GOTHENBURG, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2026--
Oticon Medical today announces its new non-surgical portfolio, Ponto Instant, designed to broaden access to bone conduction hearing and offer more choice for users and hearing care professionals.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260525771593/en/
The Ponto Instant portfolio includes Softband 5, Oticon Medical’s established and trusted non-surgical solution, and now expands with the launch of Instant HearBand and Instant SoundConnector, further strengthening its wearable offering for children and adults who prefer a non-surgical solution.
Instant HearBand: a discreet new wearable alternative
As part of the new portfolio, Instant HearBand is introduced as a discreet, sleek and lightweight behind-the-head wearable solution. Designed as an alternative to Softband 5, it expands Oticon Medical’s non-surgical offering and provides users and hearing care professionals with more choice. It is intended for children and adults who prefer a discreet, non-surgical solution that fits more easily into everyday life.
Available in Small, Medium and Large sizes, Instant HearBand comes with black ear hooks and front tips designed to support comfort and secure retention. The ear hooks and front tips can be replaced with five additional colours to support a more personalised fit and style preference while helping to accommodate a wider range of users.
Instant SoundConnector: an alternative headwear option
The portfolio also includes Instant SoundConnector, a small accessory that is fitted onto a cap or other headwear to hold the sound processor in place. It offers an additional non-surgical wearing option for specific occasions and individual style preferences. By allowing users to wear their sound processor with a favourite cap or headwear, Instant SoundConnector adds versatility to the wearing experience and supports greater personal choice.
For the best non-surgical experience without undergoing an implant procedure, Softband 5 or Instant HearBand are the recommended options. Both can be fitted with Ponto 5 Mini or Ponto 5 SuperPower, with Ponto 5 SuperPower (65 dB) especially valuable during trialling, where extra power helps to overcome skin attenuation and provide an experience closer to that of an implanted device. Instant SoundConnector therefore strengthens the portfolio by adding a complementary option for users who want another way to wear their sound processor.
Supporting choice across the hearing journey
With the introduction of Ponto Instant, Oticon Medical continues its commitment to providing a complete portfolio of bone conduction hearing solutions that supports users throughout their hearing journey, from non-surgical wearables to implanted solutions.
“Ponto Instant brings together non-surgical solutions that give users and hearing care professionals greater choice across different needs and preferences,” said René Govaerts, President & General Manager, Oticon Medical. “With Instant HearBand and Instant SoundConnector, we are continuing to build a portfolio that supports more individual wearing options.”
Ponto Instant marks another step in Oticon Medical’s ambition to support users and hearing care professionals with flexible solutions that combine comfort, discretion and everyday usability. Availability of Instant HearBand and Instant SoundConnector is subject to regulatory approval in respective markets.
For more information visit www.oticonmedical.com/pontoinstant
About Oticon Medical
Oticon Medical is a global company in implantable hearing solutions, dedicated to bringing the power of sound to people at every stage of life. For more than a decade, we have made bone anchored hearing systems more accessible by simplifying the treatment for physicians, audiologists, and patients alike.
We believe that patients and hearing care professionals should be able to choose the best possible solution at any time along the patient journey. We call it “Freedom of Choice” and it has always been paramount to Oticon Medical. This is the reason why our solutions are designed to be compatible whenever possible. As a result, an implant from Oticon Medical stands as a true testament to our unwavering lifelong support.
We work collaboratively with professionals to ensure that every solution we create is designed with our users’ needs in mind. We have a strong passion to provide innovative solutions and support that enhance quality of life and help people live life to the fullest – now and in the future.
Because we know how much sound matters.
Left: Instant HearBand, a discreet behind-the-head wearable solution that offers an alternative to Softband 5. Right: Instant SoundConnector, a small accessory fitted to a cap or other headwear, providing another non-surgical way to wear a Ponto sound processor.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers finally got past the second round and face-planted in the Eastern Conference finals.
They weren't ready for the Knicks or the big stage.
The lights were too bright again.
Cleveland's season ended with a resounding, demoralizing and embarrassing 130-93 loss on Monday night in Game 4 to the New York Knicks, who swept the series and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Playing on tired and wobbly legs after failing to put Toronto and Detroit away before seven games in the earlier rounds, the Cavs, whose fate was sealed when they blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, had no answer for anything the Knicks threw at them.
