Let us help you take care of your hearing aid

Hearing Aid Care Advice

Caring for your hearing aid is important to ensure long life and reliability. Damage to you hearing aid can be caused by exposure to sweat, earwax and dirt. By maintaining your hearing aid’s physical condition you can assure a long-term functioning device.

Oticon Alta hearing instruments

General Advice to Protect your Hearing Aid

Protect from Dirt

Ensure that your hands are clean and dry when inserting or removing your hearing aid. The microphone area is very small and can become blocked if not handled correctly.

Protect from Moisture

Hearing aids like to be kept clean and dry. Ensure that you do not expose your hearing aid to excessive moisture. Remove your hearing aid(s) before showering/bathing or swimming.

General Tips for Hearing Aid Maintenance

• Store your hearing aid in a cool dry place.
• Protect your hearing aid from excessive heat.
• Protect your hearing aid from sprays such as hairspray.
• Use the cleaning tools provided to brush or wipe any excess wax or moisture off of the device/earmould.
• Do not insert the tools into the sound outlet (receiver) as this could damage the hearing aid.
• Only use the wax filters and instructions provided.
• Change the wax filter regularly.
• Switch your hearing aid off when not using it.
• If you are not wearing the hearing aid for a long period of time, remove the battery

Let us help you take care of your hearing aid

Ask your hearing care professional if you are unsure about cleaning and maintenance.

Starkey release Muse BTE 13

Following Starkey’s successful launch of the Muse platform earlier this year, the latest addition to the product family sees the release of the Muse BTE 13. Powered by Starkey’s Synergy platform the Muse BTE 13 is driven by their quad core twin compressor.

“Since launching Synergy in March, we’ve been awed at the overall success of the launch and how well the products have been received by our hearing professionals and our patients,” said Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Vice President of Education and Audiology Sara Burdak. “Synergy has allowed to us to provide patients with so many of the things they’ve asked for in hearing aids: sleek, discreet hearing aid styles; high--‐definition ear--‐to--‐ear streaming; relief from tinnitus; no feedback; high--‐ quality sound in noise; and the ability to connect with the other technology in their lives.”

The Synergy platform features Starkey’s Acuity Operating System and even in complex listening environments, speech sounds crisp and distinctive, ambient noise sounds natural and music sounds rich and immersive. The new Muse BTE 13 features:

• 70dB of gain
• Size 13 battery
• Rocker switch for easy access to volume and memory control
• Standard telecoil

“Including a BTE 13 in the Muse family means that we are able to provide more options for patients and ensure that better hearing is available for a variety of hearing losses,” said Burdak. “Every patient is fit uniquely, and the BTE 13 offers all the great benefits of our Muse hearing aid technology with the added features of a rocker switch and telecoil.”

Highlighted benefits of the Muse hearing aids include:

• Next- generation feedback cancellation, adaptive noise management and directionality
• CROS System functionality – Helps those with singled sided hearing
• Ear-to-ear phone streaming – Makes understanding on the phone easier than ever
• Multiflex Tinnitus Technology – Delivers all-day relief for those with ringing in the ears.

Visit our Starkey page for further details on Starkey's product range or contact us today to arrange your own personal demonstration.

References

[Starkey] Starkey Hearing Technologies Synergy Platform is Life Changing [http://www.starkey.com/news-hub]: [Aug 29 2016]

Phonak release the Audéo B-R and Audéo B

Phonak release their first lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid on the new Belong platform

Next month sees the UK release of the first hearing aids on Phonak’s new Belong platform. Following on from the success of the Venture platform the new Audéo B Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) products feature the Audéo B-R model with a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Phonak’s research revealed that rechargeable batteries and rechargeable hearing aids are top of the list of features that hearing aid users are seeking.

Phonak Audeo B-R with Mini Charger

Highlights

• Phonak Audéo B-R provides 24 hours of continuous hearing pleasure with just one charge*.

• Audéo B-R represents the quickest charging, longest lasting rechargeable hearing aid ever produced.

• Audeo B-R fully charged in three hours with a fast charging option of 30 minutes giving six hours use.

• The Phonak Audeo B-R battery has a guaranteed lifetime of four years.

• All models feature a new design with an innovative microphone positioning and larger push button.

• AutoSense OS means fully automatic effortless listening everywhere now featuring SoundRecover2.

