Oticon’s groundbreaking open sound experience provides hearing care professionals with even more Opn choices for their patients, especially those who are reluctant to try hearing aids,” says Don Schum, PhD, Oticon vice president of audiology. “For many first-time users, the appeal of an invisible hearing solution, our smallest IIC ever, may be the catalyst for taking action to address their hearing loss.”

No Compromise on Quality, Reliability, Performance

Opn Custom hearing aids are said to break through some of the challenges faced by people with hearing loss: understanding speech in noise and handling multiple speakers, according to Oticon. The custom lineup includes styles with 2.4 GHz low-energy Bluetooth® connectivity that offer wireless possibilities.The miniaturization of all components can help enable more functionality in less space, resulting in fewer compromises and more modeling freedom to support a better physical fit and a higher fit rate. The effect and availability of Opn Custom features varies with hearing aid style and prescription.

Oticon Opn and Siya

Oticon Opn and Siya

Lyme bay, Devon, hearing aids and Ear wax removal

The new Oticon Siya amplifies the detail of sounds, which can enable users to be able to follow conversations in noisy environments. Oticon BrainHearing technology and a chip that reportedly processes sound 50 times faster than Oticon’s previous generation of essential hearing aids are said to deliver high-resolution sound quality to improve speech understanding.

Hearing aid video at Honiton hearing centre

With 2.4 GHz Bluetooth low-energy technology, Siya is said to be the “first hearing aid” in the essential category to allow wireless connectivity with low battery consumption to modern smartphones, TVs, and other Bluetooth®-enabled devices. Siya comes in a complete lineup of styles, ranging from invisible custom styles to power hearing aids.

Oticon Siya

Oticon Siya

Charmouth hearing aids, ear wax removal

HearingFitness™ is a new tool, available in Oticon’s proprietary ON App, to help people with hearing loss understand how they can optimize their hearing health behavior to take full advantage of their hearing aids. Users of internet-connected Oticon Opn and Oticon Siya hearing aids can use HearingFitness to track how long they wear their hearing aids and receive notifications and prompts to help them reach their wearing goals and track the noise levels they are frequently exposed to. The new tool can be especially useful for first-time users who find it difficult to adapt to wearing hearing aids.

For more information on the new Oticon Opn Custom solutions and the extended Oticon Opn family, visit www.Oticon.com/OpnCustom. For information on Oticon Siya, visit www.Oticon.com/Siya. For information on the Oticon ON App with the new HearingFitness tool, visit www.Oticon.com/HearingFitness.

Source: Oticon

Images: Oticon

Devon hearing aids Honiton

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Devon hearing aids

 

Hearing aids at the Honiton hearing centre covering Lyme bay and East Devon areas.

 

The Honiton hearing centre are a truly independent small hearing company based in the East of Devon. Colin Eaton the lead audiologist was the Chairman of AHIPP the professional body of hearing experts. Covering the East of Devon including Tiverton, Cullompton, Honiton, Lyme Bay, Sidmouth and beyond.

Hearing test

Our comprehensive hearing tests are conducted with the latest hearing and digital audiology equipment. Please go here to watch our hearing test video. If you feel you need a hearing test them please call Sam on reception to book an appointment.

Digital hearing aids

We pride ourselves on dispensing the very latest digital hearing aids supplied by the leading hearing aid manufacturers. The digital hearing aids of today are more advanced than you could imagine. They connect wirelessly with your mobile phone, iPad, and T.V. just ask Colin Eaton our lead audiologist to advice you on hearing aid connectivity.

 

Honiton hearing News:

 

Widex Announces New Insights into EVOKE Hearing Aid’s AI Function

Published on 

Honiton hearing aids, Devon

Hearing aids in Tiverton and Lyme Bay Devon

Widex announced the first data gathered from the WIDEX EVOKE™ hearing aid, which is said to achieve “a new level of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” through machine learning, and is helping to bring new insights into how users are taking control of their sound environment to improve their hearing experience, according to the company.

Denmark-based Widex launched the WIDEX EVOKE hearing aid in April. The hearing aid is reportedly the first to give users the ability to employ real-time machine learning that can solve the tricky hearing problems that users face in their daily lives.

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“We launched WIDEX EVOKE with SoundSense technology to put users back in control of the most difficult hearing situations,” said Jens Brehm Nielsen, data science & machine learning architect at Widex. “And we can see that EVOKE users have taken the opportunity to do that and, in the process, are helping us understand more about them. That information will help us to make the EVOKE and future hearing aids even better.”