They got out-played, out-shot, out-rebounded and out-coached.
“We did this to ourselves,” said Mitchell, who scored 31 in the close-out loss. "We didn't give our team a chance because we didn't take care of business. You can't play with your food. We had an opportunity in Game 1 and we blew that.
“We had an opportunity, but give credit where credit is due.”
And now that they've fallen short, the Cavs head into what will likely be a tumultuous summer that will trigger a major roster overhaul and perhaps other moves.
This wasn't the plan. Cleveland made a blockbuster trade at the deadline in February, sending guard Darius Garland, part of its “Core Four” to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden, who was supposed to take pressure off Mitchell.
It never happened.
Cleveland's top player approved the Garland swap, but other than a few games here and there, he and Harden never truly meshed as intended. The Cavs, who shot just 28.9% (48 of 166) on 3-pointers in the series, never outgrew their growing pains.
“This was the first time going through what we were going to go through,” said Harden. “Now we have to take another two steps and get even better. ... I feel like we didn't have a fair chance. We did play one quarter of Cavs basketball offensively. If you're not making shots, you're not going to beat anybody."
Harden has a $42.3 million player option for next season that he's expected to decline to re-sign with the Cavs as a free agent. But the 36-year-old didn't perform up to offensive expectations and was a virtual turnstile on defense.
Mitchell's future is more complicated. He can be offered a five-year, $350 million super-max extension by the Cavs as early as this offseason, but the team will likely wait due to several financial factors, and still must decide if the seven-time All-Star is worth the investment.
With the Knicks up by 33 in the fourth, Mitchell and Cleveland's other starters were mercifully replaced. The 29-year-old went to the bench and watched a team he once cheered for as a kid win its 11th straight playoff game.
Mitchell feels the Cavs took a significant step this season, and he's determined to get Cleveland a title.
“I love it here,” he said when asked about the extension. “I don't know how else to say it. I have no doubt these guys can get there. We have unfinished business.”
Cleveland's stunning flame-out in the conference finals is only going to fuel more speculation about coach Kenny Atkinson's future. He guided the team to a No. 1 seed in his first season a year ago before a disappointing, second-round exit against Indiana.
Atkinson helped the Cavs take a step deeper into the postseason, but it's not certain that will be enough to satisfy demanding owner Dan Gilbert, who has dropped more than $400 million on a team that hasn't delivered him a second title.
Not long after the game, Gilbert went on social media to give a brief assessment of the season.
“We took a step ahead this spring, but we are nowhere near where we need to be,” he posted. “I can’t thank the fans enough for the support this year. We will dig in all summer and do everything we possibly can to take the next step. We will grind until we get there.”
Harden and Mitchell staunchly defended Atkinson.
“We did something we haven't done since 2018,” Mitchell said. “I love Kenny. We love Kenny. We ride with Kenny. That's all that matters. We're in this together.”
New York exposed all of Cleveland's on-court flaws and may have set the stage for Gilbert to make even bolder moves. There's little doubt that seeing his team get completely overwhelmed in Game 4 — with thousands of New York fans chanting “Knicks in 4!” — stung badly.
The Cavs will closely monitor superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's unsettled situation in Milwaukee. The Bucks have reportedly had past interest in 24-year-old Cleveland forward Evan Mobley.
And then there's LeBron James and the possibility the NBA's all-time scoring leader could bring his storied career full circle by coming back home a second time. He's a free agent, currently at odds with the Los Angeles Lakers and surveying the landscape.
At the moment, Cleveland appears to need him again.
When asked, Mitchell wouldn't even entertain the possibility of joining forces with James. His primary concern was what went wrong against the Knicks.
“We got swept,” he said. “We've got to own it.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, right, hugs New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) after Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Tim Phillis)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, left, talks with guard James Harden (1) during the second half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the New York Knicks in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson yells from the sideline during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the New York Knicks in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden reacts to a call during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the New York Knicks in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) collides with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) battle for the ball during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Tim Phillis)
New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) defense against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
