HLAA Convention 2010 Special: Exhibits # 12

[Guest guest]

NVRC News - August 11, 2010

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HLAA Convention Exhibit Reports

Envoy Medical and SoundAid

Envoy Medical

By Cheryl Heppner 8/11/10

I've read about Envoy Medical's implant device called Esteem, but for the

first time at this convention I was able to meet someone who has an Esteem.

It is intended for people with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss

caused by damage to the ear's key sensory or nerve cells, which makes the

inner ear unable to convert sound waves to electrical signals that can be

decoded by the brain.

This new technology has been surgically implanted in approximately 300

people worldwide. It is different from a cochlear implant in that its parts

are implanted in the middle and inner ear, and it uses your eardrum as a

natural microphone, picking up sounds through your ear canal. It can help

to distinguish between different kinds of sound such as speech or noise

through filtering by the inner ear and brain. A sound processor is

programmed with settings to meet your particular hearing needs. You can use

a personal " remote control " to select volume and program settings that work

best for you and your comfort level.

A maintenance-free battery lasts up to nine years, depending on how much it

is used and the volume of sound you are exposed to. Battery replacement is

an outpatient operation of about one hour under local anesthesia. Both an

audible tone and visual message on the remote control give an alert when the

battery begins to deplete.

The product literature gives these criteria for the Envoy:

- 18 years of age or older

- Stable bilateral sensorineural hearing loss

- Moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss defined by Pure Tone Average

(PTA)

- Unaided speech discrimination test score greater than or equal to 40%

- Normally functioning Eustachian Tube

- Normal middle ear anatomy

- Normal Tympanic Membrane

- Adequate space for the implant determined via a high resolution CT scan

- Minimum 30 days of experience with appropriately fit hearing aids

The following may rule out receiving the Envoy:

- History of post-adolescent chronic middle ear infections, inner ear

disorders, recurring vertigo requiring treatment, mastoiditis, Hydrops,

Meniere's syndrome, or disease

- Known history of fluctuating air conduction and/or bone conduction hearin

gloss over the past 12 months of 15 dB in either direction at 2 or more

frequencies from500 to 4000 Hz

- History of otitis externa or eczema for the outer ear canal

- Cholesteatoma or destructive middle ear dieseas

- Retrocochlear or central auditory disorders

- Disabling tinnitus (tinnitus which requires treatment)

- History of keloid formation

- Hypersensitivity to silicone rubber, polyurethane, stainless steel,

titanium and/or gold

- A pre-existing medical condition or undergoing a treatment that may affect

the healing process

- During pregnancy

www.envoymedical.com

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SoundAid

By Cheryl Heppner 8/11/10

SoundAid's Curry was away from the exhibit when I stopped by, but I

gathered information about the company's hearing aid warranties. They offer

hearing aid protection from loss, damage and repair for 29 makes of hearing

aids and hundreds of models.

You will have a choice of three types of warranties: full comprehensive,

loss and damage, or damage and component failure. You will want to read

carefully to see what is covered and under what conditions. Coverage is

generally not available for hearing aids over eight years old. There may

also be a deductible. Also note that warranties for hearing aid loss, damage

and/or component failure do not cover hearing aid dispenser charges for

routine maintenance or to process a claim. If you lose a hearing aid and

receive a replacement via SoundAid, you will still have to pay a dispenser

for testing and making a new ear mold.

There are three separate levels of warranty costs, depending on where

SoundAid places your hearing aid:

- Rate Schedule 1: covers all conventional, analog hearing aids or what

they consider entry-level ligitial sound processing hearing aids. Examples

are the GN Resound Essence, Otico Sumon, Rexton Targa and Widex Bravo.

- Rate Schedule 2: covers all mid-level digital sound processing hearing

aids, including FM Tx and receivers. Examples are Audibel Juno, Bernafon

Neo, Micro-Tech Seneca, and Phonak Naida 3.

- Rate Schedule 3: covers all advanced high technology digital sound

processing instruments, including digital CROS/BiCROS and tinnitus devices.

Examples are Audifon Axia, Oticon Epoq, Sonic Innovations Ion, and Starkey

DaVinci.

www.soundaid.com

warranties@...

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