The Phonak Audeo B-R means there is no need to worry about changing batteries. Its’ smart charging options include an additional power pack that is ideal for short trips where no power source is available.

The new Audéo B hearing aids will be available in 4 performance levels and 9 colours. All models are IP 68 rated, meaning that they are dust tight and protected against water.

Phonak Audeo B available in nine colours

If you’re interested in learning more about the Phonak Audéo B contact us and we’ll let you know when they’re available to order.

*Expected results when fully charged, and up to 80 minutes’ wireless streaming time.

References

[Phonak]: Phonak to launch next generation platform including the first mainstream lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid [https://www.phonak.com/us/en/press/phonak-to-launch-next-generation-platform.htmll]: [Jun 27 2016]

Oticon Announce Release of Opn™

“Oticon Opn™ is the first hearing aid proven to make it easier on the brain”. - Don Schum, PhD, Vice President of Audiology and Professional Relations for Oticon, Inc.

Last week Oticon announced the launch of Oticon Opn™. Oticon Opn™ is the new line of hearing aids from Oticon on the Velox™ platform. Oticon advise breakthrough technologies will enable people with hearing loss to experience 20% less listening effort, remember 20% more and enjoy 30% better speech understanding based on preliminary data.

Key features of the Oticon Opn™ devices include the following: -

OpenSound Navigator™

Users can now focus on a conversation while staying attentive to people and things around them and switch focus quickly and easily.

The Velox™ platform

A powerhouse of groundbreaking features the new chip processor is 50 times faster than the Oticon Alta2. A market-leading 64-band frequency resolution enables a more precise sound analysis and better sound quality to support the brain’s ability to make sense of sound.

TwinLink™ technology

Opn is the industry’s first hearing solution to offer, two wireless communication systems in one hearing solution. One dedicated system is optimized for binaural ear-to-ear communication allowing users to enjoy high quality sound for better listening in all environments. A second dedicated system uses 2.4GHz Bluetooth direct streaming for wireless streamer-free communication to smartphones and other devices.

World’s First Internet Connected Hearing Aid

Opn is the world’s first hearing aid that connects to the internet via If This Then That (IFTTT.com), a web service that automates other web-based functions to make life easier. Opn provides users with a solution that will enable them to use their hearing aids with a growing number of IFTTT-compatible products and services as they become available.

The official UK launch of the Oticon Opn™ is at the end of May. Check back in the coming weeks for further details. See the below links for more details.

References

[Oticon]: New Oticon Opn™ Makes It Easier on the Brain with Ultra-Fast Access [http://www.pro.oticonusa.com/about/about-oticon/news-and-press/2016/4-13-16%20Opn%20Release.aspx]: [Apr 13 2016]

[Oticon]: Oticon Opn™ Delivers a Natural, OpenSound™ Experience [http://www.pro.oticonusa.com/hearing-care-professionals/hearing-devices/performance/opn/about-opn.aspx]

Phonak announce the release of the Naída V

“I am convinced the smaller size, reliability and unmatched hearing performance of Naída V on the Venture platform will surpass user expectations, as well as those of hearing care professionals.” - Martin Grieder, Group Vice President Phonak.

Phonak Naída V released

This week Phonak announced the release of the Naída V. The latest hearing device from Phonak to be released onto their hugely successful Venture platform. The Naida V is the successor to the Naída Q. The Naída V is Phonak’s most powerful hearing aid aimed at those with severe to profound hearing loss.

The Naída V features the following: -

• SoundRecover2 – The second and improved version of the Phonak frequency compression algorithm. SoundRecover2 helps lower high frequency sounds to give listeners with a limited hearing range access to sounds such as birds singing or a child’s laughter.
• Smaller size – Despite being Phonak’s most powerful hearing aid the new Naída V is 25% thinner in size compared to its predecessor making it less visible.
• More robust – The housing is constructed with a new glass fibre reinforced material that is 60% more robust than its predecessor.

The Naída V will be released in the coming weeks. 

References

[Phonak]: Phonak unveils Naída V portfolio of hearing aids: [https://www.phonakpro.com/com/en/about-phonak/press-center/2016/2016-april-13-naida-v.html]: [Apr 13 2016]

[Phonak]: Phonak Naída™ V: [https://www.phonakpro.com/com/en/products/hearing-aids/naida-v/overview-naida-v.html]