Phonak launches Bolero™ B-PR BTE and Virto™ B –Titanium

The announcement comes only six months after the celebrated global launch of the rechargeable Audéo B-R.

With Phonak Bolero B-PR, Phonak brings its built-in lithium-ion rechargeable technology to a BTE, delivering 24 hours of hearing with one simple charge (expected results when fully charged, and up to 80 minutes wireless streaming time).

Phonak Virto B-Titanium is a custom aid whose construction from titanium makes it the tiniest and most discreet custom instrument the company has ever produced. The titanium shell is half as thin as traditional acrylic shells, reducing size significantly and “making it perfect for first-time hearing aid wearers”.

“The release of our lithium-ion rechargeable Audéo B-R was one of the most successful product launches in Phonak history,” said Thomas Lang, Senior Vice President of Phonak Marketing. “That’s why we are so excited to announce the extension of this pioneering rechargeable technology to the Bolero B-PR only six months later while simultaneously introducing Virto B-Titanium – the tiniest custom instrument Phonak has ever produced. More than ever, these new products reinforce Phonak’s commitment to fast-paced innovation, ease of use, and improved quality of life.”

Bolero B-PR: first lithium-ion rechargeable BTE

Phonak Bolero B-PR continues to build upon the proven benefits of the Audéo B-R rechargeable solution. A recent Phonak study investigated both hearing aid wearer and hearing care professional satisfaction with Phonak rechargeable technology.

Results show that more than 9 out of 10 hearing aid wearers were “very satisfied” with battery life of their Phonak rechargeable hearing aids, with ease of use being identified as the number one advantage across both hearing care professionals (HCPs) and hearing aid wearers. Furthermore, the study found that 88% of hearing care professionals would recommend Phonak rechargeable technology to their fellow colleagues.

Virto B-Titanium: super-discreet, titanium strong

Titanium is super strong, durable, highly-versatile and light-weight. It is used in everything from premium medical products and high-performance vehicles to the finest quality sporting goods products. With Virto B-Titanium, Phonak combines the benefits of titanium with the latest 3D printing technology.

Because the titanium shell is half as thin as traditional shells, the overall size is reduced significantly, thus increasing invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) fit rate by 64%. This enables the tiny device to potentially fit patients with smaller ear canals who were not good candidates for IIC devices in the past.

Bolero B-PR and Virto B-Titanium on new AutoSense OS™

Virto B-Titanium and all Bolero B models including B-M, B-P, B-SP, and the rechargeable B-PR run on AutoSense OS, the operating system from Phonak. The updated version of the AutoSense OS analyzes sounds every 0.4 seconds and draws upon multiple features, blending them to create over 200 distinct settings to precisely match sound environments. All this is done automatically, without any manual adjustments being made to the hearing aids. According to recent studies at the Phonak Audiology Research Centre AutoSense OS delivered better speech understanding over patients’ manual selection and unmatched hearing performance in everyday listening situations over two leading competitors.

The new Bolero B family including the rechargeable Bolero B-PR as well as the Virto B-Titanium will be available in the U.S. by February 27, 2017, with most countries in Europe following in March.

Visit the Phonak website for more information on Phonak`s latest lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aids, Phonak Bolero B and Phonak Virto B-Titanium.