SoundSense Learn is an AI system, because AI is said to refer to systems that solve tasks humans are inherently good at—such as driving a car, doing the dishes, etc. SoundSense Learn expands into entirely new applications by helping end users adjust their hearing aids in the moment, reportedly something that no humans can replicate to the same degree of accuracy, according to Widex.

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The SoundSense Learn smartphone app is connected to the EVOKE hearing aids and uses machine learning to guide users in optimizing the settings to their exact needs. The app gathers a variety of anonymous data such as how often they turn the volume up or down, which sound presets they use, and how many custom settings they create—including those made with SoundSense Learn.

What’s in a tag?

Tagging of custom settings has proved to be one of the interesting pieces of data generated by EVOKE.

“We found that many people have created a setting and tagged it with, for instance, ‘work’ which suggests that it is something that our end users need and want,” said Nielsen. “And from SoundSense Learn we already have an idea of how they like the settings.”

Some hearing aids give users the ability to customize their sound experience by adjusting frequency bands to boost or cut bass, middle or high tones. Adjusting frequencies works well in many situations once the initial settings have been set by a skilled audiologist. However, some situations are so complex that hitting the right combination of adjustments can be difficult.

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“Widex hearing aids are well known for the quality of their sound,” said Nielsen. “But SoundSense Learn has added an extra layer of quality sound on top of that by using a machine learning algorithm together with reinforcement learning—the two key ingredients in state-of-the art AI algorithm, that enables the algorithm to learn in the moment.

“The algorithm learns an optimal setting every time a user finds the sound to be a little below expectations in a given sound environment. It learns these settings by simply asking the user to compare two settings that are carefully picked by the algorithm. This allows it to learn an optimal setting in a new environment very fast.”

By collating and analyzing the anonymous data WIDEX EVOKE will continue to become even smarter as time passes.

Source: Widex

Image: Widex

Hearing loss, Honiton hearing

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The Honiton hearing centre, Hearing loss.

The Honiton hearing centre is a private hearing company based in Honiton. Colin Eaton the lead audiologist can help with all matters relating to hearing loss, ear wax removal, the latest hearing instruments (Hearing aids) and conducts hearing tests.  Book ahead for a comprehensive hearing test and discussion on your hearing heath after he hearing test result.

If you are suffering with hearing loss and suspect that ear wax maybe the issue, Colin Eaton will conduct either Micro-suction or the traditional water ear irrigation technique. Micro-suction is painless and is the latest way to remove stubborn ear wax from your ear canal. Watch our Micro-suction video here. 

 

Honiton Hearing NEWS:

 

HEARING LOSS

News originaly taken from the Hearing Review

Hearing Technology Manufacturers Call for EU Response to Hearing Loss

 

The British and Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) works closely with its European counterpart the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA), and has supported their recent efforts to raise awareness of hearing loss with EU policymakers, the trade association announced. EHIMA submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission in July, which has recently received a response from ministers.

 

The question, which was signed by the Austrian MEP Heinz K. Becker, can be read in full here. The question points to a widening gap between people that self-report hearing loss and the smaller proportion that receive treatment and/or wear devices; this “suboptimal use” of devices is estimated to cost the EU over EUR 500 billion (about USD $583.73 billion) annually. Citing the European Pillar of Social Rights—principles 16 and 17 which cover health care and the inclusion of people with disabilities—the question asks how the Commission can support best practices like early screenings, community education about the benefits of hearing devices, and research related to prevention and treatment strategies for hearing loss.

HEARING LOSS

The European Commission published its answer on August 24, pointing to its efforts to develop the Best Practice Portal, a website described as a “one-stop shop” for best practices in a number of public health initiatives related to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations. In particular, the website aims to meet goal 3.4, “to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being, by one-third.” Additionally, the Commission’s 7th Framework Program for Research (FP7) as well as Horizon 2020—an EU research and innovation program—have funded research on the auditory system, screening standards, hearing devices, diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss-related diseases, and sign language. Further, the Commission states they have proposed a EUR 7.7 billion (USD about $9 billion) health budget for Horizon Europe 2020, focusing on initiatives related to lifelong health, rare diseases, and health care technologies, among other things. To further facilitate hearing-related funding, the Commission said, “Horizon Europe will be open to research proposals on hearing loss, including prevention and rehabilitation and innovative treatments.”

According to BIHIMA’s announcement, the Commission’s response is considered a positive exchange of information. Further, they state, BIHIMA’s European hearing manufacturing partners are encouraged that a greater understanding of hearing loss is being fostered among European policymakers.

