Jacoti releases first FDA-registered medical device hearing aid application for smartphones

Mar 31 2015

Jacoti bvba announced today the US release of Jacoti ListenApp, the first FDA registered and CE certified medical device hearing aid application for smartphones. Indicated for mild to moderate hearing loss, ListenApp precisely adjusts the sound of an iOS device to the user's audiogram, transforming the device into a sophisticated, flexible and very affordable hearing instrument with extremely high sound quality. Jacoti ListenApp connects seamlessly with Jacoti Lola®, the first bidirectional assistive listening technology running entirely on a consumer platform.

The Challenge

Hearing loss remains one of the most under-treated of all serious disabilities.

Assistive listening technologies, such as hearing aids, help mitigate the burden of hearing loss, including severe developmental and learning problems, social isolation, and other socio-economic problems.

However, according to the World Health Organization, while hearing loss is a daily challenge for up to 20% of the world's population, the current production of hearing aids meets less than 10% of global need.

Jacoti's answer

"At Jacoti we believe that hearing loss is both a medical condition and a consumer challenge. Therefore, it needs consumer-driven and consumer-oriented solutions" said Jacques Kinsbergen, CEO of Jacoti bvba. Jacoti ListenApp for iOS, which provides high quality hearing assistance to iPhone users with hearing loss, meets these needs.

A user's audiogram (obtained by a visit to any local audiologist) is entered into Jacoti ListenApp via a simple-to-use interactive interface. Jacoti ListenApp then automatically applies sophisticated audiological fitting algorithms enabling the iPhone plus Jacoti ListenApp to serve as an FDA registered and CE certified medical device hearing aid.

To enable users to customize Jacoti ListenApp for themselves, Jacoti will release in late 2015 a self-fitting audiometry tool. (Currently under clinical trials.)

Furthermore, Jacoti ListenApp connects to myJacoti, a web service that allows users to securely store their hearing profiles in the cloud, enabling them to be shared across multiple devices. A hearing expert chosen by the user can access the hearing profile stored in myJacoti to remotely fine-tune the fitting of Jacoti ListenApp via a fully featured suite of audiological tools.

In addition, Jacoti ListenApp is integrated with Apple's Inter-App Audio framework, enabling users with hearing loss to experience and enjoy more third-party sound applications. Jacoti encourages music, professional audio, and VOIP app developers to integrate Apple's Inter-App Audio-compatible technology into their own products.

Ubiquitous hearing loss compensation

Jacoti ListenApp connects to Jacoti Lola, the first bidirectional assistive listening solution. Jacoti Lola also runs entirely on off-the-shelf consumer devices, providing high-quality hearing loss compensation at an affordable price.

Because audio problems like echo, reverb, and noise are very common in classrooms, meeting rooms, and big conference rooms, even people with no hearing loss can have considerable difficulty understanding speech. Jacoti Lola wirelessly transmits high-quality audio from speaker to listener which can help all listeners hear better.

Jacoti Lola interoperates seamlessly with Jacoti ListenApp, standard hearing aids, cochlear implant speech processors, and the Made for iPhone® hearing aid platform.

Jacoti Lola comprises a server application - Jacoti Lola Hub - that runs on a Mac computer and Jacoti Lola, a mobile application (for the iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®). In addition Jacoti Lola requires a WiFi router with 5 GHz band support. Jacoti Lola Hub for Mac Computers,Jacoti Lola and Jacoti ListenApp for iOS devices can be downloaded for free from the Apple and Mac App Stores.

SOURCE Jacoti