5 million users. 55+ peer-reviewed publications. Partnerships spanning Sri Lanka to Chicago. Here's the full picture.
Arik Bolotin, Co-founder of IT4You/Petralex, pitches at M-Force 2019 Europe Pitch Day — presenting how smartphone technology is redefining hearing healthcare access worldwide.
Reviews, launches and demonstrations of Petralex from around the world.
Petralex is a smartphone-based hearing aid application developed by Algorithm Electronics OU (IT4You). Founded in 2012, the project was created by a team of scientists and engineers specialising in digital signal processing and acoustic algorithms — bringing clinical-grade hearing technology to any smartphone with standard earphones.
The app implements a full digital hearing aid pipeline: in-situ audiometry, dynamic compression, noise reduction, and acoustic feedback cancellation — all running in real time on consumer hardware. With over 5 million users across 190+ countries, Petralex is the most widely used smartphone hearing aid application in the world.
The technology is backed by 5 patents, evaluated in peer-reviewed journals indexed in PubMed/NIH, and has been cited in 55+ scientific publications worldwide. The name "Petralex" is formed from the first syllables of the surname and first name of the project's scientific director — proposed by his students.
Petralex has received recognition from the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) as an EMEA Gold Regional Winner at Microsoft Inspire 2017, and Silver Winner in 2018. The project also won the LERN International Award for Best Learning Program, the PC Magazine Best Soft Award 2014, and the Microsoft EMEA AppCup 2015.
The app is available free of charge on the App Store and Google Play, with optional premium features. It requires no registration, no hardware beyond a standard pair of earphones, and no doctor's visit to set up — making it uniquely accessible in markets where hearing healthcare is scarce or expensive.
In 2019, Petralex partnered with Dialog Axiata — the largest mobile operator in Sri Lanka, member of the Axiata Group serving 17 million subscribers — as part of a digital inclusion initiative aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In October 2019, Petralex launched in Sri Lanka in partnership with Dialog Axiata — the country's largest mobile operator — as part of a digital inclusion initiative supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Petralex implements a full digital hearing aid signal processing pipeline on consumer smartphone hardware — real-time, low-latency, and personalised to each user's audiogram.
The pipeline processes input signal, background noise and acoustic feedback simultaneously. A feedback loop enables continuous real-time adaptation.
Petralex has been independently evaluated and cited in 55+ peer-reviewed publications across audiology, signal processing and mobile health.
"Petralex improved speech audiometry results by 30.3% in quiet, 24.3% at +10 dB noise, and 20.8% at +5 dB noise across patient groups with various hearing pathologies."
"Analysis of Petralex effectiveness confirmed a significant increase in verbal information comprehension among respondents without prior hearing aid experience — ranging from 75% to 100%."
"The authors present a system for remote diagnostics and tuning of hearing correction tools on a mobile platform that implements tonal audiometry for remote users using common technical means."
"A comprehensive system for remote hearing correction tool adjustment, enabling audiologist-guided setup via mobile platform."
"A real-time digital hearing aid implemented on a smartphone using combined noise reduction and acoustic feedback suppression algorithms."
"Real-time implementation of the Petralex hearing aid demonstrating combined noise and feedback reduction on a smartphone platform."
"Petralex® broadband envelope modifying technology applied to online hearing correction, enabling watermarked audiological applications."
"A hearing correction system designed for mobile computing platforms, forming the core technological basis of Petralex."
"A low-delay hearing aid based on cochlear modeling with nonuniform subband acoustic feedback cancellation — the algorithm behind Petralex."
"Spectral subtraction-based algorithm for noise reduction and acoustic feedback in the Petralex smartphone hearing prosthesis."
"Clinical application of the Petralex mobile app for determination and monitoring of aural disorders in patients."
"A Petralex-based smartphone platform for early hearing screening in school-age children, enabling accessible audiological assessment."
"Speech enhancement techniques implemented in the Petralex smartphone-based hearing aid for improved intelligibility in noise."
"Petralex-based Android software for organizing hardware audiological screening in primary school children."
"Population-level audiological screening using Petralex software confirmed its viability as a clinical tool for childhood hearing assessment."
"The Petralex hearing aid smartphone app was trialled; it includes an audiometric test for adjustment and personalization purposes."
"Petralex Hearing Aid scored 3.89/5 — second best overall, ranked among the top apps for the hearing-impaired in a rigorous MARS evaluation."
"Petralex enables the user to create customized programs for different listening environments through a self-administered hearing test."
"Hearing aid apps such as 'Petralex' for Android/iOS provide frequency selective gain, dynamic range compression, and customizable sound profiles."
"Hearing aid apps such as Petralex provide users with moderate sensorineural hearing loss a low-cost alternative offering multiband dynamic range compression."
"Commercial apps, e.g. Q+ and Petralex, exist for performing speech enhancement or noise reduction in noisy background environments on smartphones."
