Cochlear to unveil its Arabic Matrix Test at Annual Middle East Otolaryngology Conference & Exhibition

The test is an international benchmark in reliable speech audiometry for the Arabic language

April 20, 2014

Cochlear Ltd., the market-leading implantable hearing solutions developer, has announced that it will introduce the first Arabic Matrix Test during its participation at the 11th Annual Middle East Otolaryngology Conference & Exhibition – Head and Neck Surgery that will take place from April 20 to 22, 2014 at the Madinat Arena, Dubai. The company will also take the opportunity to increase awareness about its advanced implantable hearing solutions in the region which is considered as the largest meeting place for otolaryngologists in the Middle East.

The Arabic Matrix Text was developed by Cochlear Ltd. in partnership with the Centre of Competence HörTech, a German-based non-profit organization partly owned by the University of Oldenburg and led by Prof. Dr. Birger Kollmeier. The first public presentation of the test will be at the Annual Middle East Otolaryngology Conference & Exhibition in Dubai. The new test is comparable to already existing Matrix Sentence Tests in more than 10 languages, which are adaptive speech in noise tests for adaptively determining the speech reception threshold (SRT) in noise and in quiet. All sentences of the test are composed with the same structure and test lists are generated by creating seemingly random sentences from an inventory of fifty words (10 words per category).

Richard Brook, President, Cochlear Ltd. – EMEA and Latin America, said: “We are looking forward to introducing the Arabic Matrix Test at the Annual Middle East Otolaryngology Conference & Exhibition. Arabic is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages and we realized the need of a speech audiometric test procedure in the language. Cochlear has partnered with the Centre of Competence HörTech to launch this test which allows reliable diagnostic as well as outcome testing to support our Arabic speaking customers to hear. The Middle East remains vital for the company’s immediate expansion plan and long-term growth strategy and the exhibition has offered a perfect platform to showcase our implantable hearing solutions to the regional audience and strengthen our presence.”

Held under the support of the UAE Ministry of Health, the 11th Annual Middle East Otolaryngology Conference & Exhibition – Head and Neck Surgery will host 56 companies from 18 countries who will showcase their latest products and solutions in ENT and Audiology. In addition, the high profile conference will be attended by more than 1,600 guests and 160 speakers from 45 countries to get an insight about the most recent developments in this field. The exhibition is organized by Informa Life Science, a part of Informa Exhibitions with a healthcare product portfolio of more than 20 exhibitions and 100 conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the USA. For more information, log on to: http://www.me-oto.com/.  

Cochlear Ltd. invented the world’s first multi-channel cochlear implant over 30 years ago. The company conducts extensive research and development on hearing products and has made breakthroughs in developing world-class hearing solutions. Together with the support of the well-developed healthcare sector in the region and particularly in the UAE in Dubai Health Care City, Cochlear aims to make a difference in the life of every person with hearing disabilities.