Phonak Hearing Aids

The first portable audio devices were released under the Phonak Alpina brand in 1950. Their seventy year foundation of knowledge and experience has made Phonak a leader in the development of wireless communication that has been applied to their hearing devices, driving their philosophy that “life is on.”

A pair of glasses with integrated hearing aids, Visaton Super, was the beginning of a long string of innovations 1967, which led to the world’s first BTE (behind-the-ear) hearing aid (Phonette) in 1970, and the audio input that established the foundation for FM devices in 1979.

The first digitally programmed hearing aid with an analogue processor (PICS) was released by Phonak, in 1992, followed by the AudioZoom multi-microphone concept in 1994 and the first tiny FM receiver (MicroLink) in 1996.

The first digital hearing system with a FM receiver released in 1999, the tiny MLx ear-level FM receiver hearing system the following year, and SmartLink (Bluetooth integration technology) in 2003 were added to the list of Phonak innovations. Since then, Phonak has worked on the development of bionic systems and Binaural VoiceStream Technology capable of improving sound distinction by up to 45% of challenging noise environments.

Materials technology developments in producing water-resistant housings in 2008 was combined with nano-digital technology, allowing Phonak to produce the world’s first extended wear hearing aids in 2011.