"Everyday Sounds Better" feat. Scott Bunnell | Sonic Innovations

About the Hearing Matters Podcast
 
The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CCC-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA.

Becoming an Audiologist

On this episode Blaise Delfino discusses the emergence of hearing technology with Scott Bunnell of Sonic Innovation. Scott explains that he was in a dead-ed job when he decided to go back to school to become an audiologist. He got a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in audiology. He practiced as a clinician in a hospital for 6 years. He was laid off when the hospital closed its audiology unit.

Moving into Industry 

While looking for another job, he got a call from Sonic Innovations, asking him if he wanted to become a tech support audiologist. He enjoyed learning things that were not part of his job in the hospital. HE was put on a marketing team and is now a senior product manager. 

Sonic in its Early Years

Scott explains that Sonic began with three brilliant scientist-engineers. Dr. Thomas Stockham, who was a pioneer of digital recording and a master of digitizing and processing sound. Dr. Douglass Chabries designed Navy sonar systems and developed algorithms that simulated how the human ear and brain process sound.  Both had lifelong interests in how sound is produced and how the human brain processes it. They were later joined by Dr. Carver Meade, who is considered the father of microelectronics. He reduced a bench-top prototype to a single tiny chip. Using digital technology and the latest microchip manufacturing techniques, they created the first Sonic product in 1998. It was a completely digital hearing aid that fit inside the human ear. The company first tried to manufacture the hearing aids in Utah, but found it was easier to do so in Minnesota. Today R and D is located in Salt Lake City and manufacturing is done in Minnesota.

Sonic’s 4S Foundation

Over the years, Sonic has consistently improved and refined each generation of hearing devices. They developed algorithms that separate speech from noise and bring it to the foreground. They learned how to reduce background noise in many diverse environments. 

Scott says Sonic products and accessories are true to the company’s 4S Foundation: Sound That’s Natural, Speech Understanding in Noise, Simplicity in Everything We Do, and Style That Stands Out 

Sonic is a Leader in Noise Management

Most patients struggle with speech in noise. Sonic hearing aids use two microphones in one. One picks up the sound from the person who the wearer is talking to, and the other picks up other noises and mutes them. These microphones do this every time the wearer moves his/her head. 

Compression is Important.

Scott explains that compression in a hearing instrument is its ability to cut off the peaks of a sound wave that are too high (loud). He uses the example of a sailboat going under a bridge. If the sail is too high, its sails need to be compressed so it can fit. By using just, the right amount of compression, Sonic instruments amplify the soft sounds but keep the loud sounds from being too loud. 

The Cochlea is the Template

Sonic contin

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