TransEar gets better each day

[Jeanlea]

Boppie,

The vibrating was going on when I was in the classroom.  I think it was because the TransEar works on a turning sounds into vibrations.  I'm sure it occured because my students are so noisy.  I let them feel the vibrations when I showed them my hearing aid.  A good learning experience for them.  Then I sanitized it.  lol  The vibrations aren't bothersome at all.  In fact I wear my hearing aid all day and have no problems. 
I'm starting to notice a little more difference with it.  My good ear is used to picking up so many of the sounds.  Now the bad ear is getting a chance to get in on the sound gathering.  I think it's awesome to be on the cutting edge of technology with this device.  Because of your experience, I was able to share much information with my audiologist.  Of course, this is a first for her so she is learning just like me. 

Jean

[matti]

Jean - According to Rick the unit is not supposed to vibrate in the ear. You should feel some vibration if you are holding it in the palm of your hand, but it should fit tight enough in the ear, where you don't feel it. I would give your audiologist a call. I should be getting my remake in a couple of days.

As far as training, I have seen a manual  and it is extremely easy to understand, very detailed and straight forward. It has step by step instructions with photo's  and also shows do's and dont's.  Each TransEar also arrives with a programming CD and cable which stays with the audiologist. TransEar support will walk the audiologist through any problems via computer or phone and the audiologist can forward the patients settings immediately to TransEar if there are problems. 

Janet - I think you will be very happy with it. I did not wear mine today because my vibrating ear and head needed a break, and I noticed a difference in my hearing without it. Last night I watched TV while lying on my good ear and was able to hear fairly well.

I paid $2700 and it included impressions, fittings and all appointments

Cheryl

[Jeanlea]

It is so good to be able to share info on the TransEar with others.  I should clarify one thing-I noticed the vibrating when I was holding it in my hand.  I told my students I could feel it in my ear so they would be quieter.  LOL  It didn't work.  There is a big storm coming later tonight and they are all excited about more days off from school.
I noticed that I was able to hear the TV when laying on a pillow on my good ear tonight.  I do think it takes time for the brain to adjust.  I was able to wear the TransEar all day with no problems. 

Jean

[Boppie]

Oh yes, I remember the audiologist showing me the subtle vibrations in her hand.  Sometimes, when I am getting ready to apply the AuraGel I can detect a little whistle, probably coming from the fequency in the huge spot light above my vanity.

Jeanlea, How long did you run your aid in the sanitizer at school after the students looked at it?  I hate running my sanitizer box for hours.  I 'd like to compare notes on this.

[Boppie]

I ate lunch in the cafeteria at school on Grandparents' visiting day.  TransEar or not that place is impossible to hear conversation.  I think most adults use lip reading in there.   You see, kids have us in training for old age!

I taught the private Episcopal school.  Everybody brownbagged and we ate in the classrooms.  How civilized is that?

[matti]

Boppie - I was curious about running the santizer for such a long time as well. How much time do you get out of the brick? With my first TransEar, I was able to get 5 weeks before replacing.

cheryl

[Boppie]

I ran it 8 hours about 3 times a week for two months before replacing the brick which had turned very light pink.  My wearing times were between 2 and 6 hours a day three times a week. 

Now I am up to eight hours a day wearing time a couple of times a week.  So I might go through a brick faster.  Besides the rains and humidity are rising in South Texas.  I imagine that by May (high heat and humidty) I will be lucky to get a month out of a brick.

My audiologist said most hearing air wearers would be wise to use a Dry and Store unit, but they don't.

[TransEarXpert]

I learn a great deal by reading this forum, so thanks to all for helping me with your personal insights. I want to comment on a few of topics mentioned in this now long string.

Ear impressions: Experience thus far suggests that an open mouth impression will yield better results. Having said that, ears canals are SO different, and the action of the temporal-mandibular joint can vary so much from person to person, that I don't believe TransEar will ever get out of the shell remake business. It is part of the process. Bottom line: an open mouth impression will not guarantee a perfect fit, because the silicone mixture can vary in viscosity, and impression-taking skills will also vary - but it makes a better starting point.

Pain: a successful fit should not cause pain. As Boppie has said, sometimes it takes a few adjustments to get it right, and I know this can get inconvenient for many users. The reason it takes some work to get it right for you is that the part of the ear canal where TransEar does its work is not flexible. The skin over the bony portion of the ear canal is about 0.2mm thick, and it is highly vascular and extremely sensitive. Jaw movement from taking, eating, etc. can act like a plunger in some people, causing irritation. So, we recommend a follow-up visit in a week. While the outer ear has "give," the approximate 3/8" where TransEar does its work has none. The good news is since there is only 0.2mm of skin that can be painful, removal of 0.2mm of TransEar is all it takes. One just has to find the spots, and as Boppie has stated so well, finding them requires lots of cooperation between you and the fitter. Keep in mind that the typical audiologist or hearing aid fitter almost never deals with that area, so they must learn this as well.

