Programming at home

nasif123

nasif123

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Is it possible to adjust the digital hearing aid from my own computer by having the software and the connecting devices? If so then where can I get such softwares and the devices required to connect the aid and pc?
 
generally, no. You can only get the software if you are a registered audiologist/HIS. If we could get it I'm sure a BUNCH of us would have it! I'd be first on the list of people to get my own programming equipment!!!
*EQL*
 
I understand that some people buy their HAs online and that the online audiologists can program the HAs via computer. Hearing aid companies make sure that individual consumers do not have the software.
 
If you were to program you HA do you know what compression is? Expansion? Do you want to use linear compression or non-linear? If you don't truly understand those terms, you will likely end up with a worse fit. There is more to a DSP than a "graphic equalizer" on a stereo.

Now assuming you are in the USA, there are also legalities. You must be licensed to practice medicine and Audiology is considered medicine. If you look at the boxes, most medical things are by prescription only. Just as you cannot buy a do-it-yourself surgery kit, decide without a doctor what drugs you need, etc, you cannot practice audiology in the USA. It may seem restrictive until someone injurers themselves playing audiologist.

Because it is illegal, no (reputable) company will supply you with the fitting software or hardware.

I guess the question is why do you want to fit it yourself?

C1
 
CrazyOne said:
If you were to program you HA do you know what compression is? Expansion? Do you want to use linear compression or non-linear? If you don't truly understand those terms, you will likely end up with a worse fit. There is more to a DSP than a "graphic equalizer" on a stereo.

Now assuming you are in the USA, there are also legalities. You must be licensed to practice medicine and Audiology is considered medicine. If you look at the boxes, most medical things are by prescription only. Just as you cannot buy a do-it-yourself surgery kit, decide without a doctor what drugs you need, etc, you cannot practice audiology in the USA. It may seem restrictive until someone injurers themselves playing audiologist.

Because it is illegal, no (reputable) company will supply you with the fitting software or hardware.

I guess the question is why do you want to fit it yourself?

C1
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I wonder why they sell hearing aids over the counter in walgreen? Anyway, if it is medicine, too bad insurance won't cover it...


does it matter if he know all those technical things? If it sounds right to him, that's all it matter and I don't think the hearing aids he is looking at is all that complex anyhow.
 
I'd like for there to be at least a minimum you can do at home. Yes, an audiologist needs to advise me on the details of aspects of fitting and what is a safe maximum setting for me, but outside that it would be nice to be trusted to input the most straightforward stuff, like for example I could carry more programs if I could get up in the morning and think I don't need DAI today but I do need 'mute' so let's enter the other one in the dropdown box. That really doesn't take medical training, that's a dropdown selection.

Equally, the audiologist may have access to the best knowledge but unfortunately they don't have access to my living room or my university lecture hall. I would like to be able to fine-tune certain aspects of the programming to those settings and try it actually in those places. I could turn something up a bit, quickly listen, decide it's not working, turn it off again. Not so easy if you have to wait a month, make a 40-mile trip to the audi, ask for a switch to be flicked, 40 miles back, don't like it, wait another month for it to be taken off again, repeat, repeat until you find it the way you like it.

So for me it's a halfway thing, I would like to be able to alter on a hearing aid the same sorts of basic controls you can access on consumer electronics.

And for this very reason I am expected to pay £75 for a "professional" to enter my name into a box on a piece of "professional" software so that I can have my transmitter flag up if it's found the correct receivers. And another £75 any time I want the FM balance changed. Come on, is that really something I need a degree for, or can I spell my name?
 
RoseRodent said:
I'd like for there to be at least a minimum you can do at home. Yes, an audiologist needs to advise me on the details of aspects of fitting and what is a safe maximum setting for me, but outside that it would be nice to be trusted to input the most straightforward stuff, like for example I could carry more programs if I could get up in the morning and think I don't need DAI today but I do need 'mute' so let's enter the other one in the dropdown box. That really doesn't take medical training, that's a dropdown selection.

Equally, the audiologist may have access to the best knowledge but unfortunately they don't have access to my living room or my university lecture hall. I would like to be able to fine-tune certain aspects of the programming to those settings and try it actually in those places. I could turn something up a bit, quickly listen, decide it's not working, turn it off again. Not so easy if you have to wait a month, make a 40-mile trip to the audi, ask for a switch to be flicked, 40 miles back, don't like it, wait another month for it to be taken off again, repeat, repeat until you find it the way you like it.

