Features

World’s first multi purpose hearing aid

Starkey® Hearing Technologies has recently launched the world’s first hearing aid that utilizes ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘integrated sensors’ in the UAE

Hearing  loss  is  known  to  be  a  common condition effecting us as adults as non of us are immune to it. It can happen to anyone at any age and at any time. Having a hearing loss can significantly impact our ability to communicate with others, effecting our daily lives. Helen Keller once said, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.”

World Health Organization reports that exclusion from communication can cause feelings of loneliness, isolation, and frustration, particularly among older people with hearing loss. Hearing loss not only affects the health of the person’s relationships and hearing health, but also their overall health. Those who experience hearing loss are at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease and dementia; and hearing loss has also been linked to health conditions such as diabetes. Hearing loss truly affects not only a person’s hearing, but also their entire life.

There are several different causes of hearing loss. Aging is one of them. Exposure to loud noise is also a common cause of hearing loss, known as noise-induced hearing loss, as well as a cause of tinnitus. Infections are also common causes, along with birth defects and genetics. Certain reactions to drugs, especially chemotherapy or drugs used for cancer treatment, can also cause hearing loss.

According to the National Council on Aging, more than 2,000 people with hearing loss, as well as their better halves, were able to demonstrate that hearing aid technology and hearing instruments are associated with improvement in emotional, social and physical well-being of people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. Hearing aid technology and treatment of hearing loss has been shown to improve emotional stability, confidence in communicating, a sense of control over life events and so on.

Global Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Market is expected to surpass $13 billion by 2025, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc. However, rising adoption of healthcare artificial intelligence solutions and software in research process and development procedures will foster industry growth in near future. Furthermore, wearable devices were valued at $99.3 million in 2018 and are expected to have considerable revenue size during the forecast time frame, according to Global Market Insights Inc.

“Livio® AI is the world’s first hearing aid with artificial intelligence and integrated sensors that allow it to track body and brain activity. When we created Livio AI, we knew that it would be the first of its kind – a Healthable™ – a brand-new category of hearing aid. Livio AI is a multi-purpose device that serves as a gateway to wellness for the wearer.”- Giscard Bechara, Director Starkey MEA FZCO

Increasing adoption of AI, Big Data and machine learning tools in wearables to provide insights and make clinical decisions will foster its adoption amongst adults. Also, development of technologically advanced wearables that uses machine learning to identify significant changes in the patient’s vital parameters, allowing caregivers to deliver quality care could prove to be beneficial for the segmental growth, according to the same report.

The team of Mediworld ME met with Giscard Bechara, Director, Starkey MEA FZCO to discuss more about their latest innovation called Livio ™ A I and its functions.

Livio™ AI

Starkey® Hearing Technologies has launched the world’s first hearing aid that utilizes ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘integrated sensors’ at the Yas Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is the world’s first Healthable™ that tracks physical activity and cognitive health as measured by hearing aid use in social situations. Livio AI also features the first-ever fall detection and alert capability and translates 27 languages instantly including Arabic. Starkey’s ‘AI framework’ set to transform the Middle East’s $660 million hearing aids marketplace.

Giscard says, “Livio® AI is the world’s first hearing aid with artificial intelligence and integrated sensors that allow it to track body and brain activity. When we created Livio AI, we knew that it would be the first of its kind – a Healthable™ – a brand-new category of hearing aid. Livio AI is a multi-purpose device that serves as a gateway to wellness for the wearer. It is not only the best sounding hearing aid, as the first hearing aid with integrated sensors and artificial intelligence, but also allows the wearer to take a proactive approach to their health. Hearing aids have traditionally been a single-purpose device. They have been a device used to amplify sound. Livio AI changes all of that.

“We are delighted to add value to the lives of people in the Middle East by introducing this state-of-the-art product. Livio AI is the best performing and best sounding hearing aid we have ever made. What makes today a pivotal moment in the global hearing industry, is that with Livio AI, we have transformed a single-use device into the world’s first multi-purpose hearing aid, a Healthable with integrated sensors and artificial intelligence. Livio AI is so much more than just a hearing aid, it is a gateway to better health, wellness and ultimately, a better quality of life”.

What ‘hearing better’ means

Starkey Hearing Technologies has continued to push the boundaries for the hearing-impaired and is introducing breakthrough advancements that are powered by artificial intelligence:

Some of the key features in this revolutionary AI products include, fall detection and alerts, translation in 27 languages, heart rate measurement, understand and see the real-time health benefits of using hearing aids – overall health and wellness tracking through the app’s combined brain and body health score, rechargeable option, voice-to-text transcription, self-check for hearing performance, natural user interface with tap control, remote programming by users’ hearing professionals to put hearing healthcare in the hands of the users unprecedented, natural listening and speech clarity in the noisiest environments with the new Hearing Reality technology, universal connectivity to various audio outlets and accessories, including Amazon Alexa, wireless streaming of phone calls, music, media and more.

