AuDBling: a fashionable way to promote Audiology!

Posted on December 2, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

Looking for a creative way to promote Audiology without having to initially utter a single word? AuDBling may be the ticket! Founded by Noel Crosby, AuD, audiologist and private practice owner in Englewood, Florida, AuDBling offers a variety cochlea-shaped jewelry ranging from rings, bracelets, earrings, pendants, belly-button rings, and necklaces. Beyond jewelery, the on-line AuDBling store offers other cochlea-themed gifts including ties for men and silk-screened scarfs. The unique jewelry and attire is not only fun to wear, but can serve as a natural conversation starter about the profession of Audiology and hearing loss.  AuDBling may be the perfect gift for yourself, an Audiology student, or your staff. It may be something that your patients may be interested in as a means of accepting their hearing loss and, in turn, promoting awareness. If you aren’t sure what exactly to choose for someone, AuDBling gift certificates are also available. Check out the AudBling online store and the quick 1 minute AuDBling video. Treat yourself this holiday season while promoting the profession of Audiology! AuDBling may be the perfect gift that will keep on giving and giving throughout the New Year!

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Comfort Duett – will make your patients sing!

Posted on November 30, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

The Comfort Duett from Comfort Audio is a small, lightweight, and discrete personal listening device perfect to have on hand in the clinic when trying to communicate with your patients who are experiencing difficulty hearing or for those patients with hearing loss looking for a relatively inexpensive solution to their everyday hearing needs. It not only amplifies conversations, but sounds from a variety of sources including the TV and telephone. The Comfort Duett comes packaged with earbuds and headphones although a neckloop model is also available for t-coil equipped hearing instrument wearers. Beyond the sound quality, what makes this product really appealing is that it comes with a factory-installed NiMH rechargeable battery. The NiMH battery will recharge anytime the Comfort Duett is placed in the base unit, providing 15 to 20 hours of use time depending on user volume control settings. No need for replacing alkaline batteries! The base unit not only recharges the Comfort Duett but also serves as an interface to other audio sources, enabling the use of the Comfort Duett with the TV and telephone with the purchase of optional accessory kits. Keep this neat device in mind for daily use in your clinic or as an assistive device for your patients who could really benefit from the amplification provided by the Comfort Duett. For more information, access the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section of Comfort Audio’s website or take a look at the Comfort Duett technical specifications.

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Pass along the Thanks….

Posted on November 23, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

This past Monday, while watching a webinar presented by Dr. Gyl Kasewurm on Top Ten Tips for Successfully Managing Employees via AudiologyOnline, a short 3 minute movie clip called the appreciation movie was shown. When you have a chance, take a moment to view it (www.appreciationmovie.com).  Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to everyone supporting this blog.

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A Sterilant by any other name will work as well…..

Posted on November 18, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

As outlined by OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CRF 1910.1030) addressed in a blog post from August 12, 2010 regarding when to sterilize, all critical instruments must be sterilized prior to reuse. The next question that comes to mind is how to sterilize. There are several sterilization techniques used in audiology practice with cold sterilization probably representing the most commonly relied upon method. Cold sterilization involves soaking instruments in EPA approved liquid chemicals for a specified number of hours. Products containing 2% or higher concentrations of glutaraldehyde (e.g. Wavicide) or 7.5% or higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (e.g. Sporox) are currently the only chemicals approved by the EPA as cold sterilants.  As long as a product contains one of these two active ingredients in the required minimum corresponding concentrations and approved by the EPA, it is considered a cold sterilant. The number of hours that critical instruments must remain submerged in a cold sterilant depends on the active ingredient of the specific product. Typically, glutaraldehyde products require a soak time of 10 hours whereas hydrogen peroxide-based sterilants require a 6-hour soak time. Soaking instruments for less than the minimum required time will yield high-levels of disinfection rather than sterilization; therefore, it is important to read and follow manufacturer’s instructions to ensure intended results are achieved.  For further clarification as to the difference between disinfection versus sterilization, access the Ask the Expert section under the topic of infection control via AudiologyOnline.

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Missing “Link” for wireless communication!

Posted on November 16, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

There is a neat little product available that enables non-Bluetooth audio sources to transmit Bluetooth signals. The ClearSounds QLink is a stereo Bluetooth transmitter that connects to any non-Bluetooth TV, i-Pod, CD player, laptop, etc via a 3.5mm stereo jack and then wirelessly transmits the audio to compatible Bluetooth receivers, such as the Quattro Bluetooth neckloop, with A2DP technology. For example, if you have a patient who currently uses a Quattro Bluetooth neckloop who wants to listen to their TV via their hearing instruments, rather than investing in a traditional TV listening system, the QLink is a viable option to consider. Simply pair the QLink to the Quattro Bluetooth neckloop, plug the QLink directly into the 3.5mm headset jack of an analog TV set (or via RCA style connector), and the user will be able to receive audio wirelessly from the TV. The QLink offers an operating range of 30 feet with an in-use time of about 7 hours.

