Demant A/S : announces launch of new flagship hearing aids

30.11.2020 07:59:36 CET | Demant A/S | Investor News

Investor news

30 November 2020

 

Demant announces launch of new flagship hearing aids

 

• Introducing Oticon More^TM – the world’s first hearing aid with on-board Deep Neural Network
• Oticon More features iOS and Android^TM connectivity and is prepared for Bluetooth® LE Audio
• New flagship hearing aids soon rolling out from Philips Hearing Solutions, Bernafon and Sonic

 

Greater Copenhagen, Denmark– Today, Demant, a global leader in hearing healthcare, is announcing the launch of new groundbreaking hearing aid technology in all its four hearing aid brands, Oticon, Philips Hearing Solutions, Bernafon and Sonic. The launch of new innovative hearing solutions strongly supports Demant’s purpose of delivering life-changing hearing health to people living with hearing loss. The new products will be launched in all major markets in the coming months and support millions of people in enjoying life to the fullest.

 

Years of research and innovation

Oticon is launching the new, revolutionary Oticon More, which is the world’s first hearing aid that allows users to hear all relevant sounds thanks to an on-board Deep Neural Network. Oticon More is powered by an entirely new chipset, Polaris^TM, boasting an eightfold increase in memory and twice the processing power compared to the previous generation, Velox S^TM. The all-new Polaris platform features seven processing cores, and due to its unique architecture, the 28 nanometer chipset delivers superior processing capabilities while optimising power consumption.

 

“Through years of innovation, research and collaboration with leading research institutions around the world, Oticon has built unique knowledge and understanding of how the brain perceives sound. Contrary to common belief, it is now established that the brain needs access to all sounds in the environment to function optimally. By applying this knowledge to hearing technology, we enable the hearing aid users to enjoy more complete sound landscapes and simply get more out of life when they use our products,” says Søren Nielsen, President and CEO of Demant.

 

In 2016, Oticon presented a paradigm shift in hearing care with Oticon Opn^TM, which, for the first time ever, allowed users to get access to all speakers in the sound landscape to allow for better understanding and participation. This groundbreaking approach is fundamentally different from what traditional hearing aids do, as they apply directionality and only focus on the speaker in front, while suppressing all other sounds. Then, in 2019, the paradigm was further developed with the breakthrough feedback prevention system of Oticon Opn S^TM.

 

Access to all relevant sounds now made possible

With Oticon More, Oticon is now taking the next big step on its BrainHearing^TM journey by introducing the world’s first purpose-built hearing aid platform with an on-board Deep Neural Network. Oticon More utilises the intelligent capabilities of a Deep Neural Network to mimic the way the brain functions. It handles sounds based on the experience and training it has received. The Deep Neural Network in Oticon More is so much more than standard AI software – it is a unique and dedicated hearing aid solution, developed for real-time operation in everyday life.

 

Based on our vast sound processing experience, we have trained the Deep Neural Network with 12 million sound scenes from real life. This optimises the way Oticon More makes sounds more distinct by working seamlessly across varying listening environments with unparalleled precision and clarity, while ensuring that the sound is comfortable for the user. With this integrated intelligence, Oticon More has learned to recognise all types of sounds, their details, and how they should ideally sound to optimally support the brain. As a result, Oticon More delivers 30% more information to the brain than Oticon Opn S, while reducing the listening effort of the user and improving speech understanding by 15%.

 

“Delivering breakthrough innovation and hearing care that improve the lives of people with hearing loss is what we are all about at Demant. It makes me proud that we are ready to launch the next generation of hearing aids that use deep learning, the most powerful of the AI techniques, to optimise hearing aid performance. Not only does it improve the brain’s hearing function, it also enables users to hear more with less effort, so they can enjoy and keep taking part in everyday life,” says Søren Nielsen, President & CEO of Demant.

 

In addition to superior audiological performance, Oticon More features state-of-the-art direct streaming from both iOS and compatible Android devices using the ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids) protocol and is prepared for the next generation of connectivity based on the upcoming Bluetooth LE Audio standard. This new, groundbreaking innovation from Oticon will be available in a miniRITE rechargeable style, in three upper price points and at four different power levels.

 

New flagship hearing aid families in all brands

Philips Hearing Solutions will soon launch the next generation of Philips HearLink^TM hearing aids. Featuring AI sound technology, the new hearing aid family will bring a significant change in hearing aid technology. It is developed to enable hearing aid users to connect with friends, family and colleagues, which is essential in order to live a social and active life. Philips HearLink is rechargeable, is able to stream directly from iOS and compatible Android devices and it is prepared for the coming Bluetooth LE Audio standard.

 

Bernafon and Sonic will also launch new hearing aids in the coming months. Specifically, Bernafon will introduce Bernafon Alpha that features Hybrid Technology^TM, including a revolutionary approach to signal processing that always chooses the most optimal performance based on a precise analysis of the listening situation. Sonic will introduce Sonic Radiant, which comes with technology that actively finds, filters and fine-tunes sound so that the user can make the most of every moment. Both products feature direct streaming from iOS and compatible Android devices and are prepared for the coming Bluetooth LE Audio standard.

 

Multi-brand launch

Over the coming weeks and months, the new flagship hearing aid families of our four hearing aid brands will be launched in all major markets. The products will be available in a range of price points and power levels – all based on the powerful miniRITE rechargeable style, which is built on state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery technology. Starting today, our sales organisations will host a series of local launch events, conduct training sessions and launch marketing campaigns.

 

Demant will host a virtual, live-streamed webcast today at 11:30am CET where key employees will present the new products in greater detail. The event can be accessed through this link. To ask questions, please use one of the following dial-ins: [phone] (DK), [phone] (UK) or [phone] (US). The pin code is 63665047#. The event is scheduled to last up to 90 minutes, including a Q&A session.

 

 

Further information: Søren Nielsen, President & CEO Phone [phone] www.demant.com

Other contacts: Mathias Holten Møller, Head of Investor Relations Christian Lange, Investor Relations Officer Trine Kromann-Mikkelsen, VP Corporate Communication and Relations

 

About Demant A/S

Demant is a world-leading hearing healthcare group that offers solutions and services to help people with hearing loss connect with the world around them. In every aspect, from hearing devices, hearing implants, diagnostics to audio and video solutions and hearing care all over the world, Demant is active and engaged. Our innovative technologies and know-how help improve people’s health and hear-ing. We create life-changing differences through hearing health.

Attachments

• Download announcement as PDF.pdf
• Demant announces launch of new flagship hearing aids.pdf

© Ritzau Denmark, source Ritzau English Regulatory Releases