When used with hearing instruments, conventional headphones can often cause discomfort as well as feedback and/or signal distortion, preventing hearing instrument wearers from enjoying listening to music, radio, movies, using the cell phone, and the like. In this situation, patients will either remove their hearing instruments or try to interface their hearing instruments with a neckloop. While these are viable options, sometimes patients just want to be able to use headphones like everyone else without having to remove their hearing instruments. Fortunately, there is a product available that offers patients this option.
The CLA3 Hearing Aid Compatible Headset is a t-coil enabled headset that provides the user interference-free listening with any audio device equipped with a standard headphone jack. Worn like traditional headphones, the CLA3 headset routes information from an audio source directly to the hearing instrument’s t-coil, allowing the user to hear music, movies, and radio. For hearing instruments without t-coils and for non-hearing instrument wearers, the headset will work like a traditional headphone. Equipped with a boom microphone, the user can also use the headset to communicate via cell phone and Skype. The product is packaged with both 2.5mm and 3.5mm jack plugs for use with laptops, CD or MP3 players and game consoles. Check out the CLA3-How It Works video on YouTube; for more CLA3 product information, visit the Oaktree Products website.
Is there a stesthescope that is compatable with in the ear hearing aids?
James:
the only option right now is to either 1) remove the custom devices and use an amplified stethoscope on its own or 2) to invest in an amplified stethoscope as well as stethomate tips that are adapters designed to interface the stethoscope with the custom instruments. Check out the Ask the Expert section on AudiologyOnline that addresses this topic (http://www.audiologyonline.com/askexpert/display_question.asp?question_id=373).