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There are over 12 million hearing aid users around the world who experience radio frequency (RF) interference when using mobile phones. In addition, over 50% of new hearing aids sold today will have this problem. GSM system handsets have a more noticeable interference, but the problem still exists with CDMA and WCDMA to a lesser degree. This disruptive, pulsating sound is caused from the pulses radiating from the mobile phone's digital software system as it radiates out from the antenna. The recent FCC's Report and Order has resulted in new improved antennas over the last two years but industry has not yet been able to comply to completely eliminate the interference problem.

A proper antenna system is necessary for the effective operation of cellular phones. Industry engineers have improved the efficiency of most antennas but typical antennas cannot create the kind of patterns Vortis Technology creates so they cannot solve the problem without major redesigns.

Vortis antenna technology takes a new approach in reducing energy toward the hearing aid and thus the user's head in order to eliminate the interference. Vortis Technology produces a figure "8" pattern where the user and hearing aid are located at the side. This pattern actually reduces energy loss to the head and creates improved performance, increased battery life and coverage (see performance section).

Vortis Technology offers a simple, unique, natural and absolute solution to hearing aid compatibility (HAC). If you use hearing aids read more now.

Because Vortis Technology reduces energy loss to the head and creates a unique figure "8" pattern, the end result is an overall pattern that actually improves performance. This is most noticeable in fringe areas. Overall Vortis Technology improves performance when used against the head or hand in the following manner:

1. Improves Battery Talk Time because less energy is used

2. Improves Distance because of greater gain

3. Improves Coverage from greater forward and rearward coverage

4. Improves clarity of calls for a more directional pattern

5. Reduces Dropped Calls

6. Reduces Hearing Aid Interference

These claims are based on third party lab tests, empirical tests from users and industry tests of highly directional antennas. The results vary between different host handsets and configurations. Overall, Vortis Technology is the unique solution available right now to improve antenna performance.

Current mobile phones use either retractable antennas, stubby (coiled) antennas or hidden (embedded) antennas as a means to link you with the cellular site (the receiving cellular station). Current antennas radiate in all directions causing much of the energy to be absorbed by your head and hand. Vortis Technologies' unique figure "8" pattern actually creates an energy void toward the head and hand thus reducing this energy loss.

The ability to reduce RF energy fields toward the head and redirect them toward the receiving site is unique to the Vortis.

In a recent report and order by the Federal Communications Commission , directional antennas were reported to improve cellular phone performance.

Independent testing of the Vortis confirms this.

Click here for further explanation on how this is accomplished

In addition, because manufacturers can embed the Vortis into any wireless device, it can eliminate complaints from broken or loose antennas.

The ability to shape energy around a mobile phone is deemed to be highly desirable by most portable wireless device engineers; Vortis Technologies has produced the first interferometric array antenna for mobile phones.

After several years of studying the problem and struggling for solutions, the FCC and the cellular industry responded to consumer group requests for Hearing Aid Compatibility Act (HAC). The FCC issued a report and order August 14th 2003.

Solutions are not wide spread across all phones or systems. Some carriers utilize the older non-digital systems, some manufacturers have reduced the handset's output power and some manufacturers use shields or barriers to reduce field strength surrounding the hearing aid. Each of these approaches has some impact on performance.

With over 12 million hearing aid users experiencing interference globally, Vortis Technology takes the approach that the best solution is for manufacturers and carriers to adopt an approach of mitigating the RF fields toward the head and hearing aid while improving the signal strength in the far fields. Click here to read about Mobile Phone Interference.

When Vortis cell phone antenna technology is used, the interference sound can be eliminated because the high energy reaching the user's head and hearing aid is mitigated by the array antenna. Considering that there are millions of hearing aid users throughout the world who would utilize an improved system, Vortis Technology, will continue to request support in its efforts to launch Vortis antenna technology and 4G cell phone array antennas.

In a letter dated February 22, 2002, the Director of Public Policy for the Self Help for Hard of Hearing People sent a letter to the FCC supporting the Vortis Technology petition to revise an FCC rule that currently allows the use of directional antennas with wireless phones. This support was written in conjunction with a greater effort to cause the FCC to direct policy in favor of the hearing impaired. By supporting Vortis Technologies, the SHHH was supporting technology improvements in support of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act (HAC).

Vortis Technology has made recommendations to this and other public forums that its patented technology is available for use for any wireless device. The Vortis will make a significant difference for people with hearing aids with no immunity to RF interference.

Initially, Vortis Technology will be sold as a cell phone accessory, but in the long-term, Vortis Technology will be designed into handsets. The handsets available for Vortis today are listed below.

Over the years, the wireless industry has worked with the FCC and Hearing Aid Groups to provide solutions to this hearing aid problem but many of the solutions were for specific applications or required the use of products such as adaptors, necklaces or head sets that needed to be connected prior to using the mobile phone. Such solutions make it difficult to just pick up the phone and say hello! It is for this reason that consumer groups for the hearing impaired have been petitioning the FCC [ Vortis Technology FCC Filings ] to resolve the incompatibility issues related to the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988. A handset with the Vortis embedded inside or connected outside allows you to simply pick up your mobile phone and begin talking without connecting to anything prior to the call. Vortis Technologies through its wireless industry partners will continue to respond to the needs of the hearing impaired by launching Vortis Technology in selected mobile and wireless devices. With the Vortis Technology, manufacturers can integrate this simple antenna into handsets that will meet the needs of this new and growing market.

The Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Act within the Americans with Disabilities Act defines a telephone or handset as hearing aid compatible if it provides internal means for effective use with hearing aids and meets established technical standards for hearing aid compatibility and use. This is outlined in the America National Standards Institute for Hearing Aid Compatibility #C63.19. Vortis Technologies performs testing under this standard to reflect the capability of Vortis Technology to meet the reduced interference requirements.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the cellular phone industry define requirements for shaping RF energy fields in order to control minimum and maximum limits for transmission. Key to this is the basic requirement that your common carrier provide you with the best possible connection for each of your calls. Poor connection and voice quality is prevalent with all types of handsets and is caused by many factors such as location, distance to cellular site (receiver), surrounding terrain, output power of the handset and the basic antenna type used on or in the handset. Maximizing antenna performance while minimizing wasted energy lost to the head is our basic goal.

Vortis Technologies' subsidiary, filed a petition with the FCC indicating the need to change regulations for reshaping energy fields surrounding mobile phones. The FCC's public response was made in the NPRM on August 14th 2003 stating: (#47) "A directional antenna manufacturer, Vortis Technology, has filed a petition for revision of this rule. Vortis Technology believes that the rule, as it is written, prohibits the use of directional antennas." The FCC says that "the EIRP requirement does not in any way prohibit employing wireless phone directional antennas." The FCC went on to state: (#46) "Because such antennas have the potential to significantly reduce the RF interference to hearing aids, as well as provide efficiency benefits both to the wireless network and to battery life, there are several benefits that could be gained from their increased use in handsets." This was a significant win for the Vortis.

The FCC further stated within the order that "contrary to assertions [that directional antennas could cause systemic problems], directional antennas have the potential to help mitigate the effects of multi-path, improve frequency bandwidth performance, achieve higher gain, and provide better directional control over emissions."

Click here for further explanation on how this is accomplished.

Tests published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) show that when handsets are used against the head, up to 68% of their RF signal is absorbed by the user's head (Reference: Proceedings of the IEEE January 1995 Report Handset Antennas and Humans). Considering this, it is measurably clear that the use of a mobile phone next to the head creates a void of energy on the opposite side thus reducing area coverage by as much as 20%. Since this absorbed energy is wasted, it makes sense to reduce as much energy in this direction as possible. Also, mobile handset power is increased or decreased according to this coverage and the signal strength at the cellular receiver site. If the head absorbs half of the energy and there is a void of energy on the opposite side, it is likely power will be increased to compensate for this loss. When power is increased, more absorption is realized and battery talk time is decreased.

With more than half of the radiated energy being absorbed by a user's head, the industry has established safety criteria for wireless devices as outlined in FCC requirements. Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) is designed to provide a measurement of safety. Your cellular phone supplier prints SAR ratings on the package. Low SAR levels will help minimize interference issues with hearing aids. With today's wireless infrastructure, the Vortis can actually enhance service while significantly reducing SAR between 100 and 1000 times. Vortis Antenna Technology is simply the best means to address SAR requirements.

Vortis Technology is a simple, unique, natural and absolute solution that nulls the energy around the area of a user's head and directs it toward the front and rear of the user in the areas needed to reach cellular sites.

Vortis Technology is uniquely designed to reduce the energy radiating into the user's head or body and thus reduce the allowable 1.6 W/kg governed by the FCC. By creating a null of energy next to the user's head "Vortis Technology" is a simple, unique, natural and absolute means of meeting low SAR and EMI requirements without complex or expensive schemes.

Vortis Technology is a technologically advanced antenna that uses a simple arrangement of wires or traces on a printed circuit board to create a natural approach for creating near field nulls. This approach is called interferometry and is unique in the use of portable wireless devices. It is simple in its construction, unique in its use, uses natural interferometry for absolute control over near field RF energy.

First, there are no other directional antennas available like Vortis Technology.

Second, of the three approaches to creating directionality, Vortis Technologies' approach is the choice of the future ( 4G Cell Phone Antennas) being concidered by leading handset manufacturers around the world.

Third, Vortis Technology has been designed and manufactured under strict ISO 9000 standards.

Fourth, because you deserve more performance out of your handset with less interference and Less RF Exposure!

Vortis Technology is a patented antenna that can be attached (or embedded) into mobile phones. Whether considering hearing aid users or users who want more performance or RF Safety, there is no other means to reduce RF energy in the direction of a hearing aid and head that produces the results Vortis Technology does.

For more information about antennas, please refer to our FAQs.

In these images you can see a map of the energy levels and field strengths at the location of the user's head. The left side shows the energy of a popular phone without the Vortis Technology and the right side shows the reduced energy level using the same phone using Vortis Technologies.

This is an expected energy graph of a handset without the Vortis	This an expected energy graph of a handset with the Vortis

The Vortis currently operates on the Motorola V550 series handset.

V334 or V337 Cingular (US)

V551 Vodafone ( Europe )