ACAM® 5

INNOVATIVE HEARING AID DIAGNOSTIC AND FITTING SYSTEM

The ACAM® 5 is a unique, stand-alone hearing aid diagnostic and fitting system designed by audiologists for audiologists to make the work of hearing professionals easier and more objective while improving the end results for patients.

The initial ACAM system was developed in 1984 by audiologist Harald Bonsel in Reinheim, Germany.  Mr. Bonsel was and is familiar with the difficult tasks faced by audiologists and hearing aid professionals because since 1957 his family has owned Hörgeräte Bonsel, one of Germany’s largest and most successful hearing aid shops.  He combined his knowledge of the hearing aid industry with his background as an electrical engineer, acoustician, and software developer to create a product that would improve the quality of life for both professionals and patients.

ACAM has been used successfully in Europe since 1987. The latest version, the ACAM® 5, is a fully integrated, all-in-one hearing aid diagnostic and fitting system.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The ACAM® 5

  • can help determine which type, brand, and model of hearing aid will most effectively address each patient’s specific auditory characteristics and needs
  • can help a trained professional complete a testing and fitting session in 15-30 minutes
  • is designed to facilitate the counseling process, making the experience more comfortable, satisfactory and productive for the patient
  • has easy-to-see graphical displays that increase patient awareness about the quality of care they are receiving and the products they are investing in
  • includes a free training program
  • is available for a 30 day free evaluation program
  • is designed to help the professional gradually and objectively improve hearing correction over the first weeks of using a new hearing aid so the patient’s brain can adjust to hearing new sounds
  • reduces follow-up visits and patient complaints by doing a thorough job on the initial fitting
  • can be used to fit virtually any digital or analog hearing aid
  • archives and allows retrieval of previous audiograms
  • uses unique loudness scaling technology to accurately quantify psychoacoustics and calculate a true “most comfortable” sound level
  • utilizes precise measurements and metrics to optimize patient hearing

INDUSTRY LEADING TECHNOLOGY

The ACAM® 5 is an integrated hardware and software system designed to help hearing professionals optimize the patient’s ability to hear and understand speech, and all other valuable sounds, in all ambient noise conditions.  The algorithms used to achieve a personalized fitting were developed using the latest standards for analyzing complex signals that include human speech, music in all tonal ranges, and diverse, natural sound environments.  It objectively measures and records a patient’s auditory abilities, both actively and passively.  It allows optimization of nearly any digital or analog hearing aid.  It is designed to help the professional continue to optimize patients’ hearing as their abilities change over time.

Over the years, Acousticon has developed many innovations that have become industry standards. The ACAM® 5 continues in this tradition.

PERCENTILE ANALYSYS

Percentile Analysis has been used in research and development for many years.  Acousticon engineers have figured out how to incorporate it into the ACAM® 5 in order to fit individual hearing aids in ways that are compliant with the most current versions of draft international standards.

LOUDNESS SCALING

Acousticon’s loudness scaling technology accurately measures how the patient perceives and interprets the sound coming from his or her hearing aid in order to more precisely calculate the most comfortable sound level.  German audiologists using the ACAM® 5 have been able to use this technology to re-adjust hearing aids programmed with other systems, achieving greater patient satisfaction 80% of the time.

AALENER SENTENCE TEST

More than two years of research at the University of Applied Sciences Aalen produced the Aalener sentence test, which has been incorporated into the ACAM® 5.  Impressive patient benefits have been achieved using this high quality test sentence.

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

The ACAM® 5 is modularly constructed and utilizes a clever “step by step” insertion system that enables it to be upgraded as needed to accommodate new fitting procedures.  This feature means that your up-front investment will allow you to maintain a state of the art system far into the future by simply upgrading rather than investing in a totally new product.

Adreas Kahler, an audiologist in Hannover Germany, says “Fitting a hearing aid without corresponding measure is crystal-ball gazing.  With ACAM I can measure every important point and trust the results; I can tell what’s possible and what’s not, and get clear conclusions about how to optimize the quality of fitting.  This is extremely relaxing in my work.”