Oticon Medical

Oticon Medical focuses on implantable hearing solutions for people with hearing loss. In the U.S., Oticon Medical offers bone-anchored hearing systems under their Pronto brand.

Bone-anchored hearing systems

Bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS) are comprised of two parts—a metal implant behind the ear and a sound processor that sits on the surface of the skull. The sound processor portion contains a microphone that picks up sounds in the environment, just like a traditional hearing aid.

That’s where the similarity between the two devices ends. While a traditional hearing aid delivers amplified sound into the ear canal that travels through the middle ear and to the inner ear, a BAHS converts the sounds into mechanical energy that vibrates the skull to deliver the sound directly to the inner ear. These devices are often a potential treatment for people who have at least one normally functioning inner ear, such as single-sided deafness (SSD) or conductive hearing loss.

The Ponto system

Oticon Medical's flagship product is the Ponto^TM 5 Mini system. This unique system consists of: 

• Ponto 5 Mini sound processor (external component): The external component is currently the smallest processor available. It houses a microphone to pick up sound from the environment, as well as a sound processor. It has a modernized approach to feedback and gives wearers access to hear sounds from all directions.
• Internal component: The implanted component is made of titanium because of its known ability to integrate seamlessly with human bone (called osseointegration). A portion of the implanted titanium component, called the “abutment,” sticks out from the skull to provide a clip for securely attaching the processor after the surgical area has healed.
• Genie fitting software: The fitting software is used by an audiologist to program the Ponto 5 Mini sound processor according to the wearer’s specific hearing needs.

Unique features of the Ponto 5:

Several features set Ponto devices apart from the competition, including:

• The Ponto 5 Mini sound processor is built on the Velox S™ platform, providing extreme-frequency resolution (64 channels), precision (24-bit DSP) and speed (more than 100 updates per second). This processing technology helps deliver crisp and clear sound.
• Ponto 5 Mini utilizes OpenSound™ Navigator, the same sound processing technology used in Oticon hearing aids, to provide an open soundscape that allows users to remain better oriented in their surroundings, separate relevant sounds from noise, focus in noisy environments, and recognize and make sense of incoming sounds.
• Ponto 5 Mini also includes OpenSound™ Optimizer, which detects and prevents audible feedback from occurring and provides up to 6 dB more stable gain, providing users the comfort and assurance they’ll hear the sound that are most important to them.
• Ponto 5 Mini comes with three special purpose program options: Speech in noise, Comfort, and Music, allowing Ponto 5 Mini to be customized to the wearer’s needs.
• Ponto 5 Mini is an internet-connected bone-anchored device, using the Oticon ON™ App and IFTT (If-This-Then-That) network. It uses 2.4 GHz wireless to connect to iPhones®, other smartphones and a range of wireless connectivity products. This helps keep wearers connected to what’s most important.
• The Ponto 5 SuperPower is available for people with severe hearing loss.
• The secure and easy-to-use Oticon RemoteCare platform allows for follow-up appointments, adjustments, and upgrades to be performed remotely, providing aftercare convenience and flexibility.

Sound processor upgrades from earlier bone-conduction systems are sometimes possible. The current Ponto 5 was preceded by the Ponto, Ponto Pro, Ponto Plus and Ponto 3 and Ponto 4. 

Learn more about Oticon Medical

Specially trained audiologists and ENT physicians work together to implant, program and help you maintain this type of hearing treatment solution. Contact a clinic affiliated with Oticon Medical to learn more about these hearing solutions.