Hearing technology for high-security environments: Phonak’s Infinio Ultra portfolio hits the mark

AudiologyOnline: Can you set the stage for our readers? What does the Phonak Government Services portfolio look like right now, and who are these patients?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: This is a genuinely exciting moment for government-sector audiology. As of May 2026, the full Phonak Infinio Ultra portfolio is available through the Veterans Affairs (VA) hearing aid contract, which includes the Infinio Ultra R, Infinio Ultra Sphere, and Virto R Infinio.

Patients here span a wide spectrum. On the VA side, we are talking about the millions of veterans already service-connected for hearing loss and/or tinnitus. More than 1.5 million veterans receive disability compensation for hearing loss, and over 3.2 million for tinnitus.¹

On the Department of Defense (DoD) side, we are talking about mostly active-duty personnel through military treatment facilities. These are warfighters, intelligence analysts, logistics specialists, people with very demanding acoustic environments, whether that is the flight deck of an aircraft carrier or a quiet SCIF in a government building.

AudiologyOnline: Why is this population unique from a clinical and technological standpoint?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: A few things set this population apart. First, the severity and etiology of hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss from weapons fire, aircraft, and heavy equipment tends to be bilateral, high-frequency, and often accompanied by significant tinnitus. The audiogram shapes seen are different from typical age-related loss. Second, there are the occupational demands. A veteran working in cybersecurity or an active-duty signals intelligence officer may spend eight hours a day in a SCIF, a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, where the introduction of any wireless device capable of transmitting is either prohibited or requires formal security authorization. That is a real clinical and counseling challenge. Third, stigma and acceptance. Male veterans aged 18 to 44 are more than three times more likely to have hearing trouble than their non-veteran counterparts², but many resist amplification. Discreet, techy, high-performance options matter enormously for this group.

AudiologyOnline: Let’s talk about SCIFs, because this is something many audiologists outside of government audiology may not have encountered. What exactly is a SCIF, and why does it matter for hearing aid fitting?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: A Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, is a specially accredited space used to process, store, or discuss classified information. They are used across the intelligence community, the Department of Defense, the CIA, NSA, and by defense contractors. The security requirements in a SCIF are stringent. Devices with active wireless transmitters (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular) are typically prohibited because of the risk that they could be used as covert listening or data exfiltration tools.

For a hearing aid wearer who needs to work in a SCIF, this creates a dilemma. Modern premium hearing aids are increasingly Bluetooth® enabled. That wireless capability, which is a huge benefit in daily life, becomes a security concern inside a SCIF. In the past, the only option was to either remove the hearing aids entirely, which is obviously terrible for someone with significant hearing loss, or wear a basic, non-wireless device that provided suboptimal performance options. Neither is really acceptable.

AudiologyOnline: So, how has Phonak addressed this with the Infinio Ultra platform?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: Phonak has worked to understand the needs of SCIF environments and then developed a SCIF-compliant fitting configuration. With the Virto R Infinio, Infinio Ultra R, Infinio Ultra Sphere, and Target 11.2 fitting software, providers now have a way to configure the hearing aids to comply with SCIF requirements. Specifically, the wireless functionality can be disabled at the firmware level, not just turned off by the user, but configured in a way that satisfies security protocols. It means a patient can wear a premium device with all the audiological performance of the Infinio Ultra platform, appropriately configured for their secure work environment.

It is worth emphasizing that the audiologist plays a central role here. This is not a plug-and-play solution; it requires a clinical conversation with the patient about their specific workplace security requirements, coordination with their security officer if needed, and careful documentation. We encourage government audiologists to ask every patient who works in or has access to a secure facility whether SCIF compliance is a consideration for their fitting.

