Swim, snorkel, and sweat with new hearing aid

Water, sweat, and dust can be the ruin of hearing aids, which can rein in the fun for summer sports and intense physical activities. But the Aquaris, a new hearing aid announced April 5, claims to be the first truly waterproof hearing aid allowing users to swim, sail, jog, snorkel, and more without damaging the device.

The aid's housing is made of one solid piece, except for the battery compartment, which is fitted with a membrane designed to keep water out. Aquaris also features a nonslip, textured surface that holds the hearing aid behind the ear; a "sport clip" to further secure the device during intense activities; and a water-resistant Aquapac for added protection.

While there are water-resistant devices available from manufacturers such as Rion and Eurion, Aquaris takes it much further - it can be fully submerged in water up to 3 feet deep (about one meter) for 30 minutes. For active sports, other products currently available include Super Seals, a latex cover that when placed over a hearing aid works to protect it from humidity and sweat.

Aquaris's manufacturer Siemens has yet to release pricing but aims to launch the device in June 2011.

Other new hearing aid devices breaking new ground and just released this year include the Beltone True hearing aid, part of a new generation of "virtually invisible" Bluetooth hearing aids and among the first to wirelessly receive sound directly from TV, cell/home phone, stereo, PC and iPod via a 2.4 GHz signal. Also, the OtoLens invisible hearing aid from Starkey Laboratories is reportedly the first invisible, in-the-canal hearing aid, custom-built to each patient's ear.

Learn more about the Aquaris: http://www.siemens.com/press/en/pressrelease/?press=/en/pressrelease/2011/healthcare/h20110426.htm

 

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

Is Ridley Scott the most macho man in movies?

Ridley Scott: The most macho man in movies?

His cinematic CV is unparalleled. Yet the Alien director is still obsessed with beating his rivals.
Being Gary Lineker: The clean-cut anchorman is this summer's Mr Sport

Being Gary Lineker

The clean-cut anchorman is this summer's Mr Sport...
Gallic gourmets are putting French cuisine back on the culinary map

Gallic gourmets put France back on culinary map

Overdone, out of touch and old-fashioned: French cuisine has never been at a lower ebb...
So Moorish: Mark Hix offers his own take on classic Moroccan dishes

So Moorish: Mark Hix's Moroccan dishes

Why not create a north African-inspired feast to share with your friends?
Sin and the single mother: The history of lone parenthood

Sin and the single mother

Maureen Paton explores the history of lone parenthood.
The outsider: Margaret Howell is British fashion's queen of minimalism

The outsider: Margaret Howell

The designer tells Susannah Frankel why she has never felt part of the fashion industry.
The 50 Best luggage

The 50 Best luggage

From chic cases to compact baggage, pack it all in this summer
For men only: A pilgrimage to Mount Athos in Greece

For men only: A pilgrimage to Mount Athos

On a secluded peninsula in north-east Greece lies an enclave that's way off the tourist map, especially for women...
48 Hours In: Faro

48 Hours In: Faro

More than just the gateway to the Algarve, this city has much to tempt you off the beach.
Here, the coast is always clear: Celebrating sixty years of Pembrokeshire's National Park

60 years of Pembrokeshire's National Park

Mick Webb reveals a land of puffins, tanks and Hollywood blockbusters.
Free Range: Meet the designers of tomorrow

Free Range

Meet the artists of the future
Feeding a hungry world – or meddling with laws of nature?

Feeding a hungry world – or meddling with laws of nature?

As scientists at Rothamsted's GM trials plead with activists not to sabotage their work, Michael McCarthy visits the battle field
Monkey meat that could be behind the next HIV

Monkey meat that could be behind the next HIV

Deep in Cameroon's rainforests, poachers are killing primates for food. Evan Williams reports from Yokadouma on a practice that could create a pandemic
Catcalls, whistles, groping: just another day for a young woman

Catcalls, whistles, groping: just another day for a young woman

Government urged to take abuse more seriously as London study shows 41 per cent are harassed
Jailing of Maori separatists stirs colonial-era resentment

Jailing of Maori separatists stirs colonial-era resentment

Militant Tuhoe tribe members defiant amid claims race relations had been set back 100 years