The QLink is compatible with any Bluetooth receiver that supports A2DP technology. What is A2DP? A2DP stands for Advanced Audio Distribution Profile which is a special technology that allows streaming of CD-quality audio from one device to another via Bluetooth technology. Not all Bluetooth devices support A2DP technology and it will be necessary to consult manual or feature listings of Bluetooth devices to determine if the QLink will potentially work with that Bluetooth device.

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My Personal Give Back Moment

Posted on November 11, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

In March of 2003, I found myself unemployed from a start-up company as a result of  necessary lay-offs. While my convention fees and airfare were already paid for, the unexpected loss of a job drove the decision to forgo attending the annual AudiologyNow! convention in San Antonio, TX.  Paying for accommodations, food, and other expenses related to AudiologyNow! was simply not a priority. Nevertheless, the situation was not only frustrating but, at the same time, made me feel extremely helpless.

Five years later, in July of 2007, I began a three-year term as a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Audiology Foundation (AAAF). That was when I first learned about the Member Assistance Program (MAP), an educational fund supported by donations from AAA members and corporate donors, designed to provide convention travel support to audiologists experiencing financial hardship. Certainly, this fund resonated with me on a very personal level, resulting in my give back moment. Through the small publishing company I established in 2003 called Auban, Inc., annual donations to AAAF have been made since 2007 including writing a separate check  that is to be specifically designated for MAP every year. My only regret is that I didn’t start contributing sooner as I never want anyone to feel how I did in April 2003.

The mission of AAAF is to promote philanthropy in support of research, education, and public awareness in audiology and hearing science. Over the past 12 months, AAAF has provided funding for a number of projects including the Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology, production and complimentary distribution of a Hearing Assistance Technologies (HAT) DVD, research and educational awards to students including the Jerger Award for Excellence in Student Research, and the Turn It to the Left public awareness campaign just to name a few. 

Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, anybody donating to AAAF on Thursday, November 11 through Wednesday, November 24 as a result of reading this post should let me know by sending me a personal e-mail at au@oaktreeproducts.com as I will have Auban, Inc. match your contribution, dollar for dollar, up to $1500. This is my personal way of saying “thanks” to the all the support provided by AAAF.

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Give Your Hard-Working Hands a Break!

Posted on November 9, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

Whether removing cerumen, inserting otoblocks for deep ear canal impressions, or fitting extended wear hearing instruments such as the Lyric or WOW!, audiologists must clearly visualize the auditory canal, tympanic membrane, and/or other pertinent structures and see what it is they are doing.  A headlamp with magnification truly offers clinicians hands-free lighting and magnification, enabling the audiologist to use both hands to manipulate the ear and/or instrumentation during various procedures. One such product from Heine has gained popularity amongst audiologists that may serve as the perfect solution to your needs.

The Heine HR Loupe & 3S LED Headlight set is comprised of a binocular loupe and LED headlamp. The loupe provides the highest quality German optics with 2.5x magnification (10″ working distance) and unparalleled clarity and depth of field. The headlamp portion is equipped with a powerful LED light that offers bright, white illumination that is more than 2x as bright as standard headlights.  With the ability to adjust eyepieces to account for individual variances related to interocular distance as well as the spot size of illumination, this unit truly provides 3-D view of small cavities. The rechargeable battery offers wireless mobility. Next time you have a chance to try this out at a show, take the time to do so! You will be amazed. It is available through Oaktree Products.

Posted in Otoscopes, Headlamps & Earlights | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cool Tool for Audiologists to Have Handy

Posted on November 4, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

A mirror is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about tools needed in the audiology clinic but we all have them and we all use them with our patients. There is a new mirror available that is ideal  for audiology applications.

The Mirror-Go-Round is a four-panel expandable mirror specifically designed to enable visualization of your own ears, ear canals, sides and back of the head. It is the perfect tool to have handy in your practice. Use the Mirror-Go-Round when teaching patients proper insertion of their custom hearing instruments. Let kids see how cool their EarGear or Tube Riders look when they wear their hearing instruments. Make it available for Baha or cochlear implant patients so they can see what the external processor looks like.  The mirror folds up so it is both compact and portable. Available at Oaktree Products for about ten bucks.

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