So for me it's a halfway thing, I would like to be able to alter on a hearing aid the same sorts of basic controls you can access on consumer electronics.

And for this very reason I am expected to pay £75 for a "professional" to enter my name into a box on a piece of "professional" software so that I can have my transmitter flag up if it's found the correct receivers. And another £75 any time I want the FM balance changed. Come on, is that really something I need a degree for, or can I spell my name?
Click to expand...

Yea, I agreed with you. We all want to do it ourselves to program HA or CI. Personally, I've visited Audiologist many time in past for Mapping on my CI. I got the idea how it work. It's pretty simple. It look like Equalizer to me. Plus options to switch on Auto-Sensitivity or changing 2 different programs.

IMHO, I could do that myself because:

1.) It's simple to adjust (nothing fancy on this!!!)
2.)If CI or HA hurts or is too sensitive, you can always bat it down to comfortable level
3.) (like you said above) Make quick adjustment to suit your need for a day
4.)Cheaper than going over Audie..

To me, it'll cost $365 EACH Mapping VISIT!! but insurance covers it. Until now, my new insurance don't covers SERVICE!! Grrrr. All other insurance that I looked through before selecting insurance no longer have service for CI and HA users. Oddly, my wife went for Mapping at same audie office, Audie lowered to $150 cuz of my insurance no longer provide service. Huh!! Something dirty going on!!!

Audiologist keep charging each day if I don't like the adjustment, I returns the next day, they'll charge to change back to level. It's wrong for them keep charging. That's probably why Insurance stopped providing coverage. IMHO that they should charge $10 to $25 each adjustment which are reasonable!!! If they do, they'll deal with long line of clients and keep them busy and make $$$'s in a Wal-Mart way. This is how Wal-Mart got rich from that.

I would love to own those software plus CI data equiptment (one with USB with box that hooks up to CI jack and other end to PC USB)

I believe the reason why companies refuse to sell to any H/A and CI clients because they fear that client can injure themselve trying to maximize the settings. For example, CI client wears CI all day and all week, their hearing became dull and flat. Usually, should turn it off and let the hearing nerve refresh in few hours up to days then turn back on. I assume same as Digital H/A users. They might try to tweak it up until it's at maximum level that they can go no further. This would damage their hearing.

Personally, I wanted to play around the settings so I would hear better or remove specific annoying sounds in my way.

I'm sure that every CI and HA users know what they want to hear, Audiologist don't. They just set it then make all of you to either tolerate until you get used to it or putting up pains then stop wearing it cuz it cost too much to do more mapping. To some, adjustments are weak or not sufficient to satisfy your need.

It's really nice to own those equipments. I believe that Companies do not want you to do adjustment to other CI / HA users or else you'll be liable for their injuries.

Actually, company can configure the software/hardware to match Serial number of CI or HA in order to allow you to make adjustments for only one or two (if you wears two) and not others.

Perhap you can get it through "Black Market" methods!! :evil::twisted:

If everyone want those, make a grassroot movement and file petitions to FDA that you all want own equiptments. It's very much akin getting certain prescriptions at Pharmacy without going to Dr often to prescribe medicines. (I was surprised that Pepcid used to be a prescription at Pharmacy but now selling at food section in Wal-Mart. I am aware that there are different strength of Pepcid medicine. FDA approves for over the counter. Why not do same with CI / HA equiptments!!)

Catty :cool:
 
I have hard- and software to programm my HA - it is not easy!

About eight years ago I had (two) Phonak Claro BTE. After a replacement (technical malfunction), the audiologist could not restore exactly the old fitting. We started to talk about programming the device and what components are needed to do it. At the end, I could buy the Hi-Pro box (the device between the computer and the HA), and I have got cables and fitting software for free (Phonak). After a specific training and some warnings, I could start with my own experiments.

It was not easy! Several times I ended up in a completely unusable fitting and I had to restart from scratch. More tha one time, I needed some assistance from my audiologist. After a long period of try and error experiments, I have now a good knowledge of some Phonak HA's and the software.

I changed then my HA every two years (more or less) and followed the Phonak line and had Perseo and Savia. Since February 2008, I have two Exélia SP. I still like to make some changes without "running" to the audiologist, but a good contact with "my" professional is mandatory.

Following my own experience, every one who is willing to acquire some basic knowledge (and invests some money), can do adjustments himself. The benefit is a good fine tuning and a better understanding of the whole fitting process.
 
