Speech understanding

Hearing is about being able to communicate freely and effortlessly - even in challenging environments such as crowded restaurants or conference rooms. In Ponto sound processors, two unique features endeavour to bring a new dimension to speech undertanding: The advanced Automatic Multiband Adaptive Directionality mode, and a new amplification strategy called Speech Guard.

How Split Directionality helps patients to focus

Among other advanced sound processing features, the Oticon RISE chip platform supports a unique Automatic Multiband Adaptive Directionality system. This continuosly analyzes information from the various environmental detectors and automatically chooses one of the three directionality modes:

• Omni directionality 
• Split directionality 
• Full directionality

In the unique Split Directionality mode, Ponto applies a combination of Full and Omni directionality to enhance speech in noise. Thus, users can benefit from directionality in far more situations without losing power in the low frequencies.

How Speech Guard reduces distortion

Speech Guard revolutionized air conduction hearing aids, and this feature has now been made available for users of bone anchored systems. By maintaining liniear processing as much as possible - and by instantaniously responding to rapidly occuring environmental sounds - Speech Guard produces less distortion than the traditional compression systems.

The effect of Speech Guard on the speech envelope

In order to reduce distortion, Speech Guard aims to preserve the natural amplitude-time envelope of speech, even if noise is introduced during ongoing speech. Using a unique combination of two monitoring systems working in parallel, it employs a combination of fast and slow acting compression to achieve this.

Speech understanding improved

In an independent comparison study the test persons reported that speech understanding with Ponto Pro was significantly better when conversing with one person in a car and when listening to the TV or radio compared to one other new bone anchored device.