Cutting-edge 4D Sensor Technology for “intention-based” personalization

Intent reportedly employs the world’s first user-intent sensors capable of discerning a person's distinct communication goals and providing the brain with the appropriate hearing support for any listening situation.

Oticon uses its 4D Sensor Technology to monitor and react accordingly to:

• Acoustic environment: Sensors gather details of the 360° sound scene around the listener as it varies within listening environments and between environments
• Head movements: Sensors monitor if and how the user moves their head to understand the type of communication situation.
• Body movements: Physical movement sensors help anticipate the need for increased spatial awareness support
• Conversation activity: Monitoring if there is an active conversation or not informs the system if it should prioritize speech

By monitoring conversational dynamics, head and body movements, and the surrounding acoustic landscape, Intent becomes the first hearing aid to detect shifts in user requirements and adapt sound processing accordingly, says Oticon. The 4D Sensor technology provides tailored assistance across various situations, enhancing speech comprehension by 15%.¹ Additionally, outcomes from a brain imaging study demonstrated that this technology helps users balance their attention toward the sound sources to which they intend to listen.¹

“At Oticon, we recognize the brain’s exceptional sound processing abilities,” said Oticon Head of Audiology Virginia Ramachandran, AuD, PhD, in a press statement. “Our unique BrainHearing approach guides us and helps us make life-changing technology, like Oticon Intent, a reality. The world’s first user-intent sensors allow Oticon Intent to recognize when a user’s listening needs change and adapt accordingly, providing greater access to the sounds and speech that will enable users to engage in life like never before. Oticon Intent seamlessly supports each individual listening need while always giving access to the full, 360º sound environment.”

Intent enhanced further with MoreSound Intelligence 3.0 and DNN 2.0

According to Oticon, the new rapid and effective sound processing technology in Oticon Intent, called MoreSound Intelligence 3.0, provides higher clarity and better balance, with up to 12 dB noise suppression. Due to this innovative processing, which ultimately provides users with clearer speech, Oticon Intent delivers 35% more access to speech cues compared to Oticon’s preceding premium hearing aid.²

Intent also includes the second generation of Oticon’s Deep Neural Network (DNN 2.0), which relies on a more comprehensive array of complex sound scenes and benefits from enriched learning from diverse sound inputs during its training phase. A type of machine learning or artificial intelligence, DNN 2.0 is designed to allow the hearing aid to work more like the brain—having learned through experience—enabling more accurate representations of sound in the brain and better access to even soft speech sounds in noisy situations.

Other important additions to Oticon Intent

Oticon reports that Intent also features three new design and technology improvements for hearing healthcare:

• Smart Speaker: The new hearing aid uses the industry's first self-calibrating speaker, miniFit Detect, ensuring accuracy within 1 dB and 57% more gain precision over prior speaker units. Hearing care professionals employing Oticon Genie 2 fitting software can gain access to all relevant speaker unit details (e.g., serial number, fitting power level, speaker wire length, and left/right information). Genie 2 can also streamline the fitting process by supplying immediate visibility to speaker unit status, enabling the hearing care professional to determine if a speaker unit is correct, missing, faulty, or incompatible.
• Bluetooth LE and Auracast ready: Oticon Intent supports Bluetooth^® LE Audio, making the hearing aid “future ready” for Auracast™ broadcast audio technology,³ which some anticipate will revolutionize audio accessibility in the future. Users can also enjoy direct streaming and hands-free communication to iOS devices and compatible Android™ phones, tablets,⁴ and Windows PCs.
• New design and improved rechargeability: Oticon Intent is the company’s smallest, sleekest, most discreet rechargeable miniRITE, yet it still offers a telecoil and a large lithium-ion battery for faster and more stable charging. When fully charged, it is designed to offer 20 hours of battery life, even with streaming, and 4 hours of use with a quick 15-minute charge.⁵ The addition of a touch control for phone calls and a single, user-friendly push-button further enhances quick and intuitive hearing aid control.

Oticon asked hearing aid users to compare the sound quality of Oticon Intent to the company’s previous premium hearing aid in various listening environments. Not only was Intent shown to improve sound quality significantly, but it also provided more nuance and detail in the sound and higher listening comfort for users.¹

For more details, please visit the Oticon Intent website.

Source: Oticon

References/Notes

1. Bianchi/Eskelund et al. (2024). Oticon Intent™ – Clinical evidence. BrainHearing™ benefits of the 4D Sensor technology. Oticon whitepaper.
2. Brændgaard/Zapata-Rodríguez et al. (2024). 4D Sensor technology and Deep Neural Network 2.0 in Oticon Intent™. Technical review and evaluation. Oticon whitepaper.
3. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. Android™, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. Microsoft and Windows are part of the Microsoft group of companies. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. The Auracast™ word mark and logos are trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG. Any use of such marks by Demant is under licence. Other trademarks and tradenames are those of their respective owners.
4. Android™ devices need to have Android 14 and support LE Audio Bluetooth to allow hands-free communication or the Android Protocol for Audio Streaming (ASHA) to allow direct streaming to Oticon Intent. Please visit https://www.oticon.com/support/compatibility for more information.
5. Expected use time for rechargeable battery depends on use pattern, active feature set, hearing loss, sound environment, battery age and use of wireless accessories.