AudiologyOnline: Are there specific products in the Infinio Ultra family that are better suited for SCIF environments than others?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: Not really. I would say the Infinio Ultra device should be chosen based on other patient considerations, as all Infinio Ultra devices can be configured for the SCIF environment. The Virto R Infinio, our rechargeable in-the-ear custom device (ITE), is made with custom precision to fit the individual’s ear, and is discreet because it blends in with other wearable technology of today’s world. For active-duty personnel and veterans who regularly wear tactical helmets, bump helmets, or communications headsets, a behind-the-ear (BTE) or receiver-in-canal (RIC) device can create significant fit and comfort challenges. The receiver wire or housing can interfere with helmet retention systems, cause pressure points, or dislodge under operational conditions. A custom ITE device eliminates that problem entirely, sitting flush within the ear and remaining stable regardless of what the patient is wearing on their head. 

For patients who do require SCIF compliance but are also in challenging listening environments on a regular basis, we might think a little differently. In those cases, a patient might have their Infino Ultra Sphere configured to be SCIF-compliant. This device’s Spheric Speech Clarity 2.0 delivers a level of performance that is genuinely unprecedented in the hearing aid industry. Rather than simply reducing noise, it actively extracts, enhances, and integrates speech from unlimited voices in real time from any direction. Independent data show users are up to three times more likely to understand speech from any direction compared to standard directional processing, with listening effort reduced by up to 35%.³

For a patient spending hours each day in demanding briefings, multi-talker environments, or operational settings, that reduction in cognitive load is not just a comfort benefit; it is an operational one.

AudiologyOnline: A broader question, what does access to premium hearing technology mean for veterans’ mental health and community reintegration?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: This is at the heart of why Phonak feels so strongly about offering government audiology patients the very best technology available on the market. Hearing loss does not stay in the ear; it reverberates through every relationship, every social situation, and every professional interaction a veteran has. When someone comes back from service with significant noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, they can struggle to hear their children at the dinner table or follow a conversation at their workplace. The social isolation that follows can compound existing mental health challenges. Untreated hearing loss is associated with increased rates of depression and cognitive decline.⁴

When a veteran or active-duty patient is fit with Infinio Ultra Sphere, and they can comfortably and effortlessly hear their family in a noisy restaurant again, that’s a win for everyone. Or when a veteran or active-duty patient puts on a Virto I-R and realizes they are wearing a hearing aid, and it has improved their life, but also no one notices or comments on it, these moments are profound. Our technology is remarkable, but what we are really doing is giving people back their connections, so they can be present for the moments that matter most. That is what the VA’s Whole Health philosophy is about, and I think our offering the Infinio Ultra portfolio is Phonak’s strongest expression of our commitment to our nation’s heroes.

AudiologyOnline: What is your key takeaway message for government audiologists reading this?

Dr. Ashley Spisak: Two things. First, ask every patient about their occupational environment. SCIF access, communications equipment use, and mission-critical listening demands should be part of every initial intake.

Second, match technology to the whole person and their most challenging listening environment, even if it is not a daily occurrence. The Infinio Ultra portfolio gives us extraordinary breadth, from the Infinio Ultra Sphere’s unprecedented noise separation for the most demanding group communication situations, to the Infinio Ultra R’s rugged all-day reliability, to the Virto R Infinio’s discretion.

Phonak continues to invest in this space. We expect to continue deepening our educational and support resources for government-sector providers. I would encourage government audiologists to check in with their Phonak Government Services Account Manager at least quarterly to receive the most up-to-date information firsthand.

Disclosures

Clinical claims and statistics are drawn from published Phonak Field Study News, publicly available VA Annual Benefits Report data, and other published resources.

The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Sonova AG is under license.

References

1. VA Annual Benefits Report (2024). U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
2. Lucas, J.W. (2020). Hearing difficulty, vision trouble, and balance problems among male veterans and nonveterans. National Health Statistics Reports, No. 142. National Center for Health Statistics, CDC.
3. Raufer, S. et al. (2024). Spheric Speech Clarity proven to outperform three key competitors. Phonak Field Study News.
4. Lin, F.R., Metter, E.J., O'Brien, R.J., Resnick, S.M., Zonderman, A.B., and Ferrucci, L. (2011). Hearing loss and incident dementia. Archives of Neurology, 68(2), 214–220.