“With artificial intelligence and built-in sensors, Livio AI is no longer ‘just’ an amazing hearing aid. Yes, it has the best sound quality and performance we have ever delivered, which is incredible on its own. But, it’s now also the world’s first hearing aid that’s able to respond to your tap gestures and track your brain and body

health. Artificial intelligence enables Livio AI to per for m tasks that nor mally require human intelligence. It can track physical activity and cognitive health as measured by the hearing aid use in social situations, and lets patients take a proactive and personalized approach to their health through their hearing aids. The ear is a sweet spot for reliable tracking of health data, so the possibilities are endless. On top of it all, Livio AI also has in-ear language translation and automatic fall detection capabilities. It starts a new era for the hearing industry”.

A gateway to better health

With Livio AI, Starkey Hearing Technologies has transformed a single-use device into the world’s first multi-purpose hearing aid. It is so much more than just a hearing aid; it is a gateway to better health, wellness and, ultimately, a better quality of life.

It’s revolutionary, not only in its innovations of what a hearing aid can do, but also monumental in its social impact, empowering people to take charge of their overall health. By providing direct monitoring of physical and cognitive activity, Livio AI raises awareness for the importance of hearing to overall well being, and links to other important health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, fall prevention and cognitive decline in the aging population, among others.

“The integrated 3D motion sensors inside Livio AI enable the hearing aids to detect movement, track activities and recognize gestures. The hearing aids communicate with each other and Livio AI’s ecosystem of compatible mobile accessories to deliver meaningful, real-time feedback about users’ overall body and cognitive health and fitness. Adding sensors to the device helps it imitate the human perceptual system. Using embedded 3D sensors, Livio AI is able to replicate the human vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and spatial orientation. It really enables users to take control of their overall health and give them a sense of autonomy and independence”.

A leap in hearing and technology

With its integrated sensors and AI, Livio AI can track a person’s overall health, turning a once single-use device into a multi-purpose tool that cannot only vastly improve your hearing but also add quality to your overall health and well-being. It is the world’s first Healthable™, making it the first hearing aid that puts the control over a user’s health into their own hands. With its remarkable features, such as fall detection and alert, this hearing aid is able to provide peace of mind not only to its users but also to their loved ones and caregivers, improving relationships and literally saving lives.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the hearing health industr y and we’re just getting star ted. The possibilities of what a hearing aid can do for the wearer are endless. We will continue to break down the stigma around hearing aids, make the impossible possible and create ground-breaking technology that will help our patients live better, more fulfilled lives.

“Livio AI is our best sounding hearing aid to date and incorporates all our past technologies of our best-in-class feedback cancellation and Multiflex Tinnitus Technology. It also allows our users to adjust their hearing aids in real time to make sure they’re getting the best use and most comfort out of their hearing aids anytime, anywhere”.

Hearing Reality™ technology

The  global  launch  included  a  brand-new  mobile app—Thrive™ Hearing Control; and three new wireless accessories the Starkey Hearing Technologies TV, the Remote and the Remote Microphone+. With the Remote Microphone+, Livio AI features Amazon® Alexa connectivity.

The Thrive Hearing Control app is a full-featured, easy-to-use app. The app acts like a control center for the hearing aids, allowing users to adjust their settings to their surroundings, see their body and brain score in real time, geotag locations that allows their hearing aids to adjust automatically to their environment when they enter it, and request programming adjustments from their hearing care professional. The Thrive Hearing Control app puts the control of a user’s hearing health in their hands and allows them a kind of independence that wouldn’t have been available before.

The new Hearing Reality™ technology provides an average 50 per cent reduction in noisy environments, significant reduced listening effort, and newly enhanced clarity of speech, while the use of artificial intelligence and integrated sensors enable it to optimize the hearing experience. Livio AI has revolutionized what ‘hearing better’ means.

“Hearing Reality™ is new technology that allows users to hear comfortably, even in the nosiest environments. This technology will automatically adjust to the user’s environment, making hearing with ease a possibility by making changes that allow the user to enjoy newly enhanced speech clarity in both loud and quiet settings. Hearing Reality Technology’s first concern is the comfort of the user while using Livio AI,” concludes Giscard.

Starkey Hearing Technologies is thrilled to introduce a product that can help give millions of people, their families and caregivers peace of mind. Fall Alert, a revolutionary feature of Livio AI, can detect falls & send alert messages to selected contacts. Starkey Hearing Technologies incorporated significant new inventions to avoid false-positives & flag only true falls.