Phonak Launches U.S. Audiology Research Center

WARRENVILLE, Ill., Dec. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Phonak U.S., the leader in innovative hearing solutions has launched the Phonak Audiology Research Park (PARC), its North American center for innovation, audiology and clinical research.  The research conducted at the PARC is specifically targeted to the needs of US hearing care professionals, providing them with evidence-based science to support best-practice clinical protocols that ultimately result in higher patient satisfaction and increased adoption of hearing technology.

Currently, the adoption rate of hearing devices among U.S. consumers with some degree of hearing loss is only 25 percent, and it takes an average of seven years for those with hearing loss to seek care.  This collaboration between Phonak audiology and engineering represents a powerful multi-disciplinary approach designed to advance the understanding of hearing loss and explore new applications of hearing technology performance.

In addition to having a state-of-the-art patient testing facility with the latest measurement capabilities, Phonak researchers are exploring the limits of hearing instrument functionalities in real life using the PARC Listening Loft. "The Listening Loft environment replicates the living areas of a home and allows us to test hearing technology in a realistic and natural environment," said Aniket Saoji, PhD, Senior Manager of Phonak Clinical Research.

"We've outfitted it with a sound demonstration system which replicates a wide range of sound and speech recordings that people experience in everyday living- talking while the TV is on and the dishwasher is going, etc.," explained Dr. Saoji. "This way, we're able to demonstrate products and capture data in perfectly simulated real-world environments where people want the most from their hearing devices.  Additionally, testing new hearing devices early in development provides in an unprecedented ability to evaluate the benefit and application of new hearing innovations and further optimize them prior to commercialization," he added.

The PARC is also home to Pediatric product validation efforts, led by Christine Jones AuD, Director of Phonak Pediatric Clinical Research.  A highly specific clinical approach is needed for pediatric audiology.  "We don't use adult hearing devices on children because kids are not just 'small adults' when it comes to hearing. Instead we develop our pediatric portfolio according to the unique needs of children at various stages of their development," explained Dr. Jones. "For example, the experimental Roger lab allows us to evaluate new wireless technologies used in schools across the country and gain insights from all the stakeholders involved - educational audiologists, teachers, children and their families. This iterative process lets us leverage those user insights to enhance product development and tightly align product innovation with user needs and expectations."  

Effective collaboration between the Phonak U.S. team and its counterparts in Switzerland was also demonstrated with the recent launch of the Phonak Venture product platform. The Phonak U.S. team conducted the verification work on the new Adaptive StereoZoom algorithm using specialized speaker configurations and measurement equipment, as well as real patient testing.

"When you review all of the innovation that Phonak has brought to the market over the past decades, it's very impressive and rewarding to know how many people have benefitted from it," said Bill Dickinson, AuD, Vice President of Audiology, Phonak U.S. "Even more inspiring is our ongoing passion to push the limits of technology further and produce scientific evidence using the exceptional resources available at the PARC."

This marks just the beginning of work by the Phonak clinical research team, who is integral in discovering new solutions that are meaningful and effective for the 35+ million people in the United States struggling with some degree of hearing loss.

About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, has developed, produced and globally distributed state-of-the-art hearing systems and wireless devices for more than 60 years.  This year, Phonak US celebrated its 25th anniversary in the United States.

The combination of expertise in hearing technology, mastery in acoustics and strong cooperation with hearing care professionals allows Phonak to significantly improve people's hearing ability and speech understanding and therefore their quality of life. Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments, along with complementary wireless communication systems. With a worldwide presence, Phonak drives innovation and sets new industry benchmarks regarding miniaturization and performance. To find out more about Phonak, visit www.phonak.com. 

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SOURCE Phonak

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