"Eureka" moments: Few TransEar users will experience an emotional "Eureka" moment on the first fitting. The brain is a marvelous thing, but it can take a while for it to adjust, just as it did when it first had to compensate for the loss of hearing. That is why we have trial periods. Keep yourself open to new experiences, but remember that they will sometimes be there, but subtle.

Dry & Store use: 99.9% of the bugs that can live on the transfer unit are zapped during the first three minutes if the canal portion is aimed up towards the germicidal bulb. If bug-zapping is all you need, such as in a classroom, you can remove TransEar when the blue light goes out. Getting into the habit of using Dry & Store every night is a good one, as you also want to keep TransEar's processor and microphone dry - especially with summer heat coming.

If you would like a copy of the TransEar Fitting Guide, let me know off list. It is written for the audiologist, but comments here have me ready to edit one for the recipient too. In fact I'll do it today! Look for it on the TransEar web site.

Thanks,

Rick Gilbert

[matti]

Thank you Rick!   I think adding the fiiting guide to your website is a great idea.  It gives us a better understanding of what to expect and to look for during our fitting and programming appointments.

Thanks,
Cheryl

[djyanetta]

Thank you, Rick. I am a firm believer that knowledge is power! Had I add more information on what to expect, I probably would not have given up the first time. The TransEar is not only new to the end user, but also a new experience for most Audiologists. There is a learning curve for everyone.

Again, thanks to you. AND thanks to this Forum.

Janet

[gb4821]

I was wondering if you can use your cell phone with the transear?  Also is their any buzzing that comes form the aid?  In another thread the people talked about Starkey Destiny verse Transear and said that transear buzzed and with the Starkey brand you could talk on the phone with it.  I have an appointment with my ENT next week to discuss hearing aids and what toi go with.  I think he only knows about the Cross type so I have been gathering info for him to look at.  He is a personal friend so I hope to convince him to take a good look at the info.

one more question What are the improvements of the Transear II?  Does the Battery last longer then the first one and is their a trade-in on the older version to upgrade to the new ones?  for future thought...

Thanks for all the info so far.

Greg Brown

[Boppie]

I tried and can hear the TV with a TransEar side but haven't the need to use the phone on that side.  I'd rather use the phone on my hearing ear side.  One would have to place the cell or hand phone receiver near the microphone (BTE) part.  I would try this in an emergency. 

[TransEarXpert]

Greg:

Sure, one can use TransEar with a cell phone. But if you have one good ear, that's the one you should use. You will not get as much gain from any aided side, including TransEar, and that means speech discrimination will suffer. This is, of course, a problem with many cell phones for folks with normal hearing! I don't know what is meant by TransEar buzzing. It doesn't buzz. Perhaps the audiologist quoted had experienced a very early model - one made by our previous licensee - or a defective oscillator??

The Starkey hearing aid you mentioned is simply a very high-powered air conduction hearing aid that produces so much sound pressure that it vibrates the bone. At that point it acts just like TransEar or BAHA. Hearing aids have been used that way since the late '80s, and the industry usually refers to them as transcranial-CROS instruments, or T-CROS. What is new about the Destiny is that Starkey claims to have a more efficient feedback management capability than past models, as feedback is a huge problem when you are cranking up air conduction aids to such high volume levels. I'll leave the discussion of physics for someone else, but we maintain that directly vibrating the skull with a vibrator (TransEar, BAHA, and headbands) is a lot more efficient than vibrating the skull with sound pressure.

Re: TransEar 270, it is smaller and less visible, which means we can fit people with small ears (like Matti), the transducer sits deeper in the ear, and users report that speech sounds are more clear. It uses new a soft flexible wire, but that wire can also be used by current model users as well.  Will battery life be better? Yes, we think so, because the amplifier that drives the vibrator is more efficient - not better, just more efficient power-wise. We have also stopped using the feedback cancellation features in both current processors, because any TransEar feedback occurs out of the range of such circuits. Experts tell us that up to 40% of a digital hearing instrument's battery drain is caused by the feedback cancellation feature. So for both current and TransEar270 users, battery life should be enhanced by turning it off. (It is already off on TransEar270.)

There will be an upgrade path for those users who want the smaller transfer unit, but we have not yet worked out the cost. It will be several weeks before this is available, as the transducers must be specially made (they are not identical to those in TransEar270). We will alert all hearing professionals who have fit TransEar by email or snail mail when these issues are defined.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but there you have it....

Rick

[Jeanlea]

I've nearly finished three days with my new TransEar and the battery is still going strong.  When I block my good ear I can hear voices very well through the TransEar.  I'm also finding that I don't turn my head as much when talking to people.  So far, so good. 

Jean

[gb4821]

thanks boppie and Rick for your postings.  This is great infomation to get and thanks for answering my questions for me.

Greg Brown