Hands-Free Business Phone Solution for Hearing Instrument Wearers

Posted on September 2, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

NOTE: since the post has been published, the Plantronics Bluetooth Deskphone Adapter has been discontinued. For a hands-free business phone solution for hearing instrument wearers, please see the more recent post from October 30, 2013 on the new QH2 Bluetooth Hub & Phone Amplifier.

Many professionals seem to be looking for a hands-free, wireless communication solution at the office that will allow them to use their multi-line office phone with their hearing instruments.  As long as the patient is a wearer of t-coil equipped hearing instruments, a Bluetooth solution is readily available by investing in two products.

Plantronics Desktop Adapter

The first product is the Plantronics Bluetooth Deskphone Adapter shown on the right. This component connects directly to the office phone.  The second product required for a hands-free business phone solution for hearing instrument wearers is a Bluetooth enabled neckloop such as the ClearSounds Quattro Bluetooth Neckloop (shown below). This component is worn by the hearing instrument wearer. Once the Plantronics Deskphone Adapter is properly connected to the business phone, it is paired to the ClearSounds Quattro Bluetooth Neckloop. Conversations from the office phone will be processed by the Plantronics BluetoothDeskphone Adapter

ClearSounds Quattro Bluetooth Neckloop

and then wirelessly transmitted to the ClearSounds Bluetooth Neckloop. Since the neckloop is equipped with a built-in microphone, the user’s voice may be wirelessly sent back to the Plantronics Bluetooth Deskphone Adapter, eliminating the need to rely on the receiver of the office phone to conduct a phone call. As long as the hearing instruments are in the “T” or “MT” position, the user will be able to converse over the phone both in a hands-free and wireless capacity.

Posted in Hearing Assistance Technology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Buying a Pocket Otoscope? Key Consideration to Students Prior to Purchase

Posted on August 31, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

An otoscope is a tool routinely used in audiology practice.  It represents one of the first investments students will make. Most students tend to buy pocket otoscopes since these typically represent the least expensive option, however, prices will vary and it’s important to know what you are paying for so you can spend your money wisely.  Pocket otoscopes are available in both non fiber optic and fiber optic models.  Non fiber optic otoscopes  provide illumination directly via the bulb.  In contrast, fiber optic otoscopes transmit light via a small bundle of optical fibers. The easiest way to tell whether a pocket otoscope is non fiber optic versus fiber optic is to look at the eye piece of the magnifying lens.  Non fiber optic otoscopes have the bulb residing on the floor of the visual field (top image on the right) whereas fiber optic otoscopes have the bulb positioned beneath the floor (bottom image on the right). The immediate advantage of a fiber optic pocket otoscope is that it offers a completely unobstructed view of the ear canal and tympanic membrane. Certainly, you don’t get something for nothing…a fiber optic pocket otoscope will cost about $100 more than a non fiber optic pocket otoscope.

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Be in the Know: Design Change in Dry-Briks

Posted on August 23, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

August can be one of the hottest and humid months of the year so many of your patients have probably stocked up on the popular Dry-Briks used with the Dry & Store Professional, Global, and Zephyr models. There has been a recent design change you should be aware of and pass on to your patients so they aren’t surprised or confused the next time they swap out their Dry-Brik.

As shown on the right, removing the foil cover of the now old Dry-Brik revealed a time strip. It was necessary to press firmly on the bubble located near the center of the desiccant to activate the time strip. Once the time strip was activated, it progressively changed from white to red.  At about two months, the entire time strip would be red, indicating that it was time to replace the desiccant.

The new Dry-Brik seen on the left is no longer equipped with a time strip; it has been replaced with a basic label that allows the user to simply record the date of Dry-Brik activation.  Keep in mind that the old Dry-Briks still work; the manufacturer has simply stopped producing desiccants with built-in time strips. Also, the general guidelines for Dry-Brik use have not changed. Dry-Briks should be replaced every two months; that is a small price to pay for protecting hearing instruments from excessive exposure to moisture. For additional product ideas designed protect hearing instruments from moisture damage, check out the Dog Days of Summer interview recently posted on AudiologyOnline.

Posted in Hearing Aid Dehumidifiers & Moisture Protection | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Earbuds Available that Limit Audio Device Output!

Posted on August 19, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

According to a study published in JAMA this week, the prevalence of hearing loss in adolescents (12 to 19 years of age) has increased in the past 20 years. While the purpose of the study did not involve establishing a causal link, the findings have initiated discussions about popular trends among adolescents and the corresponding effects these trends may potentially have on hearing. While many things can affect the integrity of the auditory system, exposure to excessively loud music via personal audio devices such as iPods or MP3 players has generated a lot of buzz. For those parents who are concerned about output levels of their child’s audio device, a relatively new product is available to remedy the situation.

