Artificial intelligence is a word that has quickly been coined into our vocabulary over the past couple years, with many markets such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google taking advantage.
It is a way of using machines, as opposed to natural intelligence by humans, improving efficiency, functionality, and many other aspects.
But what is AI and what does it mean for the public sector, in particular, hearing healthcare?
On Thursday, August 26, Dr. Natan Bauman was joined by Whisper Head of Audiology, Don Schum, Ph.D. for a live online webinar to discuss the scope of AI and what it means for the future.
What Is The Whisper Hearing System?
- A Learning System
- Harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence
One of the founding ideas behind the Whisper Hearing System was to build a hearing aid that becomes better over time through software upgrades.
Since modern hearing aids are primarily software based, there’s no reason why they can’t be updated over time.
By combining this system into the software, it allows Whisper to craft the sound that works best for you through signal processing.
As we learn more about what works best for people with a hearing loss, Whisper can provide those updates into the system to make sure that performance is up to date with your hearing requirements.
Another core aspect of the Whisper Hearing System is that it’s based on artificial intelligence as the core signal processing, which helps particularly in difficult environments.
With the founders having close relatives with a hearing loss, they wanted to use their knowledge and expertise in the world of artificial intelligence to bring a new level of care to the world of hearing.
“At Whisper, we believe that AI has an important place in hearing care” – Don Schum
What Makes Whisper Different From The Rest?
One of the most important aspects of the Whisper hearing aid is that it works by attacking the problem of speech understanding in complex listening environments.
From our understanding, we know that these types of environments are what people with a hearing loss have the most difficulty hearing in.
So how does it work? There are two ways to use the Whisper Hearing System.
#1 – Earpieces – The earpieces transmit the optimized sound to your ears.
This gives you the familiarity and convenience of receiver-in-ear hearing aids, offering a convenience style device, with all the traditional processing methods patients are used to.
This is advantageous for regular situations such as when you’re in the house with your family and require that extra clarity.
#2 – The Whisper Brain – The heart of the system. The Whisper Brain optimizes sound and how the system learns.
For example, if you are in a situation such as a busy restaurant or café and there are lots of sounds around you, the Whisper Brain will send a signal to the earpiece, allowing your device to adjust to the environment.
It takes your hearing to another level, allowing you to hear in all types of environments, as well as reducing feedback overall.
Software Upgrades
With a learning hearing aid, you will get upgraded sound processing over time through AI software. Every few months, Whisper will send out a new software, which can be upgraded through our office by me.
This is unlike many other hearing devices, where you may feel like you have outgrown its software processing and no longer able to benefit.
With that said, patients are loving the Whisper hearing device just as much.
“My family and I both recognize the significant improvement in my ability to hear in difficult (noisy) situations.”
“I like the fact that the Whisper has actually designed a product that seems to have been done with the hearing-impaired user in mind and delivered a product that seems to be designed by people that have actual hearing loss.”
Commonly Asked Questions
1. How much does the Whisper Hearing System cost?
This system can be paid as a subscription, with an introductory offer at $139.00 per month
2. What is the warranty with Whisper and what happens if I lose it/it gets damaged?
With the system, it comes with a full 2-year loss and damage cover, so if anything goes wrong with the device, it will be replaced free of charge.
3. Is Whisper covered by insurance companies?
Unfortunately, it is not covered by insurance companies due to the monthly payments.
Local Hearing Care Delivered By Dr. Natan Bauman
If you are interested in the Whisper Hearing System or anything discussed in this webinar, please get in touch today.
Whether you have a question about hearing aids, hearing loss, or maybe you just want to know more about the options available, the first step begins with scheduling an appointment at any of our two conveniently located hearing centers in Norwalk and Hamden.
