GN ReSound has launched the world’s first hearing aid made for the iPhone, which allows sound to be wirelessly streamed from the device to the hearing aid.
“It’s actually the smartest hearing aid in the world. It’s the best sound quality that money can buy… but, beyond that there’s a fancy part, and that is connectivity on iPhone [and iPad and iPod touch] and what it means for an MFI hearing aid is that you can stream sound directly from an hearing aid to to an iPhone in high quality stereo sound without an intermediary body-worn device hanging around your neck… It’s based on Bluetooth LE technology.” GN ReSound CEO Lars Viksmoen
Direct link to video here.
Related articles:
Can Apple help make hearing aids cool? – March 10, 2014
Following GN Store Nord, hearing aid maker William Demant to join Apple’s ‘Made for iPhone’ program this spring – February 27, 2014
Apple co-developed next-gen iPhone-compatible hearing aid to debut early next year – November 25, 2013
With ‘Live Listen,’ Apple iPhones could be remote mic for Bluetooth hearing aids and more – August 12, 2013
I think you are going to see Apple in the medical wearable device industry VERY soon 😉
I agree. What Apple did with the music industry with the iPod/iTunes, I feel they will do in some way, to some part of the medical industry. I wonder which is bigger in term of a money making industry? The music industry or the medical industry?
Well if you think about the number or geriatrics growing every year, medical devices covered by insurance, and Apple’s ability to seamlessly merge software and hardware, it would be an enormous industry changer!
Being in the industry, I can say it is already there. Patient records and clinical notes going onto iPads is already becoming the norm.
If you want to see consumer facing products, check the hundreds of snippet articles on:
http://www.mobihealthnews.com
Bluetooth hearing aids have been on the market for some time, but they only connect to a Microsoft Windows program, and the software is not available to consumers.
I have oticon hearing aids that connect with a bluetooth device that connects to my iphone and macbook. no windows involved. the bluetooth device hangs around the neck and is about the size of an apple remote for macbooks. It has a button to answer the phone and a microphone to speak to it. it can be up to 20′ from the phone and works great.
This is a PR release, and it is not new. These hearing aids and the App have been around for awhile. The App is free but the hearing aids cost thousands of dollars and must be tuned by a “hearing professional” . . . A salesperson. They can be set to various situations, restaurants, TV etc. but they can not be fine tuned by the user.
There’s a hearing summit/convention in a couple of weeks where they’re highlighting similar iOS-compatible hearing aid technology, and they’re throwing in a $500 Apple gift card if you buy a set of that brand’s hearing aids.
I don’t know how much they cost, but they must be pretty up there if they are tossing in a gift card worth that much.
Hearing aids are expensive. The one I bought for my wife 2 years ago cost me $4,600. It was a mid-grade hearing aid. For top of the line, it can cost up to $7,000. With insurance, you can bring it down by $1K or $2K. Depending on your insurance carrier. Good thing though, the one I bought cost me $0. TRICARE absorbed all the cost plus six months of batteries.
But the big question….why isn’t there an iPhone-connected hearing aid like this that also does speech-to-text??? I haven’t looked too much, but certainly haven’t seen one advertised.
Hand the iPhone to the hearing-impaired person, and the *other* person keeps the headset to speak into the microphone. Such a simple idea…
A very kludgy idea. Modern hearing aids, properly tuned are VERY effective.
Currently ReSound hearing aids are remotely controlled with a controller approximately the size of an iPod. You can control the amplification and the selected program remotely using the remote. You can also use an iPhone, however, the iPhone must speaks to the hearing aids via a third module that connects them. The user doesn’t re-tune the hearing aids, but the user can select overall volume settings, and pre-existing programs tuned to various situations, like a noisy restaurant.
Having a direct connection between the hearing aids and the iPhone means the third interface device can be eliminated. That would a great convenience.