Phonak Audéo™ Lumity: Conversations Shine with Lumity

Interview with Brandy Heckroodt, AuD, Audiology Manager for Phonak USA on Phonak Audéo™ Lumity.

 

AudiologyOnline: What was the motivation behind creating Phonak Audéo Lumity?

Brandy Heckroodt: For 75 years, Phonak has led with innovative hearing solutions that positively impact the lives of millions of people. We create solutions designed to address the most challenging listening situations, and improved speech understanding in a variety of situations is important to hearing aid users. Patients want to be connected to their communication partners in quiet, in noise, on the go, and at a distance.  They want to understand television with ease. Phonak does well in speech understanding with products like Roger and features like StereoZoom and Speech Enhancer. With Lumity, we aim to provide the best performance for speech understanding in all environments. We introduce SmartSpeech™ Technology, a collection of features proven to provide either improved speech understanding or reduced listening effort in many listening environments. We have included two new features: StereoZoom 2.0 and SpeechSensor for improved speech understanding and decreased listening effort in noise. 

AudiologyOnline: Tell me a little more about SmartSpeech Technology

Brandy Heckroodt: SmartSpeech Technology represents Phonak’s dedication to designing features that improve speech understanding and reduce listening effort. It benefits your patients by giving them access to audibility to hear and connect with others and supports their well-being as it has been shown that reduced listening effort can free up cognitive resources.¹ The combination of heritage features and new features is orchestrated by AutoSense OS 5.0 – our AI-based machine learning system – to adapt to your personal environment.

SmartSpeech Technology includes the following:

• Speech Enhancer: Allows you to hear soft voices
• Dynamic Noise Cancellation: For hearing conversations in noise
• Motion Sensor Hearing: For hearing on-the-move
• ActiveVent: The world’s first intelligent receiver that combines the best of an open and closed fitting
• Roger: Bridging the communication gap in noise and over distance
• StereoZoom 2.0: Smoother, smarter, and stronger than the original for hearing in noise
• SpeechSensor: When speech isn’t coming from the front

There’s just so much to discuss about each of these proven features. Please read our Insight on SmartSpeech Technology to learn more and see the evidence.

AudiologyOnline: If you had to pick just one, what is your favorite new feature of Lumity?

Brandy Heckroodt: StereoZoom 2.0 is my favorite new feature! Our sense of hearing contributes to a sense of environmental awareness, so it’s important for a hearing aid to balance both the environmental awareness and speech focus needed for communication in noise. StereoZoom 2.0 is Phonak’s unique binaural directional beamforming technology. With StereoZoom 2.0, your patients will experience a smooth transition between the wider directional mode of UltraZoom and the narrower focus of StereoZoom 2.0. The beamformer smartly adapts the strength of focus as the noise level increases which results in 3 dB better SNR.* And, StereoZoom 2.0 is stronger than before: with Lumity, your patients can adjust the focus strength of StereoZoom 2.0 to their preference and in real-time via the Speech Focus slider in the myPhonak app. This extra focus results in a 2.5 dB better SNR.** With StereoZoom 2.0, your patients can shine a light on those important conversations with best friends, celebrations, and family dinners.   

AudiologyOnline: What models are available with Audéo Lumity, and are there any new chargers?

Brandy Heckroodt: There are 3 rechargeable models with Phonak Audéo Lumity:   

• Audéo L-R: Rechargeable technology comes with the new Phonak Charger Ease. A newly-designed compact charger with magnets in the charging slots that make it easy to insert and remove. 
• Audéo L-RT: Rechargeable with telecoil. Charged with the new Phonak Charger Ease. 
• Audéo Life Lumity: Our world’s first waterproof rechargeable hearing aid in its second generation. Charged with the Phonak Charger Case Go, exclusively designed for Audéo Life with 3 on-the-go charges.

Each of these models uses our current SDS 4.0 and can be fit with Target 8.0 using Noahlink Wireless. 

AudiologyOnline: What about connectivity and digital services available for Phonak Audéo Lumity?

Brandy Heckroodt: Phonak Audéo Lumity provides parallel connectivity to iOS and Android smartphones, TVs, Roger devices, and wireless accessories. It allows for up to 8 Bluetooth-enabled devices to be paired, two of which can be simultaneously connected. Lumity allows for hands-free phone calls and the ability to use Tap Control to steer Bluetooth features. All models are compatible with the myPhonak app, where patients can make adjustments, save programs, connect via Remote Support, and track health data such as steps and activity levels. 

AudiologyOnline: Where can readers go for more information on Lumity and its features?

Brandy Heckroodt: As always, check here at AudiologyOnline for our “Conversations Shine with Phonak” session, head over to PhonakPro.com by clicking here, or reach out to your local Phonak representative. 

*Compared to Real Ear Sound (tested with a power dome)

**Default strength compared to maximum strength with power dome

References

1. Sarant, J., Harris, D., Busby, P., Maruff, P., Schembri, A., Lemke, U., & Launer, S. (2020). The effect of hearing aid use on cognition in older adults: Can we delay decline or even improve cognitive function? Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(1), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9010254