Phonak applies formal clinical procedures to safeguard the quality of new products. The Field Study News provide summarized information on recent field study results:

Exélia and ZoomControl: Beneficial user control of hearing focus (August 2008, PDF, 277 kB)
Thanks to the real time streaming made possible by the Communication Optimized Real-audio Engine (CORE) platform, ZoomControl enables the end user to select four different focus directions. ZoomControl was scrutinized and compared to the standard Exélia speech in noise program with VoiceZoom in the standardized Oldenburger Satztest (OLSA), an adaptive noise test to detect changes in speech reception thresholds (SRT). The patient’s orientation was changed in 90° steps and ZoomControl was used to select the direction towards the speech signal.

The results show distinct and significant improvements in speech reception in noisy environments when comparing ZoomControl against VoiceZoom when speech is not presented from the front.

Audéo Field Study News: Breaking the rules of Amplification (September 2007, PDF, 248 kB)
The present Field Study News focuses on the userbenefits provided by Audéo, the new Personal Communication Assistant by Phonak. Audéo includes the new feature CrystalSound, especially designed to improve speech intelligibility and sound quality for users with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. 27 volunteers took part in a field trial and were fitted with Audéo for several lab tests as well as a real-life testing period. Results indicate that participants could communicate easier and more efficiently in noisy environments. Apart from communication in noisy environments, Audéo also helped in other listening situations, in particular when listening to music.

MyLink: Outstanding FM benefits now for ITE users too (February 2007, PDF, 443 kB)
The new Phonak MyLink FM receiver brings, for the very first time, all FM advantages to the ears of BTE (behind-the-ear) and ITE (in-the-ear i.e. custom products) hearing instrument users; provided it incorporates an activated T-coil. This field study was performed in order to evaluate customer satisfaction and benefit with this new Phonak ‘world’s first FM receiver with neck loop and MicroLink technology inside’. The tests were conducted on 14 ITE users, mainly first time users of FM systems. Results show outstanding efficacy of the induction loop strategy to provide high quality FM support to custom products users.

BassBoost: benefits for speech-in-noise comprehension. Providing low-frequency amplification to patients with severe-to-profound hearing loss. (January 2007, PDF, 572 kB)
Additional low frequency amplification provided by the Phonak BassBoost feature was surveyed in Savia Art devices regarding effects on speech intelligibility in noise. The Oldenburger Satztest (OLSA), an adaptive speech in noise test, was used to detect changes in speech reception thresholds (SRT) when BassBoost was activated. Results were benchmarked to competitive product selected for its overall technical similarity to Savia Art. The results show that when provided with additional low frequency gain and output, there was a significant improvement in speech reception in noisy environments.