Siemens confirmed it is selling its hearing aid business to a group of private equity investors led by EQT Partners in Sweden, backed by the Wallenberg family, and by Germany's Strungmann family, for €2.15 billion ($2.57 billion USD) plus future earn-out payments based on the company's performance. The sale is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2015. Siemens … [Read more...] about Siemens Confirms It Will Sell Hearing Aid Unit To Private Equity Investors
Hearing Industry
An Independent Siemens Hearing Aid Business Could Be Great For The Hearing Industry
Yesterday's announcement by Siemens that it will spin off its audiology and hearing instrument business as a separate, new publicly held company could be great news for the global hearing aid industry -- but only if an independent, newly energized management team can overcome the complacency that has dogged the Siemens hearing business in recent years. If the new entity … [Read more...] about An Independent Siemens Hearing Aid Business Could Be Great For The Hearing Industry
On Semiconductor’s New Digital Signal Processors Drive Hearing Aid Cost Reduction
With the introduction of two new digital signal processors (DSPs) integrating advanced sound processing functions, On Semiconductor is taking another step in the march to lower-cost manufacturing of both high-end and entry-level hearing aids. The new members of the company's Rhythm family of preconfigured DSP systems for hearing aids integrate 16-channel sound processing … [Read more...] about On Semiconductor’s New Digital Signal Processors Drive Hearing Aid Cost Reduction
Made-For-iPhone Hearing Aids Hit Market
It was only a matter of time before major hearing aid manufacturers started finding ways to integrate with Apple's ubiquitous iPhone, especially after Apple initiated its "Made-for-iPhone Hearing Aid" partnership program in 2012. In the past several months, three of the "Big Six" hearing aid manufacturers have introduced their own Made for iPhone products: GN ReSound was … [Read more...] about Made-For-iPhone Hearing Aids Hit Market
Life At The Cutting Edge: FDA Weighed Tradeoffs In Approving Hybrid Cochlear Implant
In approving Cochlear Ltd.'s Nucleus Hybrid L24 Implant System for use in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to balance some serious demonstrable risks against many obvious benefits of the new implant system. The biggest problem some early users experienced -- complete loss of their low-frequency hearing in the implanted ear -- might seem to … [Read more...] about Life At The Cutting Edge: FDA Weighed Tradeoffs In Approving Hybrid Cochlear Implant