Houston Chronicle

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MINNEAPOLI­S, MN: At the nation’s Silicon Valley of nano hearing innovation, scientists at Starkey Hearing Technologi­es unveiled a tiny device called Via AI, which in just a few weeks has become the bellwether for a revolution in healthcare. “This is the best sounding, best performing hearing aid we have ever made,” announced Dr. Achin Bhowmik, Starkey’s chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineerin­g. “When you put it on, you forget you have it on and you can wear it all the time. It has automatic connectivi­ty, streaming your television and cell phone right into your ear, hands free.” Dr. Bhowmik joined Starkey, the nation’s largest hearing aid technology company, to connect Intel’s advanced sensor and artificial-intelligen­ce capabiliti­es within an all-new, svelte ear-worn hearing aid that weighs less than a dime and employs the same artificial intelligen­ce used in Apple’s continuous glucose sensor to be built into its Apple Watch. Via AI is more than a hearing aid; it is a brain, health and fitness tracker, an ear-worn language translator capable of 27 languages, and an in-ear fall detector, automatica­lly calling a loved one should the user fall. “Via AI provides the user clean hearing in noise, significan­t reduction in listening effort and less cognitive fatigue,” said Dr. David Fabry, chief innovation officer. Dr. Bhowmik adds, “I will give you my perspectiv­e as a normal-hearing person. I wear Via AI all the time because it streams my phone calls hands-free, and when I go to a loud restaurant where the volume is so loud anyone would have trouble hearing – I feel super-human.” The maker has released 100 sets for Houston-area field trials. To qualify call NewSound Hearing Centers at 1-888-7964976.

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