"There exist commercial apps, e.g. Q+ and Petralex, for performing speech enhancement or noise reduction — however, their algorithmic details are not publicly available."
"Commercial apps, e.g. Q+ and Petralex, for performing speech enhancement or noise reduction in noisy background environments on ARM processors."
"Comparative testing included Petralex as a reference app; participants preferred Petralex for its hearing test and automatic hearing profile creation."
"Petralex is a hearing correction application created by experts in sound processing. It independently adjusts to the user's hearing and takes into account the ambient sound environment."
"Petralex Hearing Aid simulates the FM mechanism with the advantage of being more practical (totally wireless) and free of charge."
"Petralex identified as a leading mobile hearing aid app in a comprehensive analysis of trends for children with hearing impairment."
"Petralex® processes incoming audio signal in accordance with individual hearing profiles, increasing intelligibility without special hearing aids."
"Petralex not only amplifies sounds but also suppresses noise, given the interdependence of frequency and volume — recommended for inclusive classrooms."
"Regarding mobile applications for people with hearing disabilities, the most mentioned resource is Petralex — an artificial hearing device that adapts the ambient sound level to the user's needs."
"Petralex is a revolutionary fully functional hearing aid application for iOS and Android. Adjusted by itself to the user's ear, completely invisible to others."
"Petralex is designed for users with hearing loss, analogous to a digital hearing aid offering possibilities for individual adjustment."
"Petralex: tests hearing to setup amplification, low-latency amplification from iPhone microphone, can use wired or Bluetooth earphones, multiple listening programs."
"Commercial hearing aid simulators — e.g., Petralex hearing aid — are configured automatically but do not present accessible low-level controls for research use."
"In addition, dozens of new companies are piling into the aid space, with aids like Fennex, Petralex, and others."
"Health monitoring applications including Petralex Hearing Device cited in systematic analysis of information technologies for working personnel."
"Companies are starting to move into this new order — applications that check the acoustics and create active profiles, such as Petralex."
"Systematic development of a childhood hearing screening methodology built specifically around the Petralex mobile application."
"Petralex-based virtual learning methodology enabling hard-of-hearing students to participate in e-learning through smartphone audio processing."
"Hearing impaired users can download Petralex — an application that amplifies and compensates sound as a discreet smartphone-based prosthesis."
"Core DSP algorithms from the Petralex team presented at IEEE ICASSP — demonstrating the research foundation behind the app's signal processing."
"Foundational signal decomposition research by the Petralex team published in Elsevier Signal Processing — underpinning the app's core audio algorithms."
"Research by Petralex co-founder Danil Dintsis — application of complex fuzzy analysis to business systems, published by InTech Open."
"Petralex by ITForYou named #1 hearing aid app in an independent ranking by MacPrices.net, the leading Apple price tracking publication."
"Petralex Speech Communications presented as an innovative solution for contact center agents and telemarketing at Call Center World Berlin."
"Petralex compared directly against a conventional hearing aid (Oticon Siya 1) — demonstrating 20–60 dB gain across the audiological frequency range."
"Petralex was the best-performing app — demonstrating a 6% improvement in word recognition score versus competing smartphone hearing aids."
"Ongoing research project implementing Petralex audio apps and drivers for e-learning accessibility for hard-of-hearing students."
"Petralex hearing aid by IT4You recognised by Microsoft Inspire 2017 IAMCP P2P contest for involving hard-of-hearing people into virtual learning."
"Petralex hearing app recognised as Silver Winner at the 2018 IAMCP Global Partner-to-Partner Awards Program at Microsoft Inspire."
"Petralex — созданное специалистами в области обработки звука приложение для коррекции слуха, самостоятельно настраивающееся под слух пользователя."
"The Petralex Speech Communications is an innovative solution for contact center agents — recognised as a finalist at Microsoft World Partner Conference 2016."
"The specialist training center implemented the Petralex hearing aid to involve hard-of-hearing people into virtual learning — LERN Best Learning Program Award."
"The algorithm for audiometry used by its developer has proven to be useful in Petralex® hearing aid application technology using various types of headphones."
"Petralex is found in the app comparison chart — included in systematic review of smartphone apps for hearing and tinnitus management."
"The Petralex app coupled to wired earphones was rated favorably — an outcome attributed to the user's ability to adjust volume and frequency response in any listening situation."
"Petralex, which was the only high-end Android app, had the highest output value of any Android app (>105 dB SPL) and showed the shortest processing delay among Android apps."
"Among 27 apps, 14 were selected based on popularity and accessibility — only Petralex was compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems."
"The better performing apps (Fennex and Petralex) use hearing aid algorithms to apply amplification — Petralex cited as top performer in comparative app evaluation."
"The App selected was Petralex®, version 1.5.3, as it met the following criteria: easy to use, no need for training, free of charge, and available for both Android and iOS."
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