Deaf News: Phonak’s Roger Pen wins prestigious iF Design Award 2016

Phonak, who are one of the supporters of this site, has won an iF Design Award for outstanding product design for their Roger Pen.

The Roger Pen is an advanced wireless microphone for people affected by hearing loss. It mimics a pen in shape and looks more like a stylish device than a medical instrument.

The pen was selected to receive the coveted seal of design excellence in the category of Medicine/Healthcare by an international, high-profile jury of design professionals, press members and academics.

“We are delighted and greatly honored to receive the iF DESIGN AWARD recognition,” said Drs. Hans Mülder, Marketing Director of Phonak Communications. “The award highlights our efforts to pair the highest standards in hearing performance, ease of use and innovation with outstanding design.”

Among design features to convince the iF jury is a special layer of lacquering on the pen’s surface that reduces friction noise significantly compared to ordinary lacquering.

The Roger Pen’s design also improves detection of speech thanks to a weight mounted inside the device, causing it to roll until the microphone openings face upwards.

The aim is for users to benefit from an extra performance boost with the Roger Pen in the most difficult listening situations, such as in noise or over distance.

The company says the device helps those affected by hearing loss understand speech up to 62% better than people without hearing loss.

The pen is easy to use: by clicking tiny receivers into their hearing aid, users can hear the speaker directly in the ear. The integrated wideband Bluetooth chip enables wireless cell phone calls and transmits the sound from the TV wirelessly to the ears, making users’ lives easier.

To find out more about the Roger Pen, go to: http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/products/wireless-accessories/products/roger-pen/hearing-aid-accessory.html