Replicating Nature - Signia Nx with Own Voice Processing (OVP) for the Most Natural Own Voice and Highest Acceptance

Interview with Pamela Burton, AuD, Vice President of Product Management and Customer Care, Signia

 

AudiologyOnline: What are the new products being introduced by Signia?

Pamela Burton, AuD: We are pleased to introduce the Nx (natural experience) platform in 3 different technology levels and three models – two RICs and a BTE.

AudiologyOnline: Why were these new products developed – what was the market need?

Dr. Burton: Overall audibility and a natural sounding own voice are essential for first fit acceptance. Yet the majority of hearing aid wearers do not like the sound of their own voice, leading to a number of negative consequences. In an attempt to resolve this own voice issue, hearing care professionals can reduce gain and open the venting, reducing audibility and speech understanding in noise. Signia Nx provides the first genuine solution to the own voice issue: it delivers unsurpassed first fit acceptance by combining uncompromised audibility with a natural sounding own voice. The world’s first Own Voice Processing (OVP™) improves spontaneous acceptance of own voice by 75% for dissatisfied hearing aid wearers. OVP is based on our leading Ultra HD e2e binaural link, which enables dynamic scanning and processing of the wearer’s own voice completely independently from all other sounds and voices. The patented dual processor ensures that the patient’s own voice is identified and processed separately from all other sounds in the soundscape, making it the only true solution to own voice issues.

AudiologyOnline: How does OVP work?

Dr. Burton: With OVP, the hearing aid is first trained to recognize the signal path of the wearer’s voice. With a unique, patented dual processing approach the hearing aids can then differentiate between the wearer’s own voice and other sounds in the soundscape. OVP adjusts the output of the wearer’s voice only, and is only active when the wearer speaks. At all other times, the soundscape receives the desired amplification.

AudiologyOnline: Who are candidates for the new products?

Dr. Buton: Nx with OVP is ideal for all wearers who want to hear their own voice more naturally. For new wearers, it alleviates a common complaint at the initial fitting. And for experienced wearers, although they may have gotten used to unnatural sound quality for their own voice, it doesn’t mean they like that sound. Now they can enjoy their own voice again, reducing the possibility that they will avoid speaking and withdraw socially.

AudiologyOnline: What else does the Nx product offer?

Dr. Burton: With the most advanced design in the industry, the Nx chip offers the only combination of Bluetooth® and Ultra HD e2e. Bluetooth allows for direct streaming to both instruments with the iPhone®. Ultra HD e2e allows advanced audiological features such as OVP and narrow directionality, which provide better than normal hearing in certain noisy environments*. This is an uncompromising solution.

AudiologyOnline: Are there other features available?

Dr. Burton: With the sophisticated Nx chip, there are other features such as improved localization even in directional modes, expanded dynamic range, enhanced feedback cancellation, and a 3D classification system that utilizes the acoustic environment, the wearer’s motion, and the wearer’s own voice.

AudiologyOnline: What are the available styles for Nx?

Dr. Burton: Nx is offered in two RIC models and one traditional BTE. Pure® 312 offers the most discreet, fully featured solution. Pure® 13 provides the same feature set, but longer lasting performance. And for those who like BTEs, Motion® 13 is available with earhook and thin tube options, as well as an optional battery door with integrated telecoil.

AudiologyOnline: What performance levels are available for the Nx platform?

Dr. Burton: Nx is available in our top three performance levels: 7Nx, 5Nx, and 3Nx, allowing for a variety of options to fit the majority of patients.

AudiologyOnline: What else should we know about these upcoming products?

Dr. Burton: Along with OVP and the superior wireless solutions, there is also an enhancement to our proven Telecare™ system. TeleCare™ keeps hearing aid trials on track and converts patients with hearing loss into satisfied hearing aid wearers. TeleCare now offers full live remote tuning in Connexx® so professionals can fine-tune patients’ hearing aids in the real-life situations for which they are intended. After the personal first fitting at the practice, follow-up appointments can be held online via video call, much like a virtual home visit. This allows professionals to adjust the hearing aids for the most natural individual sound quality in real time and at the patient’s convenience. The virtual home visit is available for all patients with an iOS® or Android™ device via the myHearing™ App. In addition to guiding them through the trial process, the award-winning app now serves as the hearing care professional in their pocket, available to help them every step of the way.

AudiologyOnline: When is all of this available?

Dr. Burton: The Nx products are expected to begin shipping by the end of October. Hearing care professionals can contact their Signia representative for more information regarding the product, training opportunities, marketing, and business support.

Visit pro.signiausa.com or contact your Signia Sales Representative at (800) 766-4500 to learn more.

_{*Study conducted at the University of Northern Colorado, 2015, examined the effectiveness of the new features of primax by collecting and analyzing ongoing EEG data while subjects performed speech testing. For both primax features SpeechMaster and EchoShield, the objective brain behavior measures revealed a significant reduction in listening effort when the feature was activated.}