I think much of this does depend on having a good relationship with your audiologist. Most of us in the UK are limited to the 'services' of our national health audiology. We cannot pay to have adjustments done privately as the aids belong to the health service not the patient. We often cannot get the audiologist to spare the time to make lots of adjustments. I am "not allowed" a speech focus manual program on my aids, I have to have automatic program and see if it manages to pick out the right thing at the right time. It generally focuses on the loudest and most obnoxious person in any room and sticks with him!

If you have an audi you can really relate to and you have enough trust in each other to say look, I am sure this fitting doesn't come out for me on paper, but can we try it and see? I have a cookie-bite loss with a fluctuating conductive component on top. This is not a loss that many people have experience with, so fitting to this loss takes longer than fitting to a simple old-age sloping loss. The things that "should" work for me turn out on fitting not to be right. I'd like to try "Sound Recover" because I have hyperacusis in high frequencies, so I'd be able to get amplification without the horror of those sounds, but that is "not right" for my loss so I am not allowed to give it a go.

How often my mum has been told she has "the right" fitting thus she has to go home and get used to it. Her audi is of the "slap both aids on at full power from day 1 and wear them all day every day till you get used to it" school. Well, it cuts down his work doing follow-ups, doesn't it? If she doesn't like it then tough, it's "right".

I get told they won't tighten the dynamic range compression on my aids because I won't be able to localise sounds. Well, sign me up then, as I have no clue where things are coming from, never have had. I think it's down to the blockage in both middle ears, stuff just echoes around my jawbone regardless where it comes from. I also change my "good ear" more than once a day, so my brain never gets a chance to balance that sounds which arrive here louder than there are in that direction.

So now I want to order a pair of America Hears or similar aids as a backup pair for TV and cinema. I want the dynamic range set so that whispering and loud gun-toting exploding car chases sound exactly the same volume, cos I cannot cope with the range. Wish I didn't have to buy more hearing aids to do this, but I think they work out cheaper than a HiPro and then finding software from somewhere, then changing leads and software every time my department decides they change allegiances and I have to have different hearing aids.
 
With you explanation of mixed loss (conductive and sensorineural loss) explain why you have been looking at middle ear implants. They may work well for you. Depending upon what you get, you can get very good care and many follow-ups to make sure they work correctly.

C1
 
CrazyOne said:
With you explanation of mixed loss (conductive and sensorineural loss) explain why you have been looking at middle ear implants. They may work well for you. Depending upon what you get, you can get very good care and many follow-ups to make sure they work correctly.

C1
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They do reckon it would be the best option for me, as it eliminates the conductive problem if the bones are mechanically assisted, so if nothing else I get stability. Unfortunately I either have to win the lottery or move to Germany where they are at least part-funded. It's a long-term dream, but I'm following the research.
 
Another option. Find a clinical trial where you don't pay anything.....this option also gives you access to the newest technology......

C1
 
CrazyOne said:
Another option. Find a clinical trial where you don't pay anything.....this option also gives you access to the newest technology......

C1
Click to expand...

Sadly the one I want has already been trialled and awarded approval in Europe, I'd only be able to get onto a new version trial or if they want type approval for a new type of hearing loss. I wish I could pretend to live in the US for a while as there is a clinical trial over there where I might just be able to afford the product because I don't have to pay the medical bills part. But of course then I have to pay for flights and accommodation in the US so it all goes back to square one. Keeping my ear to the ground, however. (Ouch, pun!)

Clinical trials don't seem to be as cheap as they used to be any more, now you have to pay for the technology but you get pre-care, op and aftercare covered. In a way it's fair enough, but in another way it's not really as the price of the technology drops massively when it goes to market, so the all-inclusive price the next person pays is probably the same or less than the tech-only price. Oh well, if I see one for money I can afford I'll go for it. They are generally trialled in Germany for European approval, as they only have to be approved once for anywhere in the EU.
 
Rose. My recommendation would be before you purchase any implant you look at the short and long term financial stability of the company charged to support it. Also, ask about the mean function gains that are gained in patients.

As far as a clinical trial in the USA, if we are both talking about the same company, that ship has sailed.

You are correct, most clinical trials in the EU happen in Germany. They seem to have the best (or most recognized) surgeons in Europe and are more willing to do clinical trials. However, you can get clinical trials that are zero cost to the patient. You just need to look or ask the right questions. Keep in mind, companies cannot solicite patients for trials only medical personel can. You just have to figure out where the trials are occuring.

-C1
 
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