STAEFA, SWITZERLAND — For years, custom hearing aid shells have traditionally been made using acrylic material, whether made by hand or by 3D printer. However, in an industry-first, Phonak has announced an all-new custom hearing aid that utilizes a 3D printed titanium shell.
Titanium is a strong and lightweight material, 15 times stronger than acrylic, and is used in a number of applications across industries. According to the company, using titanium as a material for building hearing aid shells comes with a number of advantages over the more traditional acrylic material.
Because titanium is so much stronger, it allows for shells that are 50% thinner than typical acrylic shells — as thin as 0.2 mm.
Phonak Virto B-Titanium Hearing Aids
Due to the thinner shell and smaller electronics, Phonak says that the new Virto B-Titanium devices are approximately 26% smaller than its predecessor. Furthermore, the company says Invisible In the Canal (IIC) hearing aid fit rates have been improved by 64%, when compared to its previous generation of IIC products.
Phonak Titanium vs. Acrylic Hearing Aid Shell Comparison
With the additional space provided by thinner shells and smaller electronic components, they are able to increase vent size in the devices, as well as offer more power in a smaller size.
According to Phonak, the Virto B-Titanium is available in IIC and CIC shell styles.
Source: Phonak