“BIHIMA stand fully behind our European partners, EHIMA, in their effort to draw much-needed attention to hearing loss and we applaud this initiative to influence EU decision-making,” said Chairman Paul Surridge.

BIHIMA and EHIMA are together committed to the work of improving the lives of people with hearing loss through promoting greater access to hearing technology.

Source: BIHIMA, EHIMA, European Commission

Hearing aids, South Devon

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Hearing aids, South Devon

The Honiton hearing centre is an independent hearing specialist centre based in Honiton South Devon.  We specialise in the very latest hearing aids that will transform your life. The new 2018 digital hearing aids are a joy to use, connecting with your Iphone or most Android smart phones that are on the market today.  You can really hear the benefits of the latest hearing tech, so why not book in and have a hearing test today and discuss your needs.

We cover Honiton, Exeter, Teignmouth, Torbay, Torquay, Totnes, Plymouth, Sidmouth, Kingsbridge, Seaton and South Hams.

 

Honiton Hearing News:

 

Devon, Kingsbridge hearing centre, South Hams hearing, hearing aids-Teighnmouth, hearing aids-Torquay-Hearing aids-Exeter

The latest 2018 hearing aids available at the Honiton hearing centre, Devon

Swedish University Researchers Develop New Test for Balance Disorders

Original story by The Hearing Review

Bo Håkansson, Professor in Biomedical Engineering, undergoes testing using the new compact vibrating device he and the team helped design. Credit: Johan Bodell/Chalmers University of Technology

Many individuals over age 65 suffer from dizziness and problems with balance; however, tests to identify the causes of such problems are often painful and can risk hearing damage. Now, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new testing device using bone conduction technology that is said to offer “significant advantages” over current tests, the Sweden-based university announced. 

Hearing aids Teighnmouth, Devon

Potentials (VEMP) test uses loud sounds to evoke a muscle reflex contraction in the neck and eye muscles, triggered by the vestibular system—the system responsible for our balance. The Chalmers researchers have now used bone-conducted sounds to achieve what they say are better results.

“We have developed a new type of vibrating device that is placed behind the ear of the patient during the test,” said Bo Håkansson, a professor in the research group ‘Biomedical signals and systems’ at Chalmers.

Bo Håkansson, Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Chalmers. Photo Credit: Johan Bodell/Chalmers University of Technology

Bo Håkansson, Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Chalmers. Photo Credit: Johan Bodell/Chalmers University of Technology

The vibrating device is small and compact in size, and optimized to provide an adequate sound level for triggering the reflex at frequencies as low as 250 Hz. Previously, no vibrating device has been available that was directly adapted for this type of test of the balance system.

In bone-conduction transmission, sound waves are transformed into vibrations through the skull, stimulating the cochlea within the ear, in the same way as sound waves go through the ear canal, the eardrum, and the middle ear. Håkansson has over 40 years of experience in this field and has previously developed hearing aids using this technology.

The cause of dizziness can be difficult to diagnose for several reasons. In 50% of cases, dizziness is due to problems in the vestibular system. But today’s VEMP methods have major shortcomings, and can cause hearing loss and discomfort for patients.

Hearing aids Exeter, Devon

For example, the VEMP test uses very high sound levels, and may, in fact, cause permanent hearing damage itself, according to the university’s press release.  And, if the patient already suffers from certain types of hearing loss, it may be impossible to draw any conclusions from the test. The Chalmers researchers’ new method offers significant advantages.

“Thanks to this bone conduction technology, the sound levels which patients are exposed to can be minimized,” said postdoctoral researcher Karl-Johan Fredén Jansson, who made all the measurements in the project. “The previous test was like a machine gun going off next to the ear—with this method it will be much more comfortable. The new vibrating device provides a maximum sound level of 75 decibels. The test can be performed at 40 decibels lower than today’s method using air-conducted sounds through headphones. This eliminates any risk that the test itself could cause hearing damage.”

The benefits also include safer testing for children as well as patients with impaired hearing function due to chronic ear infections or congenital malformations in the ear canal and middle ear.

The vibrating device is compatible with standardized equipment for balance diagnostics in healthcare and the cost of the new technology is estimated to be lower than the corresponding equipment used today.

A pilot study has been conducted and recently published. The next step is to conduct a larger patient study in collaboration with Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, where 30 participants with normal hearing will also be included.

More about the research

The scientific article “VEMP using a new low-frequency bone conduction transducer” has recently been published by Dove Medical Press, in the journal Medical Devices: Evidence and Research.

Chalmers’ partners in the study are the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, and the Danish audio companies Ortofon andInteracoustics. Grants for this project are received from Vinnova (Swedish Innovations Agency) and Hörselskadades Riksförbund (Hearing Impairment Federation).