KidzSafe earbuds (shown on the left) as well as KidzSafe headphones (shown above) are commercially available products that will help put parent’s minds at ease.  Both products have been designed to limit the output of the audio device to levels lower than 85 dB SPL regardless of the position of the volume control of the audio device. Compatible with any audio device equipped with a 3.5 mm jack, the KidzSafe ear buds are available in a several colors including pink, blue and green; the headphones are available in white.  Keep these products in mind the next time you talk to your patients!

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Amplified Stethoscopes & Hearing Instruments: What are the options?

Posted on August 17, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

What options are currently available to hearing instrument wearers who use a stethoscope? Removing hearing instruments prior to using a stethoscope is certainly an option although not necessarily the most ideal solution. In the absence of a commercially available Bluetooth stethoscope, consider the following solutions for medical professionals who want to keep their hearing instruments in the ears during auscultation procedures. For custom hearing instrument wearers, option one involves replacing traditional stethoscope earpieces with special adapters called stethomate tips. Option two involves having special earmolds designed to interface with CICs or ITCs, serving as an interface between the hearing instruments and the stethoscope earpieces. Option three entails investing in a modified version of the E-Scope II amplified stethoscope specifically designed to interface with custom hearing instruments via headphones.

The primary option for traditional BTE wearers also involves the modified E-Scope II with a pair of headphones. Rather than headphones, another option involves interfacing the modified E-Scope II to BTEs via direct audio input (DAI) or, in the presence of a t-coil, an induction earhook. For open fit or RITE BTE wearers, any commercially available, stand-alone stethoscope may work without special modifications or accessories. The other viable option in this instance is to go the E-Scope II route with the use of headphones instead of traditional earpieces. For more detailed information, access the article by A.U Bankaitis on Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing loss from AudiologyOnline.

Posted in Amplified Stethoscopes, Hearing Assistance Technology | Tagged | 7 Comments

Sterilize or not to sterilize? That’s a common question!

Posted on August 12, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

According to 29 CRF 1910.1030 (OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standard), critical instruments intended for reuse must be sterilized. By definition, a critical instrument refers to any instrument or object introduced into the bloodstream (e.g. needles), non-invasive instruments or objects that come in contact with mucous membranes or bodily fluids (e.g. blood, saliva, mucous, cerumen), and/or any instrument or object that can potentially penetrate the skin from use or misuse. In other words, any reusable instrument used for cerumen removal must be sterilized prior to reuse. Contaminated immittance probe tips should also be sterilized prior to reuse since these items inherently make contact with cerumen. For more information, access a basic infection control article by Kemp & Bankaitis.

Posted in Infection Control | 6 Comments

What I do at Oaktree Products (OTP)

Posted on August 9, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

I am the Vice President of Oaktree Products (OTP), Inc. located in St. Louis, MO. So, what do I do? Well, I wear a lot of different hats throughout the day, making my job exciting, intellectually challenging, and fun. As a clinical audiologist, I often wear my “audiology hat” to connect with our customers, many of whom are audiologists, to offer product solutions to individuals with hearing loss seeking a means to optimize their communication. Sometimes I switch to my “infection control expert hat” to consult with various clinical practices to facilitate compliance with OSHA standards. About a third of the time I put on my “teacher hat”, spending time writing manuscripts, preparing educational webinars and presentations, or training employees or customers on a wide range of hearing industry topics including hearing assistance technology, infection control, or cerumen management. Every now and then there is a need to slap on the “business operations hat” to figure out a more efficient means to run an aspect of the business. I really love the days that I get to sport my “marketing hat”, tipping it a bit toward the right side of my brain, to create various banner ad material for the OTP microsite, establishing the look and feel of various company ads, and playing a part in all the social media madness.  Basically, I get to take my inherent creative side and pair it with what I learned in school, the clinic, and academia to do things that ultimately help my audiology colleagues do their jobs.  This job fits me like a great hat!!!

Posted in About A.U. | 1 Comment

Idea share worth a thousand words!

Posted on August 9, 2010 by AU Bankaitis

Captel 800i Captioned Phone

NOTE: since this blog post was published, the Serene HD-1000 Digital Voice Simulator has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is no longer available. Unfortunately, there is not comparable replacement at this time.

Based on a recent conversation someone at OTP had with a customer, I wanted to pass this idea along. Demonstrate the value of captioned telephone technology with very little effort. Connect a Hamilton CapTel 800i Captioned Telephone to a Serene HD-1000 Digital Voice Simulator; when patients pick up the receiver of the CapTel, they will hear a pre-recorded message generated by the HD-1000. By pressing any number on the CapTel phone pad, captioning will be activated, allowing patients to now see what the recorded message is saying on the CapTel screen. NOTE: the CapTel will require an internet connection. All of this without needing to explain how the telephone works. This experience is worth a thousand words!!!!  For more ideas on how to effectively integrate ALDs into your clinical practice, check out the free-to-view webinar presented by A.U. Bankaitis from the E-Learning Library of Audiology Online (course #9606).

Posted in Hearing Assistance Technology | Tagged , , | 2 Comments