One of the most common problems with hearing aids is their ongoing exposure to moisture, wax and other foreign materials. Even brief exposure to these harsh environments can degrade and eventually interfere with proper hearing aid functionality. These issues may be accelerated for patients with more active lifestyles. As a result, almost all hearing aids now contain some kind of water-resistant design to repel water, delaying or avoiding the detrimental effects of moisture...more (PDF 1.6MB)

Enhancements to technology have led to more efficient hearing aid fittings and enriched listening experiences for patients with hearing impairment. Starkey's Wi Series™ custom hearing aids are the industry's first custom hearing aids that integrate a long-distance wireless antenna completely within the shell of the hearing aid....more (PDF 1.8MB)

The intent of the original receiver-in-canal (RIC) design was to address problems for those losses requiring a high-gain hearing instrument — namely occlusion and feedback. By placing the receiver deep into the bony portion of the ear canal, selfgenerated, bone-conducted sounds would be reduced, therefore minimizing occlusion. Furthermore, Reiter et al. (1997) surmised that feedback could be eliminated by mechanical separation of the microphone and receiver along with the deep placement of the receiver into the ear canal. ...more (PDF 1.7MB)

A patient typically tries initial settings for a week or two and then returns to the office for adjustments. Clinicians are at a disadvantage because they must make fine-tuning decisions based on patient reports, without the benefit of being in the real-world environments experienced by the patient at the time the adjustments are made. This means that some patients require several fine-tuning sessions before they are happy with their hearing instruments. ...more (PDF 1.6MB)

In this paper, two existing techniques for frequency lowering will be reviewed and contrasted with a third, new technology for improving audibility of high‑frequency sounds. At the time of this publication, two frequency lowering technologies are available as signal processing features from leading hearing instrument manufacturers. These are: linear frequency transposition (LFT), available from Widex as a hearing aid feature labeled "Audibility Extender"; and non‑linear frequency compression (NLFC), available from Phonak as a feature labeled "SoundRecover.". ...more (PDF 2.9MB)

It has been suggested that completely‑in‑canal (CIC) hearing aids have advantages over behind‑the‑ear (BTE) hearing aids. Some of these advantages include decreased occlusion (Mueller, 1994), increased patient satisfaction (Ebinger et al., 1994), decreased amplification of wind noise (Fortune & Preves, 1994), and improved localization ability (Best et al., 2010). ...more (PDF 1.8MB)

For decades, researchers and clinicians have emphasized the importance of bilateral hearing aid fittings in minimizing disruptions to the exquisitely tuned binaural auditory system. The availability of hearing aids with wireless features has renewed interest in the subject, and focused the discussion on signal processing. This paper describes the rationale, design and efficacy of Binaural Spatial Mapping, Starkey's wireless ear-to-ear communication protocol. ...more (PDF 1.5MB)

Wireless technologies in hearing aids can enhance the patient journey by adding convenience, enhancing signal processing performance, and offering media connectivity. The Wi Series from Starkey Laboratories, Inc. introduces IRIS™ Technology, the only wireless hearing aid system to offer ear-to-ear communication, wireless programming, and wireless media streaming without any relay devices. ...more (PDF 1.9MB)

From a mechanical design perspective, creating a small, open, instant-fit product that could be quickly and easily fit was no small task. For instance, how could a non-custom product that is deeply inserted into the ear canal fit a majority of ears? After analyzing the anatomy of the ear canal and carefully considering that the device had to include the basic components of a hearing aid...
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This paper introduces SoundPoint, a new patient-assisted fine tuning process that complements the traditional fitting process by placing control of sound quality in the hands of the patient. The SoundPoint system offers an elegant alternative to the method of 'interview and adjust' by providing any patient with the ability to navigate through a perceptual world of possible hearing aid adjustments.. ...more (PDF 274KB)

A Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC) hearing aid can be defined by the location of the faceplate, 1-2 mm inside the aperture of the ear canal (Gudmundsen, 1994). For years the CIC has been the benchmark for small, near-invisible hearing aids. Publications have documented the benefits of CIC fittings, including decreased occlusion (Mueller, 1994), increased satisfaction (Ebinger, Mueller, Holland & Holland, 1994), decreased amplification of wind noise (Fortune & Preves, 1994), and improved localization when compared to Behind-The-Ear (BTE) fittings (Best, Kalluri, McLachlan, Valentine, Edwards & Carlile, 2010). ...more (PDF 1.3MB)

Improving the Patient Experience in Noise: Fast-Acting Single-Microphone Noise Reduction

Hearing impaired listeners experience their greatest auditory challenges when listening in noise. For this reason, developers of hearing instruments have made improving patient satisfaction when listening in noise an important goal. This paper introduces Voice iQ, a new Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) algorithm available in the Starkey S Series iQ family of hearing instruments. ...more (PDF 1.1MB)

Hearing instruments have always had controls — buttons, switches, wheels, dials — all predominately used for changing volume or switching programmed memories. Training patients on the use of the volume control and memory button is part of a hearing care professional's daily routine, and for some, may represent a significant challenge. ...more (PDF 696KB)

This paper will offer an overview of the capabilities of S Series 11, with an emphasis on the most salient features that make up the product family. Specifically, we will address feedback cancellation with the PureWave Feedback Eliminator, personalized verification with Live Real Ear Measurement and Live Speech Mapping, and a new set of comfort and intelligibility tools collectively called the Acoustic Scene Analyzer. ...more (PDF 672KB)

With the introduction of Zōn, Starkey is raising the bar on RIC fittings. In the Zōn family of hearing instruments, Starkey offers a cosmetically appealing, compact, RIC hearing instrument with unparalleled performance and style. This paper describes the principles and operation of some of Zōn's most important features. ...more (PDF 552KB)

Integrating Real Ear Measurement into Destiny™ and Zōn Hearing Instruments

Starkey's Destiny and Zōn devices and the associated software were developed based on a commitment to evidence-based design and scientific method. Rigorous data collection supported the initial design of features and continued throughout all stages of development. Data in two categories — benchmarking data in the laboratory and clinical data from hearing aid wearers — provided the foundation for the final digital algorithms. ...more (PDF 588KB)

Active Feedback Intercept (AFI) is a state-of-the-art feedback cancellation algorithm implemented in Starkey's Destiny line of products.

Feedback cancellation (FBC) algorithms address several of the most important improvements sought by hearing aid users—better sound quality, less whistling and buzzing, more audibility for soft sounds, work better on the telephone, improved speech understanding in quiet, and better fit and comfort. ...more (PDF 9.6MB)

A directional microphone is the only demonstrable way to improve signal-to-noise ratio in a hearing instrument and thus also improve a wearer's ability to understand speech in a noisy environment. However, there has not been complete agreement about the best way to achieve directionality, nor about the optimal design of adaptive features to give the full benefit of digital processing to wearers of directional devices.

This paper will discuss some background issues underlying directional instrument design and the data that guided the design of the Directional Speech Detector in Starkey's Destiny family of hearing instruments. ...more (PDF 1MB)