EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.-Hearing-aid manufacturer Starkey Laboratories Inc. said testing of a new antenna design from RangeStar International Corp. and a new model Starkey hearing aid showed reduced audio interference by more than 94 percent.
Audio interference is created by the handset’s digital transmission, which causes a buzzing noise in hearing aids, creating a problem for hearing-impaired people who want to use digital cellular phones. The buzzing can range from the annoying to the intolerable, said Starkey.
“The noise is primarily caused by the handset’s standard wire antenna, which transmits more than 50 percent of the phone’s signal strength in the direction of the head and hearing aid,” said Greg Johnson, vice president of engineering for RangeStar International.
“In comparison, the RangeStar antenna’s ability to reduce interference with hearing aids is due to its redirection of cell phone transmission signals away from the head toward carrier cell sites,” Johnson explained.
Digital cellular phones equipped with the new RangeStar antenna are expected to be available within the next three months. RangeStar is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.
“The wireless industry is committed to making its technologies available to all consumers. That is why we will continue our efforts with organizations that represent the hard of hearing to make sure that they have a variety of wireless options available to them,” said Jo-Anne Basile, vice president for external and industry relations for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.