See the researchers’ own presentation of the project

Read more about research on medical signals and systems

Original Paper: Håkansson B, Fredén Jansson K-J, Tengstrand T, et al. VEMP using a new low-frequency bone conduction transducer. Medical Devices: Evidence and Research. 2018;11:301-312.

Source: Chalmers University of Technology, Medical Devices: Evidence and Research

Image: Johan Bodell/Chalmers University of Technology

 

Hearing aids, Torquay, Teignmouth & Torbay

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Hearing aids, Torquay, Teignmouth & Torbay

If you are looking for hearing aids or ear wax removal in the Torquay, Teighnmouth & Torbay areas we can help. A refreshing alternative to the local offering of high street stores is the Honiton hearing centre. A family run, high quality but reasonable priced independent hearing centre on your doorstep. We stock the very latest digital hearing aids, and remove ear wax using Microsuction or the traditional ear irrigation if you prefer.  You can watch our ear wax removal video here 

Honiton hearing news:

Widex Announces New Insights into EVOKE Hearing Aid’s AI Function

Original story by the Hearing review

Honiton hearing centre, hearing aids fitted, hearing test Devon, South Hams Devon, Devon hearing

Ear wax removal Torbay, Torquay & Teignmouth

Widex announced the first data gathered from the WIDEX EVOKE™ hearing aid, which is said to achieve “a new level of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” through machine learning, and is helping to bring new insights into how users are taking control of their sound environment to improve their hearing experience, according to the company.

Denmark-based Widex launched the WIDEX EVOKE hearing aid in April. The hearing aid is reportedly the first to give users the ability to employ real-time machine learning that can solve the tricky hearing problems that users face in their daily lives.

Ear wax removal in Torbay

“We launched WIDEX EVOKE with SoundSense technology to put users back in control of the most difficult hearing situations,” said Jens Brehm Nielsen, data science & machine learning architect at Widex. “And we can see that EVOKE users have taken the opportunity to do that and, in the process, are helping us understand more about them. That information will help us to make the EVOKE and future hearing aids even better.”

Living in Torbay

Living in Torbay and you are hard of hearing, but need friendly hearing advice? We can do a very quick hearing test and check  that you are clear of ear wax before consulting on any solutions.

SoundSense Learn is an AI system, because AI is said to refer to systems that solve tasks humans are inherently good at—such as driving a car, doing the dishes, etc. SoundSense Learn expands into entirely new applications by helping end users adjust their hearing aids in the moment, reportedly something that no humans can replicate to the same degree of accuracy, according to Widex.

The SoundSense Learn smartphone app is connected to the EVOKE hearing aids and uses machine learning to guide users in optimizing the settings to their exact needs. The app gathers a variety of anonymous data such as how often they turn the volume up or down, which sound presets they use, and how many custom settings they create—including those made with SoundSense Learn.

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Tagging of custom settings has proved to be one of the interesting pieces of data generated by EVOKE.

“We found that many people have created a setting and tagged it with, for instance, ‘work’ which suggests that it is something that our end users need and want,” said Nielsen. “And from SoundSense Learn we already have an idea of how they like the settings.”

Some hearing aids give users the ability to customize their sound experience by adjusting frequency bands to boost or cut bass, middle or high tones. Adjusting frequencies works well in many situations once the initial settings have been set by a skilled audiologist. However, some situations are so complex that hitting the right combination of adjustments can be difficult.

“Widex hearing aids are well known for the quality of their sound,” said Nielsen. “But SoundSense Learn has added an extra layer of quality sound on top of that by using a machine learning algorithm together with reinforcement learning—the two key ingredients in state-of-the art AI algorithm, that enables the algorithm to learn in the moment.

“The algorithm learns an optimal setting every time a user finds the sound to be a little below expectations in a given sound environment. It learns these settings by simply asking the user to compare two settings that are carefully picked by the algorithm. This allows it to learn an optimal setting in a new environment very fast.”

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By collating and analyzing the anonymous data WIDEX EVOKE will continue to become even smarter as time passes.

Source: Widex

Image: Widex

If you are looking for ear wax removal in Somerset, try the Keynsham hearing centre

New hearing aids, Teighnmouth South Devon

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New hearing aids arrive in Teighnmouth South Devon

The latests digital hearing aids have arrived in Devon at the Honiton hearing Centre. The New Starkey

Livio AI Hearing Aid with Integrated Sensors and Artificial Intelligence

The Livio Ai Is a huge step forward for hearing loss.  Colin Eaton the lead audiologist in the Torbay area and Teighnmouth, suggest that even with mild hearing loss having a yearly hearing test could really improve your quality of life. We are all happy to have eye tests as we can clearly see there maybe some deterioration of sight, but hearing is a sense so we really do need to keep on top of hearing also.
Book your appointment at the South Devon hearing centre based in Honiton to discover what is new in the digital hearing world.

