Starkey Laboratories of Eden Prairie, MN today announced the release of S Series iQ hearing aids featuring Voice iQ, including the S Series iQ OtoLens which the company claims is the world’s first invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) device that completely hides in the second bend of the ear. Voice iQ is a new processing technology from Starkey that supposedly improves audio quality between individual syllables of speech.
From press releases obtained by Medgadget:
Voice iQ uses a two-part algorithm – dynamic voice identification paired with a spectral noise control that calculates appropriate gain on a per channel basis. The result is unprecedented sound quality, ease of listening and intelligibility of speech in noise. Coupled with InVision Directionality, which boasts the highest diffuse field DI scores and lowest operational noise floor available, Voice iQ is proven to preserve speech understanding in noise. The system classifies inputs every six milliseconds and adapts every 20 milliseconds, to diminish noise between syllables.
S Series iQ has also been proven to reduce listening effort. During clinical trials, experienced users found a significant improvement in their ability to communicate with greatly reduced cognitive fatigue compared to their own hearing aids.
OtoLens is a custom-molded hearing aid built using Starkey’s Comfort Fit process and lives in the second bend of the ear, meaning that it is truly 100 percent invisible with minimal occlusion. OtoLens features the same technology and digital signal processing as Starkey’s leading product family, S Series iQ, and provides 35dB of gain which allows professionals to fit patients with moderate to severe hearing loss.
OtoLens takes advantage of Starkey’s Voice iQ, a new noise reduction and speech preservation system that is so fast and smart it reduces noise between syllables of speech.
Product pages: S Series iQ; OtoLens