Call or visit one of our clinics: Darlinghurst Centre St Vincent's Hospital Victoria St Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Ph: 1300 134 327 Fax: (02) 8382 3092 Double Bay Centre 4/5 Goldman Lane (Between Knox St and Knox Lane)Double Bay NSW 2038 Ph: (02) 9327 3908 Fax: (02) 8382 3092

1. Hearing Aids: An Update
Bruce Kelsey
Audiologist/Director
Hearing & Balance Centre
Double Bay

2. To Recap -How do you
know you need an aid?
 Your friends will happily tell you?
 You will start misinterpreting what
people say. (The importance of pizzas in schools)
 It will start effecting your work or social
life?
 The hearing test – choose an audiologist

3. What is a hearing aid?
 microphone – amplifier – speaker
 Computer chip – “a computer on a silicon
chip” the heart of the digital device –
analyses the incoming sound to
differentiate between wanted and unwanted
signals. The expensive bit and what
differentiates manufacturers.

4. Types of hearing loss and style of
hearing aid. A general rule
 High frequency Flat hearing loss
hearing loss (any style is ok)

5. So what’s new?
Invisible hearing aids
 Lyric (Phonak)
 24/7
 Needs to be replaced every 3-4mths
 Purchased by yearly subscription

6. Deep canal hearing aids
 Smaller CICs that
fit in the second
bend
 Starkey Soundlens
 Siemens iMini
 Sonic Innovations Groove

7. Alternative Microphone Placement
 Resound remote microphone
natural directionality
no wind noise
secure

8. “Soundbite” ITM aid (Sonitus Medical)
 Behind-the-ear device worn on the
dead ear transmits signals to the in-
the-mouth device, which creates
vibrations that send the signal to
the functioning cochlear.

9. CROS hearing systems - Phonak
 Designed for people with one deaf
ear
 Available in either BTE or ITC form,
they provide a much neater option
in the latest technology

10. Moisture
 Nano-coating -an ultra-thin coat created in
a vacuum. Humidity or sweat form beads
and simply roll off.
 Siemens Aquaris
waterproof to 1m
for 30 mins

11. Accessories - Bluetooth
Widex Clear
Phonak Spice
Oticon Agil/Acto/Ino
Resound Alera
Starkey Wi Series
Siemens Tek

12. Tinnitus and hearing aids
 Widex Zen -Programs designed to provide
relaxation embedded within the aid
Fractals are infinitely
complex patterns that are
self-similar across different
scales.

13. Choosing a Provider
 The Most Important Decision To
Make
 Do some homework.
Many providers are shop fronts for
particular brands.
But as companies leapfrog each other with
new technology it may be better to go to
someone who can offer a choice so that
you will always be offered the best
technology and value at the time.

14. Manufacturers outlets
 Audioclinic = Oticon
 Connect Hearing= Phonak
 Hearing Life = Sonic Innovations/Oticon
 Active Hearing= Widex
 Australian Hearing (Govt.)= Siemens contract
Many of the larger chains have contracts with
particular manufacturers
Many employ audiometrists not audiologists
Most work on commission (even Australian
Hearing)

15. Internet sales
 Selling the product not the service
 Return policy?
 Repairs?
 Warranty?
 Product choice?
 Support?

16. The Office of Hearing Services
 A service for people on a social security or
veterans pension providing free hearing
assessment and free aids or a discount on
more expensive devices through eligible
providers. (Hearing and Balance Centre)
 The free aids are very good, but go to
someone who can offer a choice.

17. Why aren’t hearing aids perfect?
The human ear wasn’t designed
to cope with noise. – Hair cell
damage
Healthy Damaged

18. Novelty value
$US14.95 plus postage

19. Thank you for listening
Hearing & Balance Centre
St Vincent’s Hospital and Double Bay
Ph: 1300 134327