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Widex Brings Advanced Laser Technology to the UK and Australia |
Widex is introducing its unique Stereo Lithographic manufacturing technology to its local laboratories in the UK and Australia. “This state-of-the-art process, known as CAMISHA, will transform the way that customised digital in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are manufactured”, says Lawrence Werth, Managing Director of P.C. Werth in London.”
Due to their tiny size, individual fit and discreet appearance, ITE hearing aids are the preferred hearing aid type in both Australia and the UK. Until now, the final stages of manufacture of digital ITE aids have been based on a time-consuming manual process. An aid’s outer shell is made from a cast taken from an impression of the patient’s ear, which is sent to the laboratory by the hearing aid audiologist. This process suffers from fitting variability and lack of repeatability.
CAMISHA, which stands for Computer Aided Manufacturing of Individual Shells for Hearing Aids, is based around the latest computer modelling and laser technologies. Technicians now laser scan the ear canal impression, and all the resulting data of the shape of the ear is transferred into a specially developed computer modelling software program. The lab technicians can then design an on-screen 3D computer model of the ideally shaped custom hearing aid, incorporating all the required miniature components in the tiny available space.
The data for this model is then transferred to the Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA), which uses a laser to build up the shell layer-by-layer within a bath of liquid photoplastic acrylic material. The custom shells made by this new process have a superior quality and consistency, resulting in smaller sized and better fitting hearing aids for the user.
Widex holds the basic international patent for this completely new method for manufacturing hearing aid shells, which has only now become a reality thanks to the latest advances in scanner, computer modelling and materials technologies. The advantages of this process are so significant that Widex is licensing it to other hearing aid companies.
Geoff Dickson, Managing Director of Widex Australia comments: “The CAMISHA process allows the final product to be a more exact representation of the ear impression, so the user has greater assurance of optimum fit and comfort. The great news for hearing aid users is that fewer modifications and faster remakes, based on the stored computer data, will lead to greater customer satisfaction. We’re delighted to be able to bring this cutting edge technology to the UK as well as Australia for the first time.”
Apart from Australia and the UK, Widex now has CAMISHA installations in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain as well as United States. Further installations are ongoing for other markets around the world.
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