Cochlear

The Outer Ear is a non-surgical concept system for the hearing impaired that detects sound-waves and converts them into physical vibration. A watch-like wrist-strap acts as the receiver and transmits a signal via Bluetooth to a device mounted on the arm which in turn converts the sound into low, medium or high vibrations depending on the frequency. Read More

Hearing aids have come a long way since the ear trumpet; from the traditional aid that simply amplified sound and delivered it to the ear via an earpiece (air conduction), to the so-called "bionic ear" that works by directly stimulating auditory nerves inside the cochlea with an electric field. But the journey continues, with newer technologies which use the bones of the skull to conduct sound. Now Cochlear has launched a new direct bone conduction device, the BAHA BP100, that delivers significant improvements in speech understanding in noisy situations (about 25%) and better bone conduction hearing performance than ever before. It can also integrate with other lifestyle accessories such as iPods and Bluetooth adapters. Geoffrey Baird spoke with audiologist Anthea Arkcoll about the new device - listen to the Podcast or Read More

In this week's Gizcast, Geoffrey Baird speaks with audiologist Anthea Arkcoll about a new type of hearing aid that bypasses the ear altogether and uses bone conduction technology to send a direct signal to the auditory nerve. Then Loz Blain wraps up with some of the most interesting electric and green car concepts the Giz team are drooling over in Frankfurt, and a quick look at a medical device that could give doctors a new way to fight stubborn cancer tumours. Read More

After years in the making, the AcceleGlove open source data glove is now available for purchase. Originally designed for use as an automated American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, the AcceleGlove can also be used for a host of other applications thanks to its open source Software Development Kit (SDK). Developers and hobbyists alike can adapt the glove for use in assistive technology, rehabilitation, robotics, video gaming, virtual reality or a computing input device to name a few. Read More

Clarity, a division of Plantronics, has developed the C420 amplified telephone to help those who suffer from hearing loss to improve the quality of their conversations. The cordless phone is equipped with Clarity Power, designed to make phone conversations clearer and easier to understand for people with a mild to moderate hearing loss. Read More

April 18, 2008 To date the the options have been limited for hearing-impaired patients who do not stand to benefit from hearing aids, but for whom cochlear implants are unsuitable because they retain some natural hearing. Now a hybrid hearing device being tested in trials across the US offers a solution to this category of patients by combining the advantages of both hearing aids and implants. Read More

The seven finalists in the Australian Design Awards Australian Invention of the Year Award 2004 have been announced. Judging for the awards is based on six main criteria; commercial viability, inventiveness, functionality, technical feasibility, safety and social/environmental consideration and eligible inventions must not be in mass production or available widely in the market place. Read More