Providing Solutions to Everyday Problems with the FONIX 6500-CX By Susan Jelonek 1. What type of hearing aid is this? Identifying Technologies. What type of hearing aid is this? When a new client walks in with an older ITE or Canal aid, it is often impossible to know whether it is a linear aid, an active filter ASP, multi band compression, or K-AMP. How can you solve problems, assess hearing aid's performance, or select an appropriate replacement hearing aid, if you do not know what hearing aid technology is in use? With the FONIX 6500-CX you can determine, if a hearing aid is a linear or non-linear device in less than 30 seconds. The NEW automated multiple curve test program profiles hearing aid gain characteristics using four input levels, and then, profiles the output characteristics of the hearing aid. You will know if the hearing aid: is non-linear or linear has a limiting system and know the maximum output level has a input driven compression system has multi band compression you can even determine the compression ratio in each band if you choose Advantages of the Automated Multiple Curve Test Program: ANSI 92 Selling. Identify the client's current hearing aid technology and better determine what technology should be built into the replacement hearing aid so that the client has equivalent or superior performance and is readily satisfied. Easy and Quick. Do a professional job with an automated program that gives you the answers fast. Profile unidentified hearing aids in less than 30 seconds. Automated Multiple Curve test program: ANSI 92 This is a linear hearing aid. The gain (A) does not change what ever the input level: 50, 60, 70, 80 dB SPL. The hearing aid does limit the output to 100.6 dB SPL (B). This is a non-linear hearing aid. The output does increase 1:1 for every 1 dB of additional input (O). When the input rises from 70 to 80 dB, the output only rises 5 dB. The gain (A) not only changes with the input level (50, 60, 70, 80 dB SPL), but the compression or gain reduction is different in the low and high frequency bands of the hearing aid. The hearing aid does limit the output at this use gain setting to 102.6 dB SPL(B). This hearing aid has an input-dependent, active filter. The gain (A)changes in the low frequencies with the input level, but there is no compression in the high frequency band. The maximum output at this use gain setting to 103.6 dB SPL (B). 2. What kind of gain and output am I really delivering to the client with a CIC? Too much? Too little? CIC hearing aids fit deeper in the canal. CIC hearing aids, because they fit so deeply in the canal, use much of the volume of the ear canal. Because of the deep canal placement and CIC's proximity to the typanmic membrane, the amplification delivered is increased. Is the new CIC you are fitting likely to exceed the client's comfort level? What is the CIC's maximum output? What type of output will be delivered by the CIC in a noisy restaurant (70-80 dB), with a sound impact sound (70 - 90 dB SPL +... dishes, horns, doors, sirens) New CIC (.4 cc) coupler and software Frye Electronics has introduced a new CIC coupler and software program for the FONIX 6500-CX. With this new coupler you can better measure the gain and output of CIC hearing aids. It is necessary to use a .4 cc couplerbecause it more closely approximates the actual volume and frequency response characteristics of the real ear with the CIC aid in place. Using the standard hearing aid analyzer 2cc coupler with CIC hearing aids will significantly underestimate the level of gain or output delivered in the average ear canal. The new FONIX CIC coupler has several advantages: Accuracy and Precision. More accurate and precise estimates of the gain and output levels delivered in the ear canal by a CIC Easy and Quick CIC ANSI and test box measurements CIC Measurement: .4 cc and 2cc coupler The traditional 2cc coupler underestimates the gain and output by 18 dB SPL. Using the CIC coupler to evaluate the output and gain of a CIC,can help minimize user problems and better ensure client comfort. 3. With so many interactive and interdependent controls, how can I make the fitting of programmable hearing aids easy and fast ? Use the FONIX 6500 Real Ear System with its composite speech weighted signal and real time testing to quickly, accurately, and precisely measure non-linear,adaptive, multi band, or dynamic range compression programmables. Monitor and control your fittings. Real Ear Testing Use the composite real time speech-weighted signal to measure the client's unique ear canal resonance (REUR), the in-ear aided response of a programmable(REAR), and the aid's "fit" to the target gain. Gain & Input: See how increases in the loudness of input signals affects gain. With this programmable device, soft sounds are amplified more; louder sounds less. Fit to the Target Gain: With this full dynamic range compression programmable,the use of 50 and 80 dB speech-weighted signals showed that the target gain was midway between a soft and loud speech signal. Effect of Changes in Cross-over Frequency Gain: A 65 dB speech weighted signal was used to show the effect of changes in this programmable's crossover frequency (.6, .9, 1.3, 2.0 Hz) on gain (REAR) Material Copyrighted by Susan Jelonek, 1995 Reprinted by Frye Electronics, Inc. with permission