Assessment of Novel Sound Changing Principles in Hearing Instruments to Determine Their Application

Assessment of Novel Sound Changing Principles in Hearing Instruments to Determine Their Application

A methodical evaluation of novel sound changing principles in CE-labelled Sonova brand hearing instruments (e.g. Phonak hearing instruments) is intended to be conducted on hearing impaired. These sound changing principles are enabled by respective hearing instrument algorithms. The aim of the study is to investigate and asses strength and weaknesses of these novel sound changing principles in terms of hearing performance to determine their application in hearing instruments (Phase of development). Both, objective laboratory measurements as well as subjective evaluations in real life environment will be carried out. This will be a controlled, single blinded and randomized active comparator clinical evaluation which will be conducted mono-centric at Sonova AG Headquarter based in Staefa.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult hearing impaired persons (minimum age: 18 years) with and without experience with) hearing aids
• Healthy outer ear (without previous surgical procedures)
• Ability to fill in a questionnaire conscientiously
• Informed Consent as documented by signature

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contraindications to the medical device in this study, e.g. known hypersensitivity or allergy to the investigational product
• Limited mobility and not in the position to attend weekly appointments
• Limited ability to describe listening impressions/experiences and the use of the hearing aid
• Inability to produce a reliable hearing test result
• Massively limited dexterity
• Known psychological problems
• Known central hearing disorders