Market

2012: Highest sales in a decade

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Published on 11 March 2013

What an impressive year for hearing aid sales in the UK. The total market increased by 7%, with a remarkable 1,221,602 hearing aids being sold by hearing aid manufacturers during 2012. This is the second year on the trot that the UK has experienced a pretty strong sales performance!

Sales to hospitals during the year increased by 7.7%; breaking through

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Not all Canadians seniors get hearing aid subsidies

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Published on 05 March 2013

Hearing aid subsidies are not created equal in Canada. An investigation by the CBC has found that Manitoba is falling behind other provinces when it comes to subsidizing hearing aids for seniors who are not on income assistance. Eight Canadian provinces and territories provide some level of subsidy for hearing aids, which can cost anywhere from $1,500 to more than $8,000 for seniors who do not qualify for income assistance. In Manitoba, only those under 18 qualify for a payment of 80% of the cost. Some Manitobans, like Veterans and aboriginal Canadians, are covered

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FDA gives approval for ABI clinical trial

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Published on 26 February 2013

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given final approval to begin a clinical trial of an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) procedure for children. The trial is a surgical collaboration sponsored by the House Research Institute in partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Vittorio Colletti, MD of the University of Verona Hospital, Verona, Italy.

The ABI was developed at the House Research Institute and is

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Audiology Systems adds independent distributors

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Published on 22 February 2013

Audiology Systems Inc., a national partnership of industry professionals, audiologists and local audiology and vestibular instrument experts, has added two well-known independent distributors to its company. Acousti-Medical Instruments, led by John Brewer and headquartered in northern California, and AudioMed Inc., led by John Buswold and headquartered in southern California, are now

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New CEO of Phonak Brazil

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Published on 18 February 2013

Marilisa Zavagli will become the new CEO of Phonak Brazil on April 1, succeeding Pedro Stern who will serve as board chairman. She will also serve as the Brazilian representative on Phonak’s Advisory Product Board in Switzerland.

“By promoting an audiologist to CEO, and the first woman among Sonava’s companies, Phonak has recognized the important role of

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GN Otometrics: Staff changes

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Published on 15 February 2013

GN Otometrics is expanding its financial team. Scott Brewer has been appointed to the newly created position of financial director and Ginger Sharp is the company’s new assistant controller. Brewer will report directly to Uffe Bjerg, vice president of GN Otometrics North America. Sharp will report to Brewer, as will the rest of the finance department. “We are growing rapidly, due to our strong product launches and new distribution model. As a result, we have been adding key staff to support and sustain that growth pattern,” said Bjerg. “Scott and Ginger are

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European award for Siemens researchers

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Published on 12 February 2013

Siemens Hearing Instruments researchers were recently awarded the prestigious German Future Prize, for developing a binaural hearing system, enabling users to follow conversations even in noisy situations. The system enables hearing devices in both ears to communicate with one another, a significant

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The Grand Old Man of the Hearing Industry

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Published on 11 February 2013

On February 11th this year, Widex celebrates the 90th birthday of one of the hearing industry’s emblematic figures, Erik Westermann, who founded Widex in 1956 together with his partner Christian Tøpholm.

Working out of the cellar of Christian Tøpholm’s home, the two men laid the foundation of what would later become one of the world’s leading hearing aid producers. From these humble beginnings, they built up

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Changes at GN Otometrics

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Published on 05 February 2013

GN Otometics is growing again with the acquisition of Audio Electronics, Inc., a Texas-based distributor of audiometric and vestibular equipment. David Dorris, Ph.D., who most recently was president of Audio Electronics, will remain at the helm of the organization, as general manager, and will report to Dan McNulty, general manager of GN Otometrics.

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Decline in hearing aid sales

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Published on 03 January 2013

The quarterly statistics from the British Hearing Aid Manufacturers’ Association show an unexpectedly sharp decline in sales to both private hearing aid dispensers and NHS hospital departments. Year-on-year sales in the private sector dropped 10% for the July, August and September months, with BTE sales declining by 19% (ITE sales increased slightly). Hearing aid sales to the public sector

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