Honiton Hearing News:

 

 

Starkey Launches Livio AI Hearing Aid with Integrated Sensors and Artificial Intelligence

Published on 

Tegnmouth, Torbay, Hearing aids, ear wax removal, Torquay, Honiton, South Devon, South Hams,

New digital hearing aids in Teignmouth, Torbay and Torquay area.

Starkey Livio AI.

Starkey® Hearing Technologies is said to have “reinvented both the hearing experience and the hearing aid” with Livio AI. Livio AI is reportedly “the world’s first” Healthable™ hearing aid to utilize integrated sensors and artificial intelligence and the first device to track physical activity and cognitive health as measured by hearing aid use in social situations, Starkey announced.

The launch also includes a brand-new mobile app—Thrive™ Hearing—and three new wireless accessories, the Starkey Hearing Technologies TV, the Remote, and the Remote Microphone +. With the Remote Micorophone+, Livio AI is also the first hearing aid to feature Amazon® Alexa connectivity.

“First and foremost, Livio AI is the best performing and best sounding hearing aid we have ever made,” said Starkey Hearing Technologies President Brandon Sawalich. “What makes today a pivotal moment in the hearing industry, is that with Livio AI, we have transformed a single-use device into the world’s first multi-purpose hearing aid, a Healthable with integrated sensors and artificial intelligence. Livio AI is so much more than just a hearing aid, it is a gateway to better health and wellness.”

According to Starkey, the new Hearing Reality™ technology is said to provide an average 50% reduction in noisy environments, significant reduced listening effort, and newly enhanced clarity of speech, while the use of artificial intelligence and integrated sensors enables it to help optimize the hearing experience.

To see and test this new hearing aid contact us at the Honiton hearing centre

Artificial intelligence and advancements in hearing technology enabled Livio AI to provide the following unique features and benefits, according to Starkey’s announcement:

  • Understand and see the real-time health benefits of using hearing aids
  • Overall health and wellness tracking through the app’s combined brain and body health score (Thrive Wellness Score)
  • Integration of the physical activity data measured by inertial sensors of the hearing aids with Apple Health and Google Fit apps
  • Personalized Control for customizable adjustments to sound and programs
  • Remote programming by users’ hearing professionals to put hearing healthcare in the hands of the users
  • Natural user interface with tap control
  • Unprecedented, natural listening, and speech clarity in the noisiest environments with the new Hearing Reality technology
  • Integrated language translation
  • Dual-radio wireless platform: 2.4GHz radio for streaming of phone calls, music, media, apps, and connecting with various devices including TVs and Amazon Alexa; near-field magnetic induction technology for true ear-to-ear communication and binaural noise reduction
  • Fall detection with inertial sensors integrated within the hearing aids (App support coming soon)

Hearing aids in South Devon at Sidmouth, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Torbay, Torquay

Designed to help users live their healthiest life, Livio AI is available as a RIC 312 and BTE 13 in a variety of colors. In addition to the above features, Livio AI also includes Starkey’s feedback cancellation, high-definition music prescription, Multiflex Tinnitus Technology, and Surface™ NanoShield pioneering water, wax, and moisture repellant system to help protect and ensure durability and dependability.

How integrated sensors and AI helped Starkey transform the hearing aid

“Artificial intelligence, coupled with advanced sensing devices, is rapidly changing the world around us,” Starkey Hearing Technologies Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Engineering Achin Bhowmik said. “We are proud to introduce these transformational technologies into the world of hearing aids to both optimize the users’ hearing experiences and enable them to continuously monitor and improve their overall health besides treating hearing loss, reducing the associated risks of dementia, anxiety, and social isolation.”

The integrated 3D motion sensors inside Livio AI enable the hearing aids to detect movement, track activities, and recognize gestures. The hearing aids communicate with each other and compatible mobile accessories to deliver meaningful, real-time feedback about users’ overall body and cognitive health and fitness.

This technology may allow people to take a proactive and personal approach to treating hearing loss, which has been linked to various health issues including dementia, cognitive decline, anxiety, stress, social isolation, and an increased risk of falling.

Ear wax removal in South Devon, Torbay, Torquay, Teignmouth & Exeter